L'enfant et les sortilèges
Inital ideas
The opera
L’enfant et les Sortilèges is a fantastical story where a naughty child (L’Enfant) is punished for his bad behavior when the items in his room come to life to take their revenge. The armchairs (La Bergère and Le Fauteuil) dance together to escape the child, and the take the bench (Le Banc), couch (Le Canapé), stool (Le Pouf), and the wicker chair (La Chaise de Paille) with them. The Grandfather Clock (L’Horologe Comtoise) starts toppling around the room after the child, upset at being made to strike out of time, and the Wedgwood Teapot (La Théière) boxes and dances with the Chinese teacup (La Tasse Chinoise). The fire (Le Feu) jumps out of the grate, the torn shepherds from the wallpaper (Les Pastoures and Les Pâtres) rise from the floor and dance a ballet, and the Princess (La Princesse) from the book the child destroyed appears then leaves him, forever. Even his math book becomes a little old man (Le Petit Vieillard) and the numbers (Les Chiffres) jump about the room, all in the wrong order.
Following the cats outside, the child seeks refuge in the garden, but here the trees (Les Arbres) have come alive, and he is plagued by all the animals he has hurt or captured, and the partners of the animals he has killed. The squirrel (L’Ecureuil) he has kept in a cage warns the tree frog (La Rainette) to stay away in case he might be captured, and asks the child to set him free. The animals and trees finally gang together and attack the child, but when the squirrel is hurt and screams out everything stops. The child bandages the squirrel’s paw and the animals are shocked at his kindness. The child cries out one word ‘Maman’ and the animals echo it until Maman appears at the door, and the child goes back into the house. With such fun characters to play, the fantasy world of L’enfant et les Sortilèges is not unlike something from Alice in Wonderland or Beauty and the Beast and provides an interesting musical challenge for any singer, and a great experience for the audience.
First ideas
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The first ideas included large structures, costumes and a range of light and nature.
I got some inspiration from a range of carnival costume designers for my opera characters designs. I looked at these artist when designing the puppet connected to the opera that was created as a carnival backpack puppet.
The first ideas i have used in my final outcome where the large Lily pads, hanging furniture and the projection of flames on the walls.
These sketchbook pages show the main initial ideas i re visited. They show the movable walls and fallen walls. A swell as how i could have large objects in the middle of the stage that the dancers or actors could climb upon.
I also looked at the idea of the flooring and how it could be jagged pieces of broken tiles or wood.
After looking at the wood i then started to design ideas or the garden section of the opera. I thought of ways the trees or a large garden patch could be suspended from the lighting bars and flown in when the scene changes.
When i first thought of stairs to be included in the design i then placed ivy and or any other climbing plants around the stairs. This could be an easier way to show the garden scene with out changing to much around.
Focused ideas
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My focused ideas included the range of nature and decay with in the house. These were the most interesting aspects for me because they helped show all of the aspects of the opera with in one design.
When watching the opera online and reading the book the section on the wall paper being ripped by the child felt very important to me so i have included the wallpaper on the walls but already torn and decaying. This also showed how the mothers and child's relationship was dying.
I researched more into the decaying of buildings from books and my own research of photographs i have taken. As well as looked into artist that used nature to cover buildings and people in an interesting way.
From this i got my main final designs and details needed for the finishing aspect of the set pieces.
Storyboard
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The storyboard not only show how the set can be moved and transformed into different locations, it also shows how each character can enter and dance around the stage.
Costume Ideas
When design in the fire i looked into fie controlled dresses, lights, smoke and airal dancers.
I then designed the fire character to be suspended from the ceiling like an airal dancer which they will then sing from above.
The dress will be pieces of lit up and shinny fabric following from their body and there will be projection of flames around the set walls.
Fire
Shepard and Shepherdess
I looked into an artist that creates these woodlen monsters then photographs them in fields and woodland. I took inspiration from this to design their costumes and starfs.
I also looked into African style wooden dresses and other clothe items. The actor would wear these wooden made animalistic heads with African style skirts and nature style fabric and patterns.
The Frogs
For the frogs i looked at ways to changed the frogs faces into more creature looking expressions.
I also looked into business suits and mystical music items.
The musical instruments will be made out of bones and skin to connect with the theme of broken down. I put these theme in all of the other costume designs.
When i first looked at the play and the garden scene i looked into to Lily pads and flowers which could be used to create the dancers suits.
The Sofa and Armchair
I looked at 50s and 60s style clothing in magazines for my main costume style.
I designed the furniture to be moulded and fixed around the actors body to resemble the chosen furniture.
I also chosen certain patterns to resemble pictures of sofas and armchairs i researched on.
The Teacup and Teapot
Carrying on with the theme of broken i designed these costumes to be made out of broken pieces of tea cups, plates, teapots and handles.
With this costume i stayed with the 50s theme but also added an Victorian twisted with the brightly coloured wigs and head pieces.
The mother
Designing the mother started when i did the opera puppet project so i already had the theme of a 50s/60s dress style.
I kept this design but changed her body into a skeleton to also add the broken decaying theme.
I looked in mask that i also placed onto this costume design to create a more horror aspect.
This character wouldn't be in human form, it ill be a large puppet head and spine that will be shown through the opening of the walls.
The trees
When i found the artist that covered elderly people in nature it inspired me to create the trees with the twigs and branches coming out of their bodys and clothing.
Final Designs
