SUCCESS

By Nick Drake | Directed by Jordan Blackwood | Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh | July 2017
Lyceum Youth Theatre Summer on Stage Project

About

"Thank god for credit. To the max! Here’s to success!"

In the harsh world of boom and bust, Tom Rakewell has played the markets and made his fortune. Dazzled by money and determined to cement his place amongst the city elite, he finds himself embroiled in a never-ending cycle of champagne, parties and staggering risks. But, as his luck wavers, he soon faces the biggest gamble of his life.

Inspired by Hogarth’s The Rake’s Progress, Success is an extraordinary urban fairytale for anyone and everyone affected by the credit crunch.

Concept

Inspired by Hogarth's The Rake's Progress and the notion of image and reputation, I was keen to explore framing within Success. Throughout the play, Tom is obsessed by how he is viewed by others - at his best and at his worst - therefore having a giant revolving frame on stage to capture his moments of strength and weakness felt natural. Coupling the focal point with a variety of miniature, LED-lit frames allowed me to play with a stylised language, highlighting the grotesque and underlying nature of the characters within the story.

Having a vast amount of empty stage allowed us to echo the emotion of the key players throughout the story - highlighting the emptiness at Tom's moments of vulnerability and filling the stage at moments of celebration. Throughout the design and staging, we explored an abstract language - bringing together stark and bold lighting states with stylised images and physical material.