Carmen – St Paul’s Opera, London
Set & Costume Designer
In a Spanish prison, Carmen declares that any person she loves should beware. But even she is unprepared for what will happen when she decides to seduce Don José, a prison guard who initially appears uninterested in her charms. Don José soon abandons his sweetheart Micaëla and his life for Carmen, and joins her and her smuggler friends in the mountains. But Carmen quickly wearies of Don José's possessiveness. When she turns her attentions to the dashing toreador Escamillo, Don José's jealousy erupts into violence and Carmen’s insistence on maintaining her freedom comes at a terrible cost.
THE DESIGN STORY: Clarity in the mise-en-scène was very important for us during this production. Yellow as a colour is stimulating and energising, but also one indicating caution, which very much resides with the themes presented in Carmen. This singular visual language helped to create the setting for this modern adaptation, which was inspired by Madrid’s Carabanchel prison and was performed inside a church. The singers inhabit a world where all the props are painted yellow, and costumes carry a clean uniformity in Act 1, before their inner layers and lived experiences are revealed. Acts 2-4 start to reveal graffiti that takes inferences from the markings and layers of Carabanchel, and stains the set and costume to reveal each character’s own personal stories and quest for freedom.
Performances on 29 – 30 June and 01 July 2023 as part of St Paul’s Opera’s 2023 Season, at St Paul’s Clapham, London
Musical Director | JOHN PAUL JENNINGS
Stage Director | ELEANOR BURKE
Set & Costume Designer | RAPHAÉ MEMON
Movement Director | ALEX GOTCH