Gia Ophelia
Costume and Co-Set Designer
This one woman plays follows Gia as she struggles with the pressures to make it as a artist, while facing the pestering of her partner to start a family. Exploring themes of ageism, motherhood and infertility this layered play shows a woman trying to have one final shot at the role of Ophelia.
Playwright: Grace Wilson
Director: Jo Bradley
Production Designer: Geita Goarin
Lighting Designer: Holly Nesbitt
Sound Designer: Otto Zagala
Stage Manager: Luke McGilvray
Producers: Jo Bradley, Bianca Watkins
Assistant Producers: Laila Chesterman, Violeta Brau Mugica
Photographer: Phil Erbacher
Concept
The set design reflects a woman emotionally and physically stuck as she unravels her past for the audience.The stage is divided between two distinct locations: the basement apartment she shares with her boyfriend, and the Shakespeare residency run by Dot. These two spaces face one another across the stage, visually reinforcing the tension between where she currently is and where she longs to be.The costume design mirrors her psychological state. We wanted to portray a woman who has barely left her basement while navigating a depressive episode, after the implosion of her life. At the same time, her clothing reflects something familiar to actors in rehearsal—comfortable, movable, and unpolished.
Reviews
“Geita Goarin and Bradley cement Gia’s safety blanket- a literal bed- in one space, while the rest ventures to Brisbane, an ethereal theatrical plane, and the inner battlefield of Gia’s mind”- Justin Clarke, Theatre Thoughts
“Sublimely simple set.”- Richard Cotter, Australian Stage
“Set design is simple but familiar, in an instant the audience knows the world they have stepped into.”- Gavin Roach, Australian Arts Review