Sets, scenery and props
All of our productions require some form of setting: and our team has to design, build and paint the sets and find or make the props.
We call the things that are built on the stage and represent the location in which the play is performed “the set” and moveable items “the props”, though there is often an overlap between them. We often informally refer to objects – whether scenery or props – that have some sort of mechanism as “contraptions”.
What’s involved?
What is required varies greatly from show to show. Many productions will have a single set – often what we call a ‘box set’ – that represents a particular room or place; but sometimes a production will have a simple stage with a few representative items of staging, whilst at the other end of the scale our pantomimes require several complete sets and often complex contraptions.
We always have a limited budget, so we have to be canny about making things look better than they really are.
The typical tasks involved are:
- Designing one or more sets, which may involve anything from a rough sketch to a full visualisation or scale model
- Building the set, using a mixture of existing ‘flats’ and raw materials
- Painting the set, which may be anything from a flat coat of emulsion to detailed scenic painting
- Sourcing or making props and contraptions
- Taking it all apart after the show
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- A traditional box set of a country house
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- The set for ‘Bunkered’, complete with fake rear corridor hiding a set of stairs. Most of the objects in this picture are fakes.
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- Pantomimes demand a lot of scenic painting, but not necessarily by experts: much of this scene is simple shapes..
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- Palace Gardens set for a pantomime.
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- On overview of the scenery and props used in a single panto. The giant hand was able to ‘grab’ and the tea urn ‘exploded’.
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- Things like this naval emergency lamp are made from simple materials.
What experience do you need?
None: SBADS is a great place to learn stagecraft. Some practical experience of DIY or artistic painting is useful, but not essential.
What skills do you need?
It’s really important to know that we don’t require experts – though they are always welcome! The last few productions have had sets and scenery done by people with little or no previous experience and no previous training… as long as you are competent in at least one skill, we can probably use you!
Any or all of these skills are useful:
- DIY
- Carpentry/woodwork
- Domestic or trade decorating
- Artistic painting
- Model making
- Metal fabrication
- Project planning
- Making ‘something out of nothing’ (but not literally!)
A really useful skill that’s hard to define is the ability to “know what things look like”: for example, getting the essence of a period for furnishing a room, knowing how everyday objects have changed over the years, or understanding the details that make the difference between a realistic object and an obvious prop.
How do I get involved?
If you are not already a member, you can contact us to let us know that you are interested. If you’d like to chat to someone who’s already involved in this part of productions, let us know, and we’ll put you in touch.
If you are a member, then please make sure that your interest in this area is included on your membership records. If you want to update your membership records, then please fill in the membership form.
