Saturday 3 November
1pm – 3pm
3 Dryden Street WC2E 9NA
Join Francesca Peschier at this two-hour workshop exploring how we can write better about design on various platforms
One of the challenges faced when writing about theatre design is the lack of a definitive vocabulary, how can we put into words what that perfectly positioned chair, that movement of dress, that singular shadow did in that moment of performance? Especially in reviewing, limited word counts leave us with maybe one or two sentences in which to capture the visual mise-en-scène, what Professor Arnold Aronson refers to as the ‘all-encompassing visual spatial construct as well as the process of change and transformation’. Phew, no wonder we so often fall back on ‘simple but striking’.
In this workshop we will explore writing about scenography for a variety of platforms through discussion and writing exercises. We will examine how being able to better describe design leads to fuller,
richer criticism and opens up new ways of thinking about work beyond prioritising text and direction.
This workshop is suitable for anyone who has an interest in writing about theatre design, whether as a maker, critic or researcher. No pre-preparation is required but come with some productions in mind whose designs you loved (or loathed!) and would like to discuss.
Francesca Peschier is a freelance theatre producer, researcher and reviewer for publications including The Stage, Exeunt, ALD Focus and Fest Mag. She recently completed her AHRC funded PhD in scenography and Liverpool identity which included analysing the ways in which design is written about by critics across newspapers and online platforms in the UK. Francesca lectures in scenography and critical studies for stage and screen at University of Arts London and Arts University Bournemouth. In 2015 she was selected as 1 of 25 critics from across the world under 30 chosen to document the Prague Quadrennial. She also serves on the committee of the Society of British Theatre Designers.