This is Living

"Been a sh*t week hasn't it. I f*cking died mate, yano what I mean?"

Alice and Michael met six years ago. Three years later their daughter Lily was born. Now, in a meadow, just past midnight, they're having an argument - Alice is cold and tired, and Michael won't stop telling her that she died twelve hours ago. Liam Borrett's debut is a poignant, honest story that "finds humour in unexpected places" (The Reviews Hub), exploring love, loss and what it really means to say goodbye.

My design focused on the theme of grief, using angular shapes and lines that cut through the furniture of the bedroom to reflect how the life they were building together has been abruptly cut short. Water was a fundamental part of the design, both serving as a visual reminder of the way in which Alice died and providing exciting opportunities for storytelling. I was particularly interested in the ways it could interact with costume and lighting, as well as its potential to be used by the actors in the space.