Theatre / News
Lockleaze adventure playground recreated on Old Vic stage
A playground in Lockleaze affectionately known as ‘the Vench’ has been faithfully recreated on the historic stage of the Bristol Old Vic.
The set made up of nets, ropes and tunnels is for Junkyard which opens at the theatre on February 24. Inspired by the true story, the new musical is a coming-of-age story about friendship and standing up for what matters.
Set designer Chiara Stephenson (above left) said that photos of Lockleaze from the 1970s “were a total source of inspiration”.
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She said: “Though it would be fun for me to invent my own playground as the kids did back in the day – the set really has to derive from the things they made in 1979 in Lockleaze. There’s a death slide, a spider rope, tyres and lots of things to jump on and off…
“The lovely thing of nothing in these playgrounds being very descriptive, how nothing looks like anything in particular, it is all a big shambley maze of wood and chains and rope really sparks the imagination.
“In this particular design process, it has been slightly counterintuitive; as a designer, you normally want to design impressive, slick, well-oiled machines, but the whole point of this set is that it is meant to be the worst-oiled machine ever, made by many hands – you have to slightly go against your designer’s instinct.”
Junkyard is at Bristol Old Vic from February 24 to March 18. To buy tickets and for more information, visit www.bristololdvic.org.uk/junkyard.html
Photos by Jon Craig
Read more: Interview: Jack Thorne on Junkyard
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