|
"I
got the impression on leaving college that I would do productions
worth 20 quid, not 20 grand".
 |
| Ben
Stones with a scenic artist in the Royal Theatre workshops |
Ben
Stones can still hardly believe his luck. What catapulted the 22-year-old
from student leaver to designer of one of the Royal Theatre's most
ambitious productions was winning the Linbury Biennial Prize For
Stage Design.
Success
in the competition meant that Ben was asked to design the sets for
The Royal's dramatisation of Milton's Paradise Lost.
Lord of the Rings
 |
| Royal
Theatre prop maker Anna Tidder creates a few planets |
It's
the story of Satan being banished from Heaven, his fall into hell
and his temptation of Man in the Garden of Eden.
When
it comes to putting all this on stage, where on earth do you begin?
"There
were so many different ideas and models of how to do it," said
Ben. "It started much bigger, far more epic."
But
Ben soon changed his mind: "It shouldn't be like Lord of the
Rings. It shouldn't be that kind of spectacle. This is a theatrical
event, it's not a film."
Elaborate
 |
| One
of Ben's design models |
So
Ben has exploited the ornate theatricality of the Victorian Royal
Theatre. The first thing the audience will see is the theatre's
famous elaborately-painted fire curtain. But Ben has made it appear
burnt and charred.
When the curtain rises, the stage looks bare: "I came to visit
the theatre and I saw the bare back wall of the stage; I saw the
exit door, I saw a ladder, and I thought: 'why do we need a set?'
 |
| A
model of the design for the Garden of Eden |
"When
the curtain goes up, it feels there is no set - just the back wall
of a theatre."
But
it's not all it seems. The hanging ladder becomes Jacobs ladder
and the fire exit opens out onto the lush, green Garden of Eden.
Ambition
There
are numerous other surprises as ordinary theatrical objects are
given new meanings. But one of Ben's ideas had to be overruled:
"I wanted real fire on stage, but actors aren't fire proof."
For
imagination, creativity and ambition, this show promises to be a
highlight of the year. And Ben Stones is a name to look out for
in the future. He hasn't yet got anything lined up for when his
work on Paradise Lost is over, but he's hopeful it'll be a springboard
to even greater success.
Listen to Ben
Stones talking about his designs for Paradise Lost (Real
56k, 4'00")
|
View
