Venue: Birmingham Rep/UK Tour
Director: Melly Still
Set and Costume Design: Ana Inés Jabares-Pita
Sound Design: Helen Skiera
Composer: Dave Price
Photography: Pamela Raith

But it’s turned into a theatrical marvel by Ana Inés Jabares-Pita’s set (as well as Matt Haskins’ lighting), with huge, reflective panels arching over the stage (similar to Miriam Buether’s designs in the 2018 revival of Machinal, though used more inventively here). The reflective surfaces blend the corporeal and non-corporeal – fallen snow on the stage reflects up to appear like stars in the sky. Heaven and earth reflect seamlessly onto one another – at one point Susie dances alone to David Bowie, while far above her, her mirror image dances to the same tune. It’s a lingering and well-wrought piece of stagecraft.

What’s On Stage

For me, it’s the skill of Melly Still’s production, Ana Inés Jabares-Pita’s design and Matt Haskins’ lighting that makes the evening work.

Guardian 4 stars

Ana Ines Jabares-Pita’s deceptively simple but highly versatile set is a major asset to the production: using a huge mirror suspended from the flies to depict alternative configurations to the groupings we see on stage, the stage space convincingly becomes a suburban street, Mr. Harvey’s basement and garden, the Salmons’ living room and even, for much of the action, ‘heaven’. Matt Haskins’ sympathetically plotted lighting design aids greatly in the creation of these illusions, as does Helen Skiera’s sensitive sound design.

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It is cleverly directed by Melly Still with a magnificent score by composer Dave Price and lighting designed to offer up shock and awe by Matt Haskins…. Personally I believe it will run and run thrilling new audiences around the world for many years to come.

Euan RoseBromsgrove Standard

The staging of Ana Inés Jabares-Pita is imaginative – a largely bare stage has an angled mirror above that gives different viewpoints and which also gives glimpses behind it to see parallel action taking place, all supported by the lighting design of Matt Haskins – often harsh and monochromatic – and a soundscape of specially composed and contemporary (to the 1970s) music: a rendition of Both Sides Now as the action comes to its climax from Natasha Cottriall is chillingly beautiful.

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