Turandot
Written by Giacomo Puccini - 1926
My Role : Set and Costume Designer.
This tells the story of Princess Turandot who makes suitors answer 3 riddles correctly if they are to marry her.
In this adaption Turandot has been possessed or controlled by this Old Princess who is trying to protect Turandot from her tragic end whilst also trying to avenge herself.
All of Turandot's actions have not been those of her own but of the Old Princess.
The world itself is that of oppression of women and shows the poison of the men.
This shows the journey of healing from the poison, not only for Turandot but of the whole chorus.
Image above taken by Amelia Feeney
The Coliseum
I made a 1:50 scale model of the coliseum made from ground plans.
Made out of card, clay and acrylic paint.
Images taken by Amelia Feeney.
Concept art
I created these initial drawings responding to reading, listening to the libretto and conversations with the Director.
Storyboards
I have been exploring the use of colour saturation and abstracted sets to communicate the world the audience has been invited into.
The colour blue signifies the men's poison. The saturation of blue being lost to the red shows the women regaining their power.
Scene 1 - Outside the castle.
Scene 2 - Inside the castle.
Scene 3 - In the garden.
Scene 4 - The ending of the story.
Images taken by Amelia Feeney.
Costume drawings
I have taken the piece from the 1810's, to the 1850's, 1900's and modern day.
Each important moments within feminist history.
The Old Princess is stuck in the 1630's as that is when she died.
The women's costumes match the colour of the set at that moment to show the poison that has sept into their being.
Whereas the men's costumes are historically accurate.
Created through initial hand drawings which have been worked upon digitally.
