Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1061165
with stairs and corridors that led to other unseen halls. The great hall, by hanging the tapestries like a cyclorama, could transform into Mary's court. Her bedroom was built on the ground floor for practical lighting and cost-effective purposes, but by having these Escher-like staircases up to a corridor level above, one could believe the bedchamber was high up within the castle walls. Elizabeth's bedchamber design was heavily influenced by the chosen locations for her court— Oxford Divinity College and Gloucester Cathedral. Both of these locations being High Gothic, I wanted to infuse this impressive architecture into Elizabeth's bedchamber—hence, the vaulted ceilings and Gothic wood paneling, and dividing rood screen. The key was to make Elizabeth just as vulnerable as Mary, so by using soft warm tones on the paneling and walls, I created a cocoon-like environment within a large imposing space— somewhere she felt safe and could escape to. I then injected into Elizabeth's court location at Oxford university another rood screen—similