Creating an illusion of a mountain on stage

Press, 22 July 1989, Page 17

Creating an illusion of a mountain on stage

PAULINE MOORE talks to a Trudi Urlwin about her latest set designing challenge.

Set designing is often regarded as a male preserve, although quite a few women do design sets. Trudi Urlwin, the Christchurch set and lighting designer for the American play, “K2,” is one of them. New Zealand theatre is refreshingly non-sexist, unlike overseas theatre, Trudi says. "Women can succeed as well as men in New Zealand. They are given challenging jobs on their own merits. Few sets are as challenging to design as "K2’s" — a ledge 2.5 m by 1.3 m, more than 8000 m up the world’s second highest mountain, in the Himalayas. Her aim has been to evoke the atmosphere when two climbers have fallen on to a ledge and must decide whether to attempt to climb down with little equipment, before the weather closes in. One climber is injured; either staying or descending is to risk dying. The two-man play explores the relationship between the two climbers who are caught in this dilemma. It is loosely based on the United States expedition to K2 in 1978.

A classic, melting pot drama, it contains humour too, and is one of the best plays she has worked on, Trudi Urlwin says. “K2” opened on Wednesday.

You cannot create a realistic mountain in a theatre, so Trudi has had “to be inventive on a small budget.” Planks painted white suggest a 90 degree ice wall. Grey sails — a split cyclorama — represent the abstract forms of sky and mountain peaks.

The action takes place six metres above the stage to give a “mid-air feeling.” This has placed unusual demands on the set design. Safety for the actors is paramount, and is Trudi’s responsibility.

In the play’s action, one of the climbers falls. As he plummets, an enormous strain is put on the set. He is tied to the climber still on the ledge, and that leaves no margin for error. As well, an

avalanche occurs. The ropes have to be checked every day of the play’s two and a half week run. On a mountain they would be thrown away after a fall. In the play though, not quite the same demands are put on them.

Adding realism, the actors have learnt climbing techniques. Nic Farra and Chris Harding took on the Rapaki wall from the well-known climbers, Lydia Bradey, who has been on K2, and Donald Matheson.

Designing the lighting for the play was equally demanding. The lighting is mounted on scaffolding, and Trudi relied heavily on the technical assistance of Richard Grevers.

“K2,” written by Patrick Meyers, is being performed in the Cinerama Youth Centre. The expanse between floor and ceiling is so big that mountain climbing techniques were used to mount the lights. Trudi Urlwin says she thrives on challenges. She began her set designing career with “Gulls,” in the Fortune Theatre in Dunedin. Her solution for creating a beach scene was to paint the entire theatre.

“I like difficult plays. They give me headaches, chewed fingernails, and sleepless nights, she admits.

“I have moments of panic when I don’t know how to resolve the techni-

cal difficulties, but it’s satisfying to work them through and find a solution.”

Trudi joined the theatre as a sole technician at the Fortune Theatre after becoming bored with theatre administration. She deliberately chose to work in several areas.

“I get restless otherwise. You have to be versatile to survive.”

She is also a graphic designer, designing posters. Her latest challenge is combining her theatrical career with motherhood. Seven-months-old Eva is a “particularly obliging baby who is very easygoing.”

A supportive network which includes her partner, Nic Farra (co-star in “K2”) and a roster of babysitters allows her to combine her two roles. She used to like building sets and working the lights, but these days prefers to be home in the evenings with Eva — “I don’t mind really,” she says. Trudi Urlwin, Nic Farra, and the director, Richard Huber, form the theatre co-operative, Burning Airlines (from the Briana Eno song). This is their third production under the new name. The three have worked together for the last eight years.

“We work so well together that we’ve given ourselves an identity,” she says.