A Quick Chat with Nikos Kalaitzidis at #WSD2013

Whilst looking around the World Stage Design Festival Exhibition at RWCMD I was fortunate enough to have a quick chat with Greek designer Nikos Kalaitzidis about his work.

His exhibition piece showcased the design for Fovos (Fear), a site-specific piece exploring the female characters in the work of Edgar Allan Poe. The show took place in 2012 in Bensusan Khan, an old hotel that is 102 years old and therefore provided a suitably eerie backdrop for Nikos's chilling design.

During the performance 20 'guests' are led into the central room (see floor plan below) where they are split into 4 groups and led on a sinister tour through the lives of the ill-fated heroines.

What is most striking is Nikos's attention to detail, 300 hundred old books make up an integral part of the set and candles are the only light source as he says "the audience will notice straight away if something doesn't fit". Parts of the set, such as a blood stained sheet, later become costume adding to the sense of horror and violence so characteristic of Poe's work.

Every part of the design: from set, to costume, to make up; combined to build an immersive and macabre world that certainly would have left the audience unsettled and more than a little spooked.

 
I really recommend having a look at more of Nikos's work at : www.behance.net/nikkos

A Taster of The World Stage Design Festival 2013

The World Stage Design Festival is now in its third year and has come to Britain for the very first time - and where better to host it than the beautiful Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

The festival is an international celebration of performance design, encompassing the disciplines of theatre, opera and dance.The week-long programme consists of an exhibition, live events, master-classes, workshops, presentations and seminars - there is even a specially constructed sustainable theatre.

As part of a Response workshop I was given the opportunity to have a good look at the exhibition. Along with a few other Young Critics - Elin Williams and Charlie Hammond - we have created a series of films, articles and photo galleries to give a taster of what the event was like. You can access our collective response here : http://pinterest.com/elin0391/wsd2013/

Below is a short film made from some hastily taken photographs of the exhibition, apologies to the designers as their names do not always appear with their work.

The exhibition is an inspiring collection showcasing some of the very best international talent, both professional and straight out of university. It runs until the 14th September and is free of charge. Anyone interested in any aspect of theatre or design should definitely check it out.