This August Polka Theatre are coming to Worthing with their new adaptation of Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of Ghosts. The book is by Katie & Kevin Tsang with illustrations by Nathan Reed. As a renowned children’s theatre company Polka are no strangers to bringing books to life on stage.
Find out more about the set and costume design in this Q&A with Designer Liam Bunster.
Can you talk us through the process for creating the set and costume designs for this show?
I started by reading through the play and breaking it down, taking notes on the direction, the various locations and characters. Any visual ideas that come to mind I’ll take note. Then once I’ve read the play I’ll start sketching and researching. So that I can begin to clearly set out some initial ideas.
As Sam is telling the audience his story, both me and the director, Emily Ling Williams, wanted the aesthetic of the stage design to be from the imagination of Sam. So we asked ourselves ‘how would Sam see these locations through his eyes’. We took a lot of inspiration from Sam’s love of retro Science Fiction tv shows. Using the colours and shapes that are so recognisable from films such as ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ and ‘Alien’ in the set design. We wanted the audience to be drawn into the play. So we played around with using false perspectives within the design, creating angles that draw your eye into the set.
Model Set design (left), and production shot of the set in use (right) by Steve Gregson
We also wanted Sam’s Chinese heritage to be represented in the set somehow. So we looked at traditional Chinese interior design and managed to subtly incorporate traditional patterns into the set. The colours were a real challenge as we wanted to create a space that could serve all the various locations as well as being really colourful and fun. So we decided on using the colours taken from the Sam Wu book series. We hope that the design is somewhat recognisable to the readers! The costumes were very much inspired by the illustrations of Nathan Reed in the books. We didn’t want to veer too far away from this. We had a lot of fun creating the puppet of Butterbutt. Then figuring out ways we can transfer that to a costume for all the scenes she’s played by an actor.
What is your favourite part of the set?
I’m also a big fan of Science Fiction, like Sam. So I had a lot of fun researching and trying to recreate those shapes that are in old Sci-Fi films. I love how the set has both elements of a domestic environment as well as a spaceship. And the colours just make it such an exciting space.
Which is your favourite costume in the show?
My favourite costume would have to be Na-Na’s. She’s a pretty funky lady with loads of super colourful oversized 80’s jumpers with crazy patterns. You definitely won’t miss her!
What was the biggest challenge when creating your designs?
The biggest challenge is the stage in the process is when I start modelling my ideas in 3D. This can be very challenging when designing, what can sometimes be, a very demanding script and transferring your initial thoughts into 3D. The design is ultimately meant to serve the play. So you have to solve a lot of problems such as the various settings, how do they transition and quick costume changes. All while trying to make it look good. It is a very fun and exciting part of the job but can be very tricky and frustrating.
Production shots by Steve Gregson
What’s the best thing about your job?
I love creating the world of the play, from the set to the costumes. Bringing the aesthetic together to create a cohesive world for the play, then seeing it brought to life on stage. And sharing it with audiences. That first show in front of an audience is one of my favourite things. It’s usually very nerve racking but is great to see the reactions of the audience.
Sam Wu is NOT Afriad of Ghosts is on at the Pavilion Theatre 22nd-25th August. Recommended for ages 6-12. Be sure to get your family tickets for this daring theatrical adventure.