{"id":4169,"date":"2019-12-05T10:51:56","date_gmt":"2019-12-05T02:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wr\/?p=4169"},"modified":"2019-12-18T17:56:20","modified_gmt":"2019-12-18T09:56:20","slug":"all-set-to-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/all-set-to-go\/","title":{"rendered":"All Set To Go!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tell us about your process as a set designer. How do you begin designing a set like the one in Peter Pan in Serangoon Gardens<\/em>?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I always begin by reading the play through three times. The first time, I\u2019m reading it just to get a feeling of what it is \u2013 to understand its sensibility. Does it make me laugh or cry? How does it pique my interest? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second time around, I start breaking it down into scenes. I highlight any mention of a setting or a prop or a costume or any mention of the weather or time of day. Like, \u201cShe went outside at night to find her son in the rain.\u201d So I\u2019m reading all the way through the script, looking out for the clues that will help me when I\u2019m designing, and I note everything down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I read it a third time, by which point it has become like a living thing inside me and it gives me a sense of where I should really go with it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is when I usually talk\nto my director, especially if I\u2019m working with someone new. We don\u2019t design it\non the spot \u2013 we just talk about it to see if we\u2019re on the same page. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What comes next?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that, I go off and create a ground plan, because the set needs to actually work. I show this to my director, and then I start doing rough sketches of what everything will look like. If I have time after that, I create a white paper model. Otherwise, I go directly to the drafting stage \u2013 which means working out precise measurements and dimensions, so that our production team can start the costing and, eventually, construction process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where does your inspiration come from when you\u2019re designing?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can come from anywhere! I\ncould be walking down the street and spot the wind blowing through a woman\u2019s\nscarf\u2026 and that might inspire me to create drapes against a French door that\nflutter in the breeze. I could be walking along the river, spot a stretch of\npavement and go, \u201cOh, there\u2019s my floor!\u201d Over the years, I\u2019ve learned to trust\nmy own instincts more, because they\u2019re usually right. Ironically, it takes a\nlot of experience to be comfortable doing that!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
John’s draft sketches for Peter Pan in Serangoon Gardens<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What kind of research do you do before you start designing?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It depends on the play. If it\u2019s set in the Baroque era, for example, I don\u2019t have to look it up because I\u2019ve done many plays set in that time period. I have my own library of design books that I can refer to. I also do some research online \u2013 I checked out some other productions of Peter Pan <\/em>when I first started working on Peter Pan in Serangoon Gardens<\/em>. But I\u2019m careful about doing that because I don\u2019t want an image from someone else\u2019s set design to get buried somewhere in the back of my head. I would never duplicate somebody else\u2019s work; that would be sacrilege. I want the design to be mine! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was there a particular concept you were going for when designing the set for Peter Pan in Serangoon Gardens<\/em>?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wanted to underscore the timelessness of the Peter Pan<\/em> story by creating a striking difference between present-day modernism and the past. Harking back to the traditional pantomime style of painted scenery, I hand-painted the stage, as well as several backdrops like the cloud-swept blue sky and the ocean. But I also mixed in some modern aspects \u2013 like the aluminium trees framing the stage, which double as poles for actors to slide down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
John gathers inspiration while on a nature walk in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What research did you do while designing for this show?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter Pan<\/em> is, of course, a well-known story that has been widely published in the form of children\u2019s books. We open the show with a tableau that says \u2018Time For A Story\u2019, and I loved that idea. So I decided to go and look at some of the great children\u2019s illustrators of the early 19th century, who told stories through imagery in children\u2019s books at a time before photography really took off. I looked at tremendous illustrators like Maxwell Parish, Norman Rockwell and Howard Pyle, all of whom really did their research. If they were sketching a pirate with a chest of gold, for example, they would visit museums or even buy antiques to use as reference when working in their studios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Were you inspired by anything Singaporean while designing the set?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I visited the mangrove swamp\nat the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. I\u2019d seen mangrove trees in pictures, but\nnever in person. It was an amazing environment \u2013 it’s just so alive, but also a\nlittle bit unreal. The fact that these huge, tall, massive trees are held up by\nroots made me think of tunnels and little rooms cut into the mangrove forest: a\nperfect hideout for the Lost Boys in Peter\nPan in Serangoon Gardens<\/em>! