Monthly meeting with all teams – for now, that’s the music team and the visual guys. We go over the tableaus we came up with scenographer and art director Bob one by one. Checking and discussing how we can make them happen. The general sentiment is that the tableaus are working in terms of poetry, but might interpret things too literal. The case is made for a more abstract approach, returning to the old idea of analogue light and projection techniques, in line with the historic reference of Robertson and his Phantasmagoria.

We come up with ways to shape light in the form of the tableaus. Rain effects, obviously for the first track ‘Rain’. The projection of a snow capped mountain peak in ‘White Peaks’, slowly overtaken by the shadows of branches. A kaleidoscopic flower effect with prism’s breaking light over the audience’s heads for ‘The Chrysanthemum Vow’. And the shine of golden disco balls spitting gold into the entire theatre for the majestic ending of ‘On Poverty and Wealth’. The rest of the set will take shape as the material evolves.

Costumes, stage setting, lights and projection screens are discussed as well. An interesting use of musicians as a visual element is treating them like Kuroko in the Kabuki theatre. These stage hands in traditional theatre are dressed in black and move scenery and props around the stage. It’s a powerful inspiration to use idle musicians on stage and have them move about in interesting ways. A director or a supervisor would help a great deal.