Designer Kimie Nakano previously worked with us designing the costumes for Akram Khan’s Dust. She is back this year to create the sets and costumes for Yabin Wang’s M-Dao, part of She Said. We emailed Kimie a few questions about the piece: here are her answers.
Could you tell us all about your designs for Yabin Wang’s M-Dao?
M-Dao is based on the Greek tragedy of Medea. Before coming up with designs, I talked with Yabin Wang about what she had in mind for the piece. For the set design, she was interested in having wall images with video projection, and was also keen to use silk fabric. I was interested in how the soft fragile silk could become a wall, so I decided to project video onto layered, see- through and long pieces of silk fabric. The aim is to create a really magical 3D space.
In the video, you’ll see references to the Chinese elements of life (earth, water, fire, wind) and links to Medea’s psychological world. At the beginning, I’m also using a Kabuki drop [a special effect in which a lightweight fabric drops from above]: it looks like the sky is falling down, and suggests Medea’s life.
What about the costumes?
The costume designs touch on the piece’s European and Asian references. There is strong structure cutting – high Chinese collars, army look – but also we’ve used lace to add texture and a sense of fragility. Patched dye and cut piece of lace decoration give the feeling of broken, dirty army uniforms after a war. The colour tone is green grey, like the sea! In the piece, there is a chorus – like they used to have in Greek Theatre: I’ve dressed them all, male or female, in the same unisex costume.
Is this your first collaboration with Yabin?
We actually worked together last year in China, on her piece Moon Opera. I did the costumes: it was strongly inspired by traditional Chinese opera, with elaborate make up and hair. It was a big challenge but we enjoyed it and, as it told a story, it was a good precursor to M-Dao.
Once you created the designs, did the concept change a lot?
Yabin liked the silk material – she told me that she saw the woman as the sea in China, which was a strong starting point. She knew my designs from past productions so there was a lot of agreement from the start on the direction to take and how best to realise it.
How do you think you will react once you see the final run through?
I really look forward to seeing a full technical rehearsal in early April. It will be a thrill to see the piece come together, with the costumes, sets, lighting, video, and music: everything!