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Out to sea! John poses with his meticulously hand-painted ocean backdrop – look out for it during Peter Pan in Serangoon Gardens<\/em>!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How did you get started on your career in the theatre?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t choose theatre \u2013 it chose me! I had dabbled in theatre in my youth. I acted in high school. And because I\u2019ve always been an artist who loves drawing and painting, I designed and painted the scenery for my high-school shows and some children\u2019s theatre groups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I still thought I was going to get a normal job. At one point, I got a job as a shoe salesman. I was on my way to becoming a regional manager when I attended a work event and they talked about shoes for five hours<\/em>. That\u2019s when I thought, \u201cI can\u2019t dump my life on this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I started doing some amateur theatre in Canada, where I learned a lot from professional artists who had retired but were still keen to be involved in the theatre. That\u2019s when I started to wonder if this might actually be my career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say theatre chose me\nbecause, at this point, I went to Montreal for the 1976 Olympics \u2013 I\u2019m not a\nsports fan, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I was walking around the neighbourhood\nwhen I happened upon the National Theatre School of Canada. I didn\u2019t even know it\nexisted! I walked in and asked the receptionist if they taught design in\nEnglish. They did. And I walked out with an application form! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And you\u2019ve never looked back since?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never. Once my acceptance letter came, I had to move to Montreal, where I didn\u2019t know anyone. But, as the train entered the city, I could see the entire skyline lit up against the night sky, and I cried. I knew this was where I was supposed to be \u2013 I knew I was coming home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In April next year, I\u2019ll have survived 40 years in this business. Working in the theatre isn\u2019t easy \u2013 you\u2019re working nights, you don\u2019t get weekends off, you don\u2019t get paid a lot of money. It\u2019s a huge commitment. But it\u2019s also a vocation. I think of it almost like entering the ministry. When I share what I know and do what I do, I\u2019m a priest of culture.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
John with Ivan – a toast to old friends and to making theatre magic together!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How did you first meet Ivan Heng, who directed Peter Pan in Serangoon Gardens<\/em>?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We met through Michael Dobbin, one of Canada\u2019s top theatre directors. I first worked with Michael on a playwriting festival in Calgary, and went on to do numerous main-stage productions with him. We work well together, and he became a very good friend. Over a decade ago, he phoned me up one day and asked me to do the Singapore production of For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again<\/em> \u2013 I had worked on the original production that toured Canada. Michael knew Ivan from their time together working on M. Butterfly<\/em>. We all met for drinks when Ivan came to Montreal to promote Emily of Emerald Hill<\/em> at a convention. And, by the time we were done laughing and joking and drinking, it was a done deal!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You also worked on WILD RICE\u2019s production of Beauty World<\/em> at the Esplanade. What was that experience like?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was so honoured that Ivan asked me to design for Beauty World<\/em>, which I know is an iconic musical here. I had worked on stages as big as the Esplanade Theatre before, which is one reason Ivan thought of me for this production. Working with Ivan and all the other creatives to put this show together was a great experience. It was such a good, tight production. I still remember telling Ivan at dinner one night that Beauty World<\/em> could easily transfer to Broadway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s one thing I love about\nworking here in Singapore \u2013 that element of cultural exchange, where we come together\nfrom all over the world to work with and learn from one another, as we put up a\ndistinctly Singaporean show that\u2019s good enough to be staged anywhere in the\nworld.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

John C. Dinning has designed for the theatre all across Canada \u2013 and occasionally in Singapore \u2013 over the past four decades. Find out about his design process for Peter Pan in Serangoon Gardens and more!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4191,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"John C. Dinning has designed for the theatre all across Canada \u2013 and occasionally in Singapore \u2013 over the past four decades. Find out about his design process for Peter Pan in Serangoon Gardens and more!","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[106,100,134,76],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4169"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4169"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4169\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}