visual communication design

madeleine hassall

Brief 

The client

My client is the creative team of Lower Heidelberg Productions, a theatre company in Melbourne. This year the company is making a production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In particular, the Director is my primary client contact, as the person who makes the key design decisions for the production. Other members of the creative team, such as the lighting designer, are secondary client contacts as all elements of the production need to work well together. The costume team and set production team will also be key members of the client group who will work closely as part of my team. These teams are responsible for taking costume and set designs and concepts and making them reality. The theatre company is located in Ivanhoe, Melbourne, on Lower Heidelberg Rd, that it is named for. The company has produced many plays and musical theatre productions and have presented many of Shakespeare’s plays in the past. It is some time since they have put on A Midsummer Night’s Dream so they no longer have suitable sets or costumes that can be used. They are looking for an innovative and new take on the production, with costumes and sets to match. They require costume designs and conceptual set designs for their production.

The production’s director of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is Oliver Walsh, an up-and-coming theatre director and playwright. He is 39 years old and began his theatrical career as a stage manager for amateur productions around Victoria and New South Wales. He teaches part time at the Victorian College of the Arts and lives in Coburg North. He studied theatre production at NIDA in Sydney, after taking time off to write and travel. His interests are theatre, writing and dogs. He has a 6-year-old blue Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Bailey. Walsh has a middle income but has managed and produced many shows and is well-versed in theatre making.

Presentation 1

The client has requested costume designs for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, for the 21 characters in the play fitted to 14 actors. They are looking for a modern and innovative take on the costumes that a modern audience can relate to.

Presentation 2

The client has requested set designs for A Midsummer Night’s Dream that will allow the entire play, in all its settings to be presented. They are looking for an abstract and movable set that incorporates the key themes of the play.