Nutcracker set-in-a-box

Year: 2020-21

Material: Timber, found objects, laser cut ply, arduino board and stepper motors

Dimensions (W/H/D): 800mm x 350 x 600

When asked to design a set for Nutcracker by retired ballet legend Lesley Bandy, I came up with the idea of building a miniature set with a camera sending a live feed to a projector mounted overhead. The image of the box was projected full scale to the Cyc at the rear of stage.

The Set in a Box had 6 different scenes within it. Some were changed by myself side stage and at intermission, the rest were changed on stage by the character Drossellmeyer.

We ran thew show two years in a row to full houses, and the box got a heap of attention. the rationale for doing it this way was to reduce the storage of set pieces and props, and to minimise material use/wastage.