To begin my research, I used the key words Sam and I agreed on: Romance, War, and 1940s Italy. I began by making Pinterest boards. Then Sam and I selected the images we were both inspired by and I collaged them into aesthetic moodboards for the atmosphere, stage design, and costume design. 

After the rehearsal, Sam and I had a meeting to discuss initial design ideas. From the moodboards, I had initially created, the structure and visual impact of the arches that reoccured in my collages was really inspiring to both Sam and I. After watching the choreography from start to finish, I pointed out the conceptual and physical travelling that occurs on stage and how locations to and from travel should be defined. There is a length created in the piece, both by the passing of time in the narrative and by the spacial development of the choreography itself. We both discussed using the arch as a form of duality and symbolism that would frame the space, having it act as the force separating and then reuniting the couple. 

With Sam, I quickly drew out some design ideas with the arch in mind. Then, in my next phase of research I dove heavily into the symbolism and meaning of arches. 

Seeing the arches in the images of war damage in Nagasaki and Italy, prompted my design and scenic art focus. I felt that incorporating damage & debris in the aesthetic of the architecture in my set would help communicate the passage of time in the war, as well as the physical and emotional toll that the war placed on people. Moreoever, the visuals of the Roman Catholic architecture reminded me symbolically of marriage which would signify the strength of their romance. The choreography is really fluid, yet melancholic, so I thought it would be interesting to give a contrasting harsh texture to the visual language on stage. Therefore, I began looking at creating texture both in the structure and through light/reflection. 

To grasp my research in a physical sense, I began sketch modelling with found materials and card paper. After creating structures with paper, I put in scale figures and began playing around with shadows. I was interested in shadows because the choreography had important exits and entrances of The Husband character, but I wanted to give him presence even when he was "off stage" or in the distance. I wanted to play with the non-physical connection between The Wife and The Husband that could be incorporated into their solos, so that even when each was alone on stage, the presence of the other was visible. 

After discussing with Sam, we both agreed on the imagery of the shadows emerging through the arch in my first round of sketch modelling. Sam mentioned that he liked how the non-tangible presence of the shadow still had a dynamic visual which overall created a powerful visual effect in relation to the physicality of the arch. We wanted this visual effect to be a climactic point in the choreography, which meant a few changes.

Initially, as can be seen in the video of the first rehearsal above, when The Husband returns, the couple kind of circle each other. However, in order to create the elongated shadow through the arch, this would require a straight movement forward towards the arch. Additionally, it would require a lot of length so I suggested we use the diagonal of the stage rather than a horizontal line to optimise this. So, Sam re-blocked his choreography. 

Sam and I also discussed the idea of two realities and two worlds on stage. As The Husband gets deployed, we questioned how to show that he was in a different location at war. Sam and I both liked the texture that was created by the fabric in my earlier research, so I began to play with it. 

I was really concerned with the interactive set because the choreography was complete and I felt that I didn't have much room to suggest drastic changes. I saw an opportunity in using The Husband's exit as an appropriate moment. Since in the first half of the choreography depicts the time before his departure/travel, it did not make sense to have the alternate war world visible on stage. Sam and I both felt it would be more visually and narratively poetic if there was a transformation of the space during the piece. 

I suggested, that in relation to the structure, The Husband would pull a concealed length of fabric that would get hoisted above him as he exits. Using the diagonal of the stage would allow the space for this in the upstage left, while The Wife is dancing her solo in the downstage right.

We decided that the transformation had to occur at this moment also because it suited the piece conceptually. The fabric creates a surreal dream-like atmosphere. While the reality of the world is established with the solidity of the arch, the fabric has a juxtaposed physicality and aura. Therefore, the point of view of this piece is The Wife's. During her melancholic solo, The Husband becomes a figment of her imagination. The surreal dream world transforming the stage, is her romanticising The Husband at war. 

We also wondered how we could make The Husband's return seem even more angelic and dream-like. I looked at lighting the arch itself to create a silhouette as he walks back through it. This would require concealing birdies or some sort of LED strips inside the arch. 

