Evaluation.

I have really enjoyed this project and I feel I have learnt a considerable amount. I have a better understanding of my professional practice, the effectiveness of ideas and their relationship to the budget. I feel that my set design reflects the budget and even though it is simple it has a lot of potential in terms of how the tales can be told and the different opportunities available to the director. I tried to integrate the set and costumes as much as possible not only to give the audience the impression that the tales being told are spontaneous but also to link in with the context that they are travelling pilgrims and how this relates to each pilgrim’s individual character. I am very glad that I unexpectedly had to design the set as well, as I have tried to assimilate the set and costumes as much as possible. My confidence has grown hugely in my set design abilities in terms of understanding the space and how it can be used within the requirements of the piece. I really want the audience to enjoy the physical theatre aspect of the piece and this is something I will take forward with me when realizing both the set and costume designs.

            This project has really increased my confidence in my time management and has helped me to always consider the amount of time certain tasks will take. I think that I am much more professional in my methods of working and talking to other people about my ideas and where I think they should be taken. Through organizing and having regular meetings with the director, I have a better understanding of theatre design and how the industry works. I think that I have become a much more independent worker and also more and more passionate about designing The Canterbury Tales and the potential of the piece.

             Doing in depth research into the period really informed my designs and helped me to understand the strictness of dress in terms of class in the medieval period. I feel I have a thorough knowledge of the period and I think this will really help me when going into the autumn term, as it will be easier to see what garments are best for hire etc.

            I would have liked to have recorded more the development of my costume ideas in this project, however because of the number of characters, in terms of how many parts an actor/actress is playing, the development of the characters tended to happen all at once. As ultimately they all have to work together, I didn’t want two parts looking the same and I wanted to still keep the original character in mind when considering the different tale’s characters they would be playing.

            I’ve learnt many important things in this project, not only about the way I design and work with other team members, but I have also learnt not to be precious about ideas. I have had some interesting ideas for tricks that could happen with the set but the director felt these were not in keeping with the theme of the piece and therefore they had to go. I feel this was a right decision for the play and therefore it has made me realize that although an idea may be good, a designer must constantly be striving towards the finished piece, who it is being aimed at and what feel or theme is being produced.

            I used a variety of simple ideas for the costumes for example, the Reeve’s reversible cap being used to represent the Pope, and the Squire using a bucket to show The Young Knight rather than a Saxon helmet. After all, why would travelling pilgrims carry round a Saxon style helmet? The tales in any case are a spontaneous idea of the host’s. This play has required me to really think about the why in everything and to question all design decisions. Why certain characters would have these belongings and how they would carry them on pilgrimage. It has required me to think a lot about every design decision and be quite brave and open, particularly in meetings with the director, about why I feel pilgrims would have certain garments and why at times I’ve felt certain options for the set would not work. It has been quite challenging and experimental in a way I have not experienced before and this has made me very glad I chose to design this play in particular, and it has also made me very excited for the autumn term. Designing The Canterbury Tales has been an invaluable experience.