Brixton resident Alison Neighbour designs sets for a living. A graduate of the Royal College of Dramatic Art, her latest creative venture is the set design for the play Tumulus on at the VAULT Festival in Waterloo.
It’s s a crime noir. A former lover of central character Anthony turns up dead on the Hampstead Heath tumulus, then another body is found. Police assume because the victims are gay that the deaths are drug related. But details don’t add up and Anthony suspects foul play.
Alison (right) says: “Before starting on the set design I had lots of discussions with the director Matt Steinberg. I then hone the idea, do some visual research and develop a picture of who the characters are and what space they need.
“Drawings come next and then I make a model box – a miniature version of the set.
“At the rehearsal stage there’s still a lot to play with and explore. I watch how the actors move around the space.”
Alison’s past work includes The Fox in the Snow, a tale of a boy and his bike and a girl who knows best.
“We invited the audience to join Billy’s bike gang, and cycle with him on an adventure through a hidden part of Brixton, dodging crooks, fulfilling missions, and attempting BMX tricks. The audience became an integral part of the story in this unique theatrical experience on bikes.”
Tumulus plays at VAULT 2018.
