Set Design: Exercises for Understanding Principles & Practice

A complete practical sourcebook for exploring the key concepts, theory and techniques of theatrical set design, and how they are used in the theatre industry today.

In a series of hands-on, inspiring exercises developed over years of teaching and industry experience, Emma Tompkins leads you through all the essential aspects of set design, including:

• Principles of Design: How to use aesthetic elements such as colour, scale and spatial positioning to evoke feeling and communicate ideas.
• Styles and Genres: How to interpret theatrical styles through a design lens and use these approaches to help create a world on stage.
• The Working Designer: How to navigate the design process and realise your concept in a production environment.

With contributions from leading designers and theatre professionals, and insights drawn from real productions at the cutting edge of contemporary theatre, this book takes you from the fundamental principles of set design to their application on the modern British stage.

Filled with practical tasks, exercises and discussion points at every step, it is an essential aid for anyone who wants to be a set designer, and an ideal resource for teachers and facilitators who want to promote a deeper understanding of design through accessible theory, play and multisensory learning.

Emma Tompkins is a costume, set and puppetry designer and workshop facilitator whose design work has appeared on stages across the UK and internationally. As an educator she has worked extensively with the National Theatre’s Education Department, as well as with Central Saint Martins, Guildhall School of Music & Drama and The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.