Designer, Chay Vong Vong

My first meeting with Tony Le Nguyen some nine months, prior to the first performance of Chay Vong Vong was a stimulating experience. Tony’s direct and expressive descriptions of Chay Vong Vong (in Melbourne) and the future Sydney production were inspirational. His very strong vision and sensibilities gave me something to grasp, to build on to and set my imagination spinning with other possibilities.

I like to work as a member of a production team – each respecting the others’ professionalism and expertise – but questioning, challenging and extending.

My task was to design and make sets (costumes & props where necessary). The communities were not involved directly in this process. My initial choice of bamboo as the major construction element was made for several reasons – the “Asian” look of bamboo, it is accessible, cheap, light and also flexible. I was keen to avoid too much realism – the performance was realistic – I preferred to design sets/props to be more abstract, open to interpretation symbolically and physically flexible in their use.

The final venue itself was not inspirational – small, pink, modern, with rather severe spatial and surface limitations – it provided no real character of its own on which to build and was virtually impossible to conceal.

As rehearsals got underway, stories told, experiences relived, issues discussed, and ideas developed – then I could begin to develop a set design to work with the drama. As they settled into their roles and as we became more familiar with each other, the cast began to make suggestions – some were new ideas, and some changes were of a practical nature to improve the “workability” of a set or prop. Adaptations were made. Compromises too of course. This is what a team and community process is about – adjusting and re-designing.

As a visual artist much of my work is solitary and static. It is a great pleasure for me to extend my work into performance. The process of working with a community, with a production team, and experiencing the evolution of relationships is a vital one – and in the end, very moving.