directed by Phyllida Lloyd.
special contribution by sound sculptor Peter Appleton.
Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
This was the second production Phyllida and I worked on together. Being on the main proscenium arch stage at the Everyman, it was a step up in terms of size from Zola’s Earth, which was a small-scale, studio production (although epic in its own way).
Preparing for Earth we had discovered the work of Peter Appleton, a sculptor whose work didn’t just sit, stand or lie inert. It hummed, sang, buzzed, sighed, roared. I had built the music for that production around Peter’s objets, and did the same on Dream. Peter himself was wonderfully approachable, completely open to working in a theatrical environment. His contributions looked and sounded stunning.
Phyllida and designer Chris Crosswell accommodated Peter’s somewhat futuristic sculptures by setting Dream in a kind of nuclear power station. A forest of metal bars, suspended from the flies, provided the magic wood. The multi-role cast were dressed in white boiler suits which, when the jackets were turned inside out, flashed distinctive, bright colours so we could all double as fairies. It really was quite an achievement.
Budgets being what they are, we were one actor down on the ideal number. This resulted in me playing a cobbled-together Mechanical, a mix of Snug and Snout whom we christened Snoug.
