Interview: Chiara Stephenson on the Set Design of A SINGLE MAN

After a run at the Manchester International Festival, A Single Man, “a vital portrait of queer love and loss,” is currently performing at the Linbury Theatre at the Royal Opera & Ballet. The show, choreographed by Jonathan Watkins, is a reimagining of the novel by Christopher Isherwood, which follows the story of George, a man grieving the loss of his partner, Jim. Watkins is joined by singer-songwriter John Grant and composer Jasmin Kent Rodgman, who have contributed the music of the work.

Recently, we had the opportunity to chat with Chiara Stephenson, the set designer of A Single Man. We discussed how she first got into the world of theatre, what the creative process was like for A Single Man and what she hopes audiences take away from the show as a whole.

So starting with a bit of a general question, how did you first get started in the world of set design?

Even at school, everything I did in the art block and art lessons always became 3D. Every painting, every project, and the same when I did an Art Foundation at Kingston in London. And then a friend of mine was going up to Liverpool to check out a theatre design course, and asked if I wanted to jump on the train with her and go check it out, which I did. And immediately, at the age of seventeen, fell in love with the idea of this course - how much there was to learn, how varied it was and how practical. But also the chance to read plays and and shows and respond to them. I just fell in love with it. I really enjoyed it till the last day of the three year course. And then I moved back to London, which is where I'm from, which also happens to be the epicentre of theatre, so it was a good fit. 

And what made you want to be a part of A Single Man?

It felt like a really good fit! Jonathan Watkins, we met for a coffee, and he was talking about the project and what he wanted it to be, and said, “Go and read the book.” I'd seen the film, but I hadn't read the book, and there was so much to draw from! But also, what I was drawn to, which felt really within my ability, was the hybrid nature of the show. We knew that John Grant was going to be writing new songs in response to the book, so what could I do to cradle his performance? Being a part of the hybrid show that was a music gig, ballet, contemporary dance and theatre with a small live orchestra on stage was good! I was excited to put all the skills together, because I often work in various industries, whether it's music, ballet, theatre, opera, exhibition design. So it felt good that I could do all of those sensibilities in one package. 

Can you tell us a bit about the creative process for this show in particular?

For sure! Again, reading the book was the first thing, and deep-diving into Isherwood and him as a person, and learning about his educational background. He went to Cambridge and was a scholar there. Everyone wanted him to become an academic, and he rebelled against that. He also wanted to be a doctor for ages! So in his writing, when you see the way he describes people and characters, it's this real mixture of left and right hemisphere responses to humanity. It's anatomically diagrammatic in one sense, and then the flip side is the anxiety, the emotional, the comedy and human - his perception of humanity was so broad. So I was drawn to that. 

And when we were thinking about the mind and body of George, that anatomical medical interest in what it is to be human came out in response to it. So falling in love with Isherwood as an artist, as much as the book, A Single Man. But the style of writing was totally what we bounced off, and then also we drew this diagram really early on of what is A Single Man. It's the arc of one day for George with these interjections and interruptions of anxiety and memory and grief and loss. But the arc is quite functional and involves a lot of descriptions, almost like he's being propped up through his very human loss and grief by these details of the day. So we drew this arc of a day - interruptions of grief, anxiety, loss. And if you look at the ground plan of the set, it literally is that diagram. It was about this arc of the finer details of the day, and then how we interject, interrupt - almost like osmosis - into the space the other parts of what it means to be human that are overriding the banal details of life.

Was there anything that surprised you with the process?

The show was built by the Royal Opera House, by the scenic workshop and by the amazing props department, which is in house at Covent Garden. I hadn't quite fully appreciated how amazing those teams are. So I was talking about printing certain elements of the show and certain layers, not thinking that there was the finest scenic artists in the country who were able to hand paint certain details of the show! It's set in the 60s, we wanted it to have this lo-fi analogue quality, and we achieved that even more so with the fact that it was created by hand, not laser cut or printed - it really was authentic in that way.

