Designer | ADC Theatre, Cambridge

Of Mice and Men was staged at the ADC Theatre in Cambridge. The setting of America’s Great Depression led to the design of an oppressive backdrop that evoked the characters’ feelings of isolation and desire to escape. Timber boarding was used as a primary material, giving a sense of the rural, agricultural environment in which the play is set. Taking inspiration from Kiefer’s harrowed landscapes, layered paint effects merged the rough sawn timber boards with large panels, uniting both elements as part of a barren overall aesthetic. The combined panels were hung as a series of asymmetric pieces, with gaps between the timber boards revealing elements of the scenery behind, giving a sense of depth and foreboding. The fragmented layers of the set were gradually stripped away, revealing a stark backdrop for the play’s climatic scene.