Once the set has been design the set building and painting becomes a team effort from many members of the group, both actors and the creatives team, and takes place away from the theatre.
You don’t have to have any specialist skills to get involved and all materials are provided by SADC.
Painting the set for “The Unexpected Guest”
Painting the royal coat of arms for “Nell Gwyn”
The set is built over a period of weeks and then painted using specialist stage-painting techniques. Carpentry, metal working, upholstry and painting are among the many skils employed.
Theatre set painting techniques are used to create 3-D effects on flat canvas. Most of the techniques do not require the skill of an artist.
Painting the wood pannelling for “Nell Gwyn” and part of Westminster Hall for “A Man for All Seasons” showing 3-D painting technique
Then comes the big weekend when the whole set is moved into the theatre and constructed on stage – known as “The Get-in”. This usually takes a whole Sunday to complete and everyone in the cast and back stage team helps in some way.
This is the set for “Present Laughter” by Noel Coward.
From an empty stage……….to a stage set ready for the actors.
Watch a short time-lapse film of our Get-in for
“The Night of the Iguana” in November 2024 at The Adrian Mann Theatre