How does the creative process differ between things like ballet and music gigs?

When you're working on a play, there's a lot in the text - a lot you have to be loyal to and a lot you can decide to ignore, but there's a narrative. And what was interesting about this ballet is that that there was a dramaturgist [Luke Pell] involved who made sure, from a dramaturgical point of view, that we were really telling the story. It wasn't an abstract musing on a book - it was loyal to to the beginning, middle and end of the story. With music, you can be more abstract and bold, but with all of it, the goal is to not hijack or overimpose, but just to cradle the performances of the dancer and give them space, let them be the spirit of the show. And especially with John Grant, what's so amazing with him is he was up for being put in quite a confined space, beautifully framed. He's probably used to having way more space on stage to traverse and move around!

What was it like to have the show open in Manchester?

It was so good! That building, Aviva International and Aviva Studios, is the most incredible facility. It's so vast. There was one show teching behind our show, ready to move into position on the stage we were on! So you're humbled by the fact that you're part of a much bigger operation there. And it held its own! The size of the Linbury in London and the size of Aviva Studios is vastly different, and it's two very different shows. But because it's this hybrid, because it's got this incredible music by John Grant and Jasmine [Kent Rodgman], we really filled the big space just as well as we did the smaller venue at the Linbury. And also, Manchester International Festival . . . Everyone's a huge fan of what MIF is about and what it pushes for. It's so good bringing together people from different disciplines and putting them in a pot together, making a casserole. And this is a really good example of of how it can work well. But to just be part of a bigger festival and contribute to a body of work for the year was really great, a dream come true.

What was it like to bring the show into a new space, the Linbury Theatre?

It was amazing! We were worried it wasn't going to fit this because we underestimated the amount of real estate that the live musicians needed. There's four or five them, Manchester Collective led by Fiona Brice, an incredible musical director. In a plan, you put a few clarinet or sax players in the corner, and you think they're not gonna take up space, but the equipment that comes with them, because of the live nature of it, means that when we got to the Linbury, it was very, very tight! But dancers are pretty good at problem solving and squeezing through small spaces when you need them to, so we made it work. And the Linbury is just acoustically amazing. It feels like you're inside a guitar - the sound quality in there is absolutely amazing! And even the back seat is pretty intimate. So that's the benefit of the smaller, more intimate venues - everyone has a great seat.

What do you hope audiences take away from A Single Man?

There's so much to be interpreted! Even talking to people that have been to it in the last week here in London, some people might not be a fan or even know John Grant, and, by the end of it, they're obsessed! And then if people don't necessarily go to dance or don't know John Grant or aren't used to these hybrid productions, it encourages them to want to see more and explore more of that kind of show. I think that's progress! It feels like that's the way the world's going. The fusion of things is constant, and it's hybrid upon hybrid. And that's where it's exciting, these things emerging and becoming a new type of cultural beast. It's a story of queer love, but it's also a story of loss and grief, and so many people can relate to that. And the way it's presented and shown is very human and universal, and very touching. This battle of the mind and the body and which one’s in the driving seat, is a universal human concept. It's broader - it's about grief and loss. And what I found amazing in rehearsals, which tends to be my favourite part of the process, was this amazing combination of Ballet Queer dancers with Royal Ballet dancers. So when you're watching it there's this classical training, but there's just this absolute sass! The fusion of those two dance companies is super exciting. It brings a lot to the buzz of the show. It's just good fun. It's great.

Do you have a favourite memory from the show? 

On any show, it's the first time the dancers or performers are in costume and they come onto the stage. It's the first time the physicality of the set and costumes and performers is all together for the first time. That's the best bit for me. But also, just the process of watching how the Royal Opera House made the version of what we wanted to the highest standard. It was so tactile! The attention to detail is good enough to be right up close to it, which isn't always the case. In theatre, you can get away with a lot by knowing that everyone's going to be about seven metres away. In this case, you want to go up to it and touch it and be in it up close, which is satisfying.

And finally, how would you describe A Single Man in one word?

Generous!