Hazel Low, performance designer, is responsible for all things visual in Brilliant Jerks, a new play by Joseph Charlton, running at the Southwark Playhouse until March 25th. Three tales revolving around the relentless rise of taxi-apps, the plays has enjoyed positive reviews, and Hazel was kind enough to answer a few questions as to his creative process…
Hazel, what were your first thoughts when you were approached to design the sets & costumes for the show?
When I initially read Brilliant Jerks I realised that in order to serve the text the set needed to be really flexible. I wanted it to serve both the world of the business offices, and the world of the roads that are both present and equally important within the play. This is reflected in the shape of the table, which is not only reminiscent of corporate work spaces, but also of roundabouts, tyres and flyovers.
One of my initial design conversations with Katie-Ann involved us talking about the various scales of place within the piece – the small space of Mia’s car, the slightly bigger space of Sean’s office, and the vast open space of Tyler’s TED Talk, and how one set piece could serve all of those spaces. The table gave us those, with the inner circle acting as an intimate space, whilst the table could be sat at, climbed up and stood on for the moments that needed to feel more expansive.
The floor is made up of yellow and grey carpet tiles, both of which are textured in a way that resembles tarmac and arranged into chevrons reminiscent of roadside markings, which further allows the space to bleed between the office and the road.
Is creating contemporary costume more or less challenging that period or genre pieces?
I think both bring their challenges! In my process I treat costume very collaboratively, and like to always have an open dialogue with the performers to make sure they feel comfortable in the clothes I’m costuming them in, as well as making sure that they serve the world of the play. The biggest challenge in costuming Brilliant Jerks was that each actor plays several characters, meaning that their clothes needed to work for a variety of different people. Keeping their costumes relatively simple, and sticking to largely neutral items meant that they mirrored the simplicity of the set, and could shape shift between the different characters of the piece, as easily and as boldly as the set shifted us to different locations.
What do you feel your set brings to the show?
I think the story of Brilliant Jerks is an interesting one – Joe’s writing is investigative, exposing, and explorative, which is exciting to design for.
Do you have any heroes in the stage design world?
I am excited by designers who push boundaries within their work, and explore every edge of an idea. My heroes in design are those who work in ways that are often quite multi-disciplinary, with collaboration at the heart of their practice.
Did being involved in the play have any influence on how you feel towards the gig economy/that one particular company?
I think the gig economy is an incredibly complex issue, and whilst Brilliant Jerks raises some interesting points around the subject, I don’t think it taught me anything I didn’t already know. As a freelancer, and one that has often had to balance my creative work alongside other part time employment, I can relate to a lot of the pressures and the struggles that this kind of employment can bring, whilst also understanding the agency and freedom flexible work brings you. I think it’s more important to expose the unfairness in how the wealth is distributed between large companies like the one in the play, and the unjust and selfish ways they treat their workers.
What is your dream as a designer/creator? What would represent the pinnacle of success for you?
Success for me is much more about the process than the outcome. My dream is that the performance industry shifts to a less hierarchical way of working, allowing for more collaborative work to be made in more multi-disciplinary ways. I dream of a process that allows creatives to take more time over the work they’re making, be more experimental with form, and investigate how and why stories need telling.
thing like this on an Egyptian stage, and I know this isn’t an Egyptian stage and we’re not in the same context at all as when I was a teenager but it still makes me proud to have written this for my younger self. I think she deserves it.
Brilliant Jerks is presented by RJG Productions & Be Forward Productions in association with Holly White
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