Avatar on Tour - Yetholm
Exclusive pix from the sell-out opening night of the Gorgeous Avatar tour at Wauchope Hall in Yetholm in the Borders...
The tour crew arrived the day before and stayed up into the small hours getting the set and lights
working in the new venue. The set is too big for the hall's own stage, so it's all been turned round, with some of the audience sitting up on stage, and everyone entering the hall via the back of the set - thereby getting a good view of the props, lighting equipment, cables and gaffer tape that holds the production together. For the actors, it made for a very different performing experience: whites of the audience's eyes clearly visible, and the danger of kicking soil in faces and landing in front-row laps always present. For designer Mark Leese, the challenge was to make a set that would have work not only in the large Traverse space, but also translate well to small halls. First chance to test it out! And it works beautifully, filling the whole width of the venue and transforming Wauchope Hall into Amy's living room for the night. Strange to see the show on what amounts to its home turf, just a few miles from where I live. Some of the video footage was filmed right on the doorstep, so it's a case of going outside and being confronted by the real scenery we've just seen digitized in John Alder's video - which feels oddly right for a play that explores different versions of reality. And after the show, while some of the audience go to Barbara and Gavin's for gorgeous food and party, the production team and actors get busy dismantling the set. Yep, into the small hours...
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