Sorcha Gibson

The Last Minutes Before Mars is a mixed-reality immersive 360° video and live performance asking pressing ethical questions about the state of humanity, colonialism, and the value of human life. I designed the show completely remotely during the pandemic between Newcastle, UK and Toronto, CAN; coordinating with the director in Melbourne, AUS, and the cast and crew in Bochum, DE. The performers reconfigured the space throughout the performance - moving the dividers to act as barriers or screens between themselves and the audience. The colour palette and furniture was inspired in particular by the Apollo 11 Mission Control room. The costumes explored modern comfort & street wear, but also drew inspiration from sixties futurism, and the actors own style when we asked them “what would you wear to your last party on earth?”

DADA begins as a dinner party, which slowly dissolves from it’s extreme order into chaos and nonsense: inspired by the Dadaists and attitudes adopted during the First World War. Jumpsuits were the evening attire of choice: they seemed luxurious but also suited the absurdity of the food fights and war waged with carrots and ketchup – as well as importantly being a testament to practical women’s work uniforms during World War II. The table and white tablecloth served as a canvas for the aftermath of the food wars – which was then displayed like a canvas across the space. The intent was to blur the line between performance and gallery, inviting the audience to begin socializing and drinking without any applause.

Far Away takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where animals and humans are at war with one another. Three lines of death masks suspended above the stage in rows represent lines of prisoners marched to execution, and serve as looming reminders of the war, and death that has become normalized everywhere. Costumes evolved to be mainly utilitarian – practical during war-time and for working in a factory - but also absurd (much like the text of the play) in that the bright colours totally contradict the brutality and devastation surrounding the characters onstage – a testament to their isolation.

Celebrity pop-up shops and religious cults were the inspirations for POPAGANDA, which was a theatrical shop, performance and installation. This Post-Truth Concept Store/Fake News Pop-Up Shop inhabited the centre of Prague for three days in September 2018. Showrooms initiated customers into the shop, introducing them through videos and performance to the shop’s mantras (how to lie effectively for their own benefit) using objects and carpeting that demonstrated the lying strategy. Products were developed within each strategy: “The Looks Real,” “The New Truth,” and “The Cover Up,” and were displayed around the hub of the shop floor – a “beach,” which was interactive. Customers were also invited to watch product demonstrations, touch, “buy” and even steal products on the floor. Re-purposed and re-painted theatre set pieces formed the basis of the design (whatever we could get) as well as plastic and sand.