Sheik, Rattle 'n Roll

Designing the set for Sheik, Rattle 'n Roll presented interesting challenges. The play involved a lot of people dancing and singing and a live orchestra in what was a relatively small stage space. Sean and I collaborated to come up with a colourful, minimalist design. Sean came up with the idea removing one wall of seats and building a mezzanine for the orchestra, with stairs down to stage floor. The scenes in the play took place in a palace, a market place and a jail. I came up with the idea of defining these places by painting patterns on the floor and further defining them with the use of focused lighting. The cobble stones represented the jail and the blue and white tiles represented the palace. Green and white striped blinds unfolded from the arches of the "Palace" for the market scene. Brian Doherty and I collaborated to design the poster which was screen printed at the Cultural Activities Department at the University of Queensland Student Union. The Activities Department donated a poster to the National Gallery of Australia where it is held in their print collection under the name "A Daring Desert Date with Destiny".

—Dianne Heenan