'Waiting For Godot' Design Process

Here you can see a selection of brief notes and images showing how I reached the final design for ‘Waiting for Godot’. It seems a litle odd to show regected ideas but it might be helpful to share the creative process. When developing ideas for a theatrical set I use sketches and models. I find these small (1:100 scale), quickly made maquettes are a good way to communicate initial concepts to directors and technicians. They give a better sense of space than a 2D sketch and help solve problems before making the final 1:25 scale model and technical drawings.
Director Michael Hill and I worked through many ideas, starting from the basic ‘country road, tree and stone’ specified in the script and moving into what we hoped was a more interesting solution. While keeping within the strict requirements of the Beckett estate.
Visual influences included the paintings of Casper David Friedrich and Australian artist Peter Booth, films of Keaton and Chaplin and the convergence of the Australian urban and rural landscapes.
The Space Theatre is a square general purpose space. We were obliged to use a corner configuration with audience seated on two sides of the performance area. Final design used every available inch of the theatre. A huge painted cyclorama wrapped around the theatre and leaned over the audience creating a vast looming sky

Victoria Lamb