2BOLD_Header_One-for-the-road

In the era of infoxication, it gets more and more difficult for the media to engage the public. This is why, human drama is often exhibited as a sellable good. Intimacy is monetised just with the aim of attracting public.

This is why, stage director Zaira Cabarga decided to move Harold Pinter’s One for the Road from a private office in the 80’s to a TV set in a dystopian not-so-far-away future.
In order to approach the design, 2BOLD got fully immersed in the creation of the play. Setting the starting point at the very first rehearsal , the set evolved as the actors developed and matured their characters. Only once every role was fully defined, could the environment make sense, since it was conceived as another character.

The minimalist set is full of symbolism, pointing out, mainly, hierarchies and power structures. A dichotomy between the aggressive formal resolution and the calm colour palette and materiality (based on blue and white fabrics and chiffon) matches the main character’s attitude (which varies over the play from a close, fun seducer, to a sadistic tyrant).

The action has a clear rhythm made out of 3 scenes along which, each of the family members are tortured. As tension increases, lighting varies its colour and shape, generating backgrounds that induce a different mood in the audience, reinforcing the play’s discourse. Because every character, even the most silent one, is key for the play to be complete.

    • TEAM:
    • 2BOLD + Zaira Cabarga Ríos
    • LOCATION:
    • Centro Cultural Miguel Delibes
    • CATEGORY:
    • Scenography, Set design
    • TIMELINE:
    • 2015

Audience has already seen it all, tasted it all, travelled all over… therefore, nowadays, only strong emotions are able to move and catch attention (slightly).

This, and current media’s trend to profit human drama, led the director, to bring Harold Pinter’s ‘One for the Road’ into a TV set in a dystopian future.

The stage, conceived as another character of the play, accompanied and reinforced the rhythm of the action and its different peaks.

Based on a minimalistic geometrical composition and a subtle, calm look and feel, its luminic evolution got all the weight of the characters transformation.

Through changes in its colour and shape, it set 3 clear moods, inducing different emotions and emphasizing the scene’s discourse.

Set design: fair carpet and light triangle. 2BOLD
Woman silhouette, chiffon and white light. 2BOLD
Chiffon at set design by 2BOLD.
Set design by 2BOLD
Scenography design by 2BOLD
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