A Show in the Life of... A Set Builder

A key role in putting on any of our productions is creating the perfect set. We are lucky enough to have an amazing team of set builders who work hard on crafting our sets, so we thought it was about time we heard all about what they get up to! We chatted to Rakhi, Frank, Pav and Micha, who have been working away building the set for our May 2025 show, Blithe Spirit.

First off, at what stage does the set building team get involved in a play?

We become involved in the production of the play once the initial production meeting has taken place. This is normally a meeting between the director, stage manager, lighting, sound, costume and props teams who walk through the play and decide what is required physically on stage where and when. The stage manager then takes this information away and designs a plan detailing what needs to be built, its size and colour. This plan is then presented to us, the set building team, and we proceed to the build stage.

And what does set building actually involve?

Building the set involves a number of skills – some of which people may have when they join Twyford Drama, and others they learn as they get more involved. We are really lucky because we have a storage container, a workshop and a basement full of wood, metal, paint and tools to build a set but, more importantly, we have people with years of experience, who can guide and support newer people, as well as lots of imagination and enthusiasm.

The initial step in the set building process is to understand what the play is trying to achieve and systematically work through the plan to make this happen. For this play, Blithe Spirit, our task was to create a set that looked like a 1930s drawing room with working French doors that led to an English garden and, similarly, working sliding doors leading to the rest of the house, a roaring fireplace with a beautiful mantlepiece and décor to complement the time period.

The drawing room needed to be cosy but opulent with a roaring fire, books, ornaments and a gramophone for music. We set about creating the walls using wooden panels and have added skirting boards to make the walls look realistic using the details of the plan to cut the pieces to size to fit the stage and adding colour to fit in with the aesthetic of the time and the personalities of the characters in the play. We’ve built the French doors and sliding doors from scratch and have engineered them in a way to make them hang and move in situ. A mantelpiece and hearth have also been built from wood and light fittings have been created using paper mâché.

All of the items have been built piece by piece and will only be put together, like a jigsaw, a week before the production takes to the stage, on a day called “get in” day. This is the first time we will know whether the measurements are correct and to scale and if the set build delivers on the brief.

What do you enjoy most about the role?

Meeting with everyone on a Sunday and physically creating something out of seemingly nothing. The ethos of the team is very much re-use, re-cycle and so, for example, from what used to be a bed in the last panto we suddenly have French doors leading to an English garden. From a leftover piece of splintered board, an art deco mantelpiece with hearth will appear. 

It’s also lovely being part of the Twyford village calendar of events and helping to bring the village closer and keep everyone entertained.

And is there anything you find particularly challenging about set building?

As we work on the basis of re-using and re-cycling, we have to take the previous set apart, to literally take it back to its basics and restart for each new production. Reworking the materials often involves pressure-washing old wooden panels and tapestries, stripping paper and paint and generally getting messy! This is often tinged with sadness and laughter as we remember what the material was used for before and all the hard work and fun we had making it, but, as a team, we all know it will rise up again like a phoenix.

The other challenge we have is that we are all working to plans drawn on an A3 sheet of paper. We never know if we have cut, built and designed correctly until “get in” day, which can add to the challenge as we sometimes need to adjust and amend on the fly to make it all work only a week before opening night!

How important is the set to a play?

The set is just as crucial as all the other parts that make up a show. For Blithe Spirit, the set will hopefully transport the audience to the 1930s and make them feel as if they are watching something real. This is the same as the lighting, which helps enhance and create atmosphere on stage, the sound setting the mood and the costumes that make the actors look like they are the characters they are acting. All of these elements are vitally important.

What skills would you say are required for set building?

The key skills set builders need are enthusiasm and a have-a-go attitude. If you have artistic, joinery or DIY skills they will certainly come in handy, but everyone is welcome to join in and have some fun.

There are currently a range of skills in our team from artists to engineers and carpenters, many of whom have been with the group for years, culminating in decades of experience in set building and an understanding of what will and won’t work on stage. This is alongside some of us who have recently joined and picked up a hammer for the first time but are learning and having fun at the same time. Each time we meet it’s a learning day for us all as each set is different and therefore something new is being created for every production.

And finally, how can anyone interested get involved with set building at Twyford Drama?

If you think set building could be for you, have a look at our Get Involved page or get in touch to find out when we’re next looking to meet up – usually set building sessions take place on Sunday mornings in the two-or-so months running up to opening night. We also have a monthly social for the whole of Twyford Drama, usually on a Thursday evening, which is a good place to meet lots of group members and find out more about opportunities to get involved.

Not bought tickets for Blithe Spirit yet? Book yours now to see Rakhi, Frank, Pav and Micha’s amazing set on the Loddon Hall stage from the 8th to the 10th of May.