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SET DESIGNSwan Lake was designed for proscenium arch theatres. Fourlarge white columns stand left and right of the stage throughoutthe entire performance. A white breezeblock wall standsupstage throughout the Palace scenes and the entire structureor sections of it can be flown out when the action movesoutside the Palace. The vast amount of white used throughoutthe production seems to suggest a cold, clinical environment,lacking in warmth, colour and love.Different locations within and outside the Palace areachieved with simple scenic changes.The centre of the whitewall can be raised, the Young Prince’s bed, that we see atthe very beginning can be turned 180 degrees and thenpushed back into the space in the wall. The back of the bedhead is draped in a red cloth decorated with a gold crownwhich turns it into a Royal balcony from which the familywave down to their subjects. Later on in Act One, the bed/balcony disappears altogether and the gap in the back wall isnow filled with the appearance of a large gold crown flown inabove the performers as a red carpet is rolled out down themiddle on which the Queen and the adult Prince enter.Act One: Scene Three – An Opera House, takes us to astage within a stage. Here Brotherston utilises anotherpiece of flying set; a large proscenium arch slightly askewto suggest the fakery of it. A Royal Box is stage left ofthis. Within our fake theatre a painted backdrop of agothic castle bordered by trees is our setting for thepastiche ballet, a love story between a moth maiden and awoodcutter.The Seedy Club in Act One: Scene Six is the most vividlycoloured of the show so far. Pink ruche curtains are drapedalong the back, creating a back drop, a bar upstage rightJonathan Oliver and Dominic North. Photograph by Bill Cooperwith a podium upstage centre house the dubious andrecognisable characters of the 1960’s and 1970’s. A vividpink neon sign hangs above the bar.As the gauze curtain rises for Act Two a mist hovers above thestage. We are in a park. Bare-branched trees stand upstageof the four pillars cartoon-like stretching out like long graspingfingers. A streetlight, park bench and waste bin are downstage right; all three are removed for the core of Act Two andare replaced at the end of the act. A notice attached to thestreetlight warns ‘Do Not Feed The Swans’. A full moon hangsabove us.ACTIVITYIn pairs encourage the students to sketch out analternative set design for any of the scenes withinSwan Lake. Encourage the students to considerwhat the set may have to do for the scene they areconsidering; identifying location, may need to providespace for the dancers, provide a period of time, offer asupport or varied levels etc.School boy xcostume design by Lez Brotherston.Extension Task: This could be developed so thatstudents have to create a 3D version of their designsMATTHEW BOURNE’S SWAN LAKE RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS 12