@Sohoplace Theatre is the first new theatre in London's West End in 50 years. The 40,000 square-foot, 602-seat venue opened in October 2022, and is part of a mixed-use complex near Charing Cross Road designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM). The project was brought to life by Nica Burns of Nimax Theatres, and was inspired by her visit to the ancient amphitheatre at Epidaurus in Greece. While the space functions primarily as a theatre in the round, it is flexible enough that it can convert to a proscenium venue if the production requires it.
David Finn talked to Live Design about designing Brokeback Mountain in the new space, being the fourth production in the theatre, and working in the round. His lighting plot is linked below.
Live Design: What appealed to you about doing Brokeback Mountain?
David Finn: First of all —the people involved. Tom Pye is a great designer and a joy to work with. We have produced a handful of shows together now and it is always collaborative, inspiring and interesting—and we always have a good time together. Tom introduced me to Jonathan Butterell (director) and we hit it off right away. We found that we had a common sensibility for light in the theater and that put us both at ease almost immediately. And the actors… Lucas Hedges and Mike Faist are both terrific and the supporting cast is extremely strong… an amazing group of people all around. Second, the story proves to remain timely. With a resurgence of homophobic policies and attitudes, especially in America, the warnings embedded in this story remain relevant. I am proud to be involved in a new telling of this iconic piece.
LD: How was it working in a brand new theatre? Was everything new and convenient or were there still kinks being worked out?
DF: There are always kinks in a new space and we found a few minor issues along our way, but the house crew at the Soho Place, led by Tony Priestley, has been extremely diligent about rectifying any major issues in their first year of production. We were the fourth show in the space, so they were well on their way to resolving any technical issues. Other than some small network glitches, which were resolved quickly, we did not come across anything that impeded our process. The crew was terrific. The theater is well-equipped and has a lot of flexibility. Soho Place is a great addition to the landscape of West End theaters.
LD: Brokeback Mountain is billed as a play with music, as a designer do you have a certain way of working on a musical and another way of working on a play?
Coming mostly from the world of dance and opera, music has always played a strong role in the work I do. Dan Gillespie's music was a beautiful addition to the piece, wonderful in transitions when the music helped to define the timing and flow of the light. Having the band onstage turned out to be extremely helpful in covering scenic transitions where we could focus on the band for a short time. They added texture and, for many, background. The only challenge was keeping up with solos and highlights in the band. Simon Bennison, my associate, kept a keen eye on them throughout the process and helped me to give them a visual language throughout the piece that integrated with the looks onstage, and also helped to highlight solos and musical combos. Eddi Reader is an amazing musician, as are the entire band, and their presence was extremely important in the storytelling process.
LD: I saw that most of the equipment is from ETC, were you happy with the house gear or did you bring in more fixtures?
DF: I love the Lustre 2’s and the FOS4’s. They are so easy to work with and both great workhorse fixtures. I tried to use as much of the house gear as I could to keep costs down. We brought in more Lustre 2’s and 18 Martin Encore Performance CLD’s. The Encores are quiet and fantastic for a theater the size of Soho Place. They had used the Encores in all of the previous productions and, knowing that they had been successful in the space, I decided to take their lead and use them for Brokeback.
LD: If you have certain fixtures you love to use, were you able to use them on this production and why do you love them?
DF: There are very few fixture types in this show—which is what I typically prefer. The Lustrs and the Encores did most of the work with a few FOS4’s and ETC LED PARS mixed in. That’s really it, besides the practicals.
LD: What inspired you on this production?
DF: We did a lot of research on interiors/exteriors in the American West 1950’s-80’s… referencing old trailers, bar & motel interiors. We looked for those iconic colors resonant in David Lynch films and William Eggleston portraits. We referenced old trailers and motels to put together the window shapes that signify locations for Old Ennis’ trailer, Aguirre’s trailer, the Riverton Apartment and the Motel. Tom and Jonathan had put together a bevy of this research and I added to it when I came on board.
LD: When I saw the play, the two male leads always seemed to be in warm light, from the fire, or in the bed, or even when they were sheep herding the light was sunny and yellow. The mood seemed very intimate when it was just the two of them, in a way it did not when other characters were present. How did you create this intimacy?
DF: I’m not sure that we were so fixated on them being “warm” onstage— but we did take many liberties when Lucas and Mike were together to enhance the iconic moments from the story— Ennis washing, the two embracing by the fire, lying in bed together in the hotel, meeting for the first time outside of Aguirre’s trailer. It was important that their moments together pulled focus and we found ways to pick out faces, bodies and enhance the imagery all around. We looked to create some photographic moments and I loved having the freedom to depart from reality at the right moments.
LD: What was the biggest challenge on this project and how did work around it?
DF: I had not worked "in the round" in years. You forget, when you are so often in proscenium theaters, how difficult it is to light a piece in the round, and you tend to create the piece from one position. Lighting designers love backlight. It was only in previews that I moved around and I found that I had a bit of work to do to keep the characters sculpted and the atmospheres rich when watching from the other three sides of the space. We found our way in the end even though I still have my favorite and least favorite side to see the show from.
LD: What are you working on next?
DF: Liam Scarlett’s Frankenstein is being produced by the Joffrey Ballet in September. I am in discussions to light a new residency in Las Vegas for Dita Von Teese, and also working on a Nutcracker set to Duke Ellington’s music that would come to the City Center in NY. John Adam’s Antony & Cleopatra makes its way to Barcelona in October, I am in preparation for a St John Passion with Sasha Waltz for Salzburg and Dijon, a new Ring Cycle for Sir David McVicar and La Scala Milan from 2024-26… and then, of course, we are hoping that Brokeback Mountain will make its way to New York.
Partial Gear List
- 18x MAC Encore Performance CLD
- 109x ETC Source 4 Lustr Series 2
- 10x ETC Color Source CE PAR
- 12x ETC Fos4 FL7 (Lustr x8 array)
Partial Crew List
- Associate LD Simon Bennison
- Programmer Sam Ohlsson
- Production Electrician Ian Moulds
- Plot drafted by Catherine Pratt