1. Due to budget primarily, I could not afford to buy a WW2 replica uniform or even vintage 1940s garments that I could decorate to look like a uniform. Another issue was that they would likely not be appropriate to dance in. The shirt would need gussets because of the lifting, and the trousers would have to be high-waisted and a looser fit. This was nearly impossible to find in a military uniform within a low budget, and tweaking non-dance wear would have required way too much time. So, I decided to put The Husband in a more civilian-looking outfit with the color-scheme of a military uniform.
2. After realising that all my research was based on Italian fashion, I was concerned with the fact that this wasn't appropriate for the cast. One pair were both Japanese, and the other was a Japanese girl and an English/Italian boy. I was worried that by putting them in western-influenced costume then I would be ignoring their Japanese identity, considering Japan had a major part in WW2 history. On the other end, I also didn't want to force a foreign interpretation of the Japanese culture and history onto the piece while neither me nor my choreographer knew enough about it. The question of ethnic appearance and design influence was a big grey area, making us question whether or not the setting (Japan, Italy, or anywhere) was actually integral to the piece. We decided it was not. This piece was not meant to be historically accurate, but rather an allusion to the 2nd World War to show an extreme side of the concept. I looked at Japanese fashion in the 1940s, and saw that there were some similarities. We kept the exact location of the piece vague, in order to allow the emotions of the piece to shine through rather than the political/historical context. 

After production meeting 1, I had a 1:1 chat with Verity about my costumes. She suggested that I focus more on sourcing costumes which I could alter and adorn due to my lack of confidence and making skills. However, this was a cost issue because my female dancers were both different heights, waist, hip, and bust sizes so it would likely require purchasing two costumes. I could not afford this because I also needed a large chunk of budget for my set build. So, Verity suggested that due to their size differences it would be wiser to do a separate skirt & leotard. Also, the dancers need a leotard for coverage underneath the skirt anyway, so this would solve that issue. I really did want to challenge myself to actually make something for the first time because I wanted to learn new skills. I spoke to Bonnie and Rosie about making a circle skirt, which they reassured me was simpler than it looked. To accommodate both dancers' sizes my plan was to buy two leotards. Moreover I wanted to budget wisely and sustainably so I relied on found fabric. I came across a beautiful coral crepe in the costume studio scrap boxes that already matched my color scheme. Sam was a big fan of the purple, so I decided to buy purple leotards after I experimented pairing the color scheme together with other found fabrics. 

The next step for my design process was technical drawings. I began by translating my sketch modelled forms into plans and elevations. Initially, I wanted to give the arch more of an abstract structure with multiple sides so that there could be a side that was the naturalistic world of The Wife and the other side that was more damaged and surreal with the fabric that would link to the fantasy of The Husband at war. 

After working out a series of technical drawings, I had a long conversation with Michael Ste Croix about structural stability and building materials. From my sketch models, he pointed out that if the model was not standing by itself, then the full scale structure would most definitely not be stable either. The quickest solution for time's sake and cost, I simplified my design to just a free standing arch because the architecture works. We then chatted about materials for several reasons: 

1. cost efficiency
2. structural stability
3. weight; light enough to move on/off stage.

For example, we discussed foam blocks, however these would likely be too light to withstand the tension caused by pulling the fabric up on the fly bars. So, Michael advised me to speak to the Woodwork technicians where they helped me figure out how to efficiently create my cut sheets and how to assemble as quickly, cheaply, and lightly as possible. 

Prior to production meeting 2, Sam and I had a long discussion and debate about the visual image on stage. We both felt that there was going to be a disconnect between the costumes that had developed into a very naturalistic allusion to the war-time period, however based on my sketch models the set was seemingly more of an abstraction. While I was keen on the abstracted set design, especially because of the surreal fabric being the interactive & transformative element, Sam felt much more drawn to the naturalistic homage of the costumes. We were quite conflicted in this moment, but I got scared of push too hard for the abstraction because I knew how strong his vision was from the get go. I compromised. 

Since the structure of the arch had already been simplified to no longer having two facades we could play with, we decided it might make more sense visually to have a naturalistic arch and the fabric was surreal enough. We could amp up the surrealism with a drastic lighting change for that part of the stage instead. I also was excited to do some scenic painting which I haven't done much of before, so I saw this as a learning opportunity to expand my experience in set-making. 

Firstly, I wanted to get the set build done as fast as possible because I was more confident in the process than costume making. Most importantly, I needed to get it done and functioning in time for lighting workshop one to test the fabric pull with the dancers, rehearse the timing, and rig it. So then, if there were any issues I would have time to fix them early enough before tech rehearsals. 

The plywood available at CSM was way over my budget, so I resorted to using 12mm MDF because it takes to paint quite well and is much cheaper. However, it is more fragile than plywood so Syd recommended I put plywood bases to stop the edges fraying over the duration of the project. Additionally, I could not afford the flexiply from CSM so I used 3mm plywood that the Platform technicians gave me. Overall, the assembly of my arch relied heavily on found wood. All the timber used in the supports as well as the 12mm plywood bases were found in the 3D workshop scraps. I used foam to create bricks which was also scavenged, apart from having to buy a few sheets when I ran out. Fundamentally, the build was cost effective and sustainable. 

The first step was to cut and assemble the structure in 3D large. Then, paint it in the Platform workshop, and finally attach the fabric roll. This was overall a process of trial and error, especially with the practicality of the fabric roll. Initially I wanted to design a winding system so that it could roll out and quickly be rolled back up for the set strike/scene transition. However, I did not have the expertise or time to spend designing a system so Michael Breakey advised me to treat it like a toilet roll essentially. After speaking to Ruth and Syd, they told me that it would be totally fine and even faster to have someone unrig then bunch the fabric instead of wind it back up anyway. 

The fabric was the most important part of the set, because it was the interactive element. I bought a two-tone organza similar to my found sample because it reflected light very well. I went for an olive green with a grey reflect because it had a touch of military reference but also gave across a nature/ethereal vibe that contrasted the arch quite strongly. 

In my technical drawings, I had estimated needing 5 meters in length across the stage, however I had not taken into consideration extra length I'd need for it to be raised higher up nor the fact that when I treated it that it would shrink. I bought 12 meters. I lost about 2 meters when I crinkled it with the heat gun, leaving me with 10 meters. 

The fabric was 1.5 meters wide which I wanted to gradually double in width so that the shape would come out of the arch as a triangle canopy based on my technical drawings. This was no longer feasible because there was very limited space in the back of the arch because of all the supports. This left me with only a 1.7 meter capacity, and when the fabric was crinkled with the heat gun, the texture made it more bulky when rolled up. So instead, I decided to fold over the fabric to leave me with 5 meters as originally planned. Lastly, I had to flamebar the fabric, which was a new thing I learned in set-making and theatre safety. 

To create the new neckline, I cut off the turtle neck along the marks from the fittings. I then had to zigzag stitch a panel of lycra lining to the cut edge so that the leotard's lycra would not fray. For the back I did a similar process, but added a panel of nude power-mesh to add more support for the dancers and to prevent drooping. 

The original leotards were more similar to a commercial bodysuit, rather than a dance wear leotard. They had snaps in the crotch to fasten, but I had to cut these out to take in the loose material that was too big on the girls. I zigzag stitched the adjusted crotch with some interfacing to add extra re-enforcement since the kicks and extensions in the choreography put a lot of pressure on this point in the costumes. 

After a second attempt at fittings, I realised that the girls could no longer get into the leotards since the fastening in the crotch had been removed. I did not want to risk them stretching the neckline and power mesh to get into the costumes, because the leotard's lycra was already fragile due to me cutting it. So, Rosie helped me make new snap fastenings in the shoulder strap. After another fitting, the power mesh panel was slightly too large and rippled on their back. I had to take it in so that it laid flush on the girls back and acted as an illusion. 

Finally, Sam and I debated styling the costumes. Ultimately, the decisions came down to what was more comfortable for the dancers then the aesthetic was adjusted to suit that. 

Military Uniform: In my early pictures of the Italian military uniform, I noticed that the men did not wear ties unlike British uniforms for example, so my design did not include a tie. Initially, Sam and I styled the uniform with a few undone shirt buttons and an open jacket for a more casual unkempt look suggestive of the fact that the couple were in a more intimate setting. However, the dancers were uncomfortable with the open jacket because it kept flapping about bothering them during lifts and jumps. When we tested closing the jacket without a tie in the workshops, it looked odd. In later fittings we tested a brown tie from the Costume Store, which was patterned and did not look good. So, I found a wool/fabric brown belt and used that as a make-shift tie instead of a real tie. It looked off with the jacket opened, so we decided to do up the jacket instead. Effectively, it made The Husband character seem like a higher ranking officer, rather than a soldier which actually levelled up nicer with The Wife's look. 

Scarf Accessory: In my original designs, I gravitated towards styling the female costume with a neck scarf. I felt that this gave another nod to the period and was also very romantic. My first attempt was a chiffon scarf, because I had leftover chiffon that I didn't end up using for the underskirt. This was a nude color, so on stage it looked washed out. I had also made the scarf too big so the tails of the knot hung so low that they covered the heatpress detail on the neckline and flapped about when the dancers twirled in the workshops. Sam wanted to scrap the scarf entirely, however I truly believed it made the costume come together visually. Therefore, I remade it smaller out of a found silk scrap which is a more appropriate material for such an accessory anyway. I ended up hand-dying it so it matched the skirt and Sam was convinced with the outcome. 

In the second workshop we focused on the other lighting states which were: the opening duet, the female solo, and the ending duet. 

1. For the opening I wanted a train station setting created with long diagonal beams of light (similar to early 20th century images of Grand Central Station in New York) however this required more specials that the shared rig could not accommodate so we resorted to a wash. I wanted a cool colored, cold early morning atmosphere to create a melancholic feeling for their farewell. This was too dim, so we added some slightly warm top-lighting with LEDs as well as a few head side lights to catch their faces. 
2. For the female solo, I wanted to maintain that lighting state but add more emphasis to the choreography rather than the general atmosphere. We achieved this by adding heads, mids, and shins side lighting. The stage left was unlit to conceal the pull & rigging of the fabric to then add a transformative surprise when we suddenly cut to the male solo. 
3. Lastly, we experimented with the lighting for the ending. I wanted a major contrast to the opening lighting wash. However, creating a very warm "golden-hour" sunlight was way too warm and looked very sepia-tones. We adjusted it by adding more white-lighting rather than bright yellow/orange. 

After agreeing with Sam on the lighting states, workshop 3 was mainly figuring out queue times. 

Additionally, we tested out the fabric pull after I had extended the fabric. There were a couple issues: 

1. I wanted the transformation to be concealed in darkness to make it a surprise. However, as Paola pointed out, it was too noisy so it distracted far too much from the female solo.
2. I had extended the fabric without adjusting the height of the pulley so the canopy swooped way too low for the boys to dance underneath it. 

Lastly, we pinpointed issues with a few lighting states and transitions to make them smoother. For example, the fade from the female solo to the male solo was too long, so the start of the male solo wasn't lit. Also for the male solo, we blurred the gobo so that it was less harsh and we expanded it's radius since the dancers kept stepping out due to it being such a limited space in my design (which was on purpose to make it seem more claustrophobic and restricted to add the "at war" aspect). 

The tech rehearsal was vital because it was very important to perfect the fabric pull and for both casts to practice enough. The boys felt very confident, however in the workshops the attempts kept having issues so I was terrified. We solved the issues in these ways: 

1. The pulley was put on a higher beam on the ladder. This was successful. 
2. We added a very very subtle lighting to stage left so that you could get peaks of the transformation. This was much more powerful visually because the interactive element of the design that was a climactic point on stage and conceptually was now visible. 
3. Sam changed the boys' exit. Instead of walking quickly offstage, they walked slowly as part of the scene/choreography during the female's solo. This helped add to the conceptual aspect that The Wife was imagining him. Also, it helped make the pull slightly quieter and thus less distracting. 

We also practiced transitions. Since the entrances and exits had to be part of the choreography, Sam choreographed a little acting sequence for the dancers to set the tone of the farewell. The dancers were having a hard time figuring out when to enter after the set change, so we added a blue light to queue them, which they could see from the wings and know exactly when the set was in place. 

We were also finally able to test the costumes onstage. I did not want to put them in full costume for the run throughs during the workshops to avoid damaging them from constant use. Especially for the boys, the uniforms were wool, so I did not want them sweating too much. We tested them briefly on stage (as can be seen above in the costume-making section), but the tech rehearsal was the first time seeing it come together.