A Slight Ache

“A Slight Ache,” a tragicomic masterpiece by Harold Pinter penned in 1958, delves into the dreams and desires of a married couple, primarily focusing on the husband’s fears of the unknown, aging, and the “Other” as a potential threat to his self-identity. Captivated by the play’s allure, I enthusiastically took on the roles of stage, lighting and costume designer for this production.

As a young designer at that time and with limited knowledge of lighting, I harnessed its power to convey the intricate emotions of each scene, painting the mental landscape of the characters through illumination. To infuse a surrealistic atmosphere into the couple’s house, I incorporated a painting by René Magritte as a backdrop, to further enhance the portrayal of the man’s suspended mental state, I utilized an array of shutters. These shutters, manipulated to open and close, transformed the ambiance within the house, representing the illusions that dwelled within the man’s mind.

This production of “A Slight Ache” graced the Iranian Artists Forum stage for two compelling weeks and earned the Best Stage Design Award at the Student Theater Festival in Tehran.

 

| 2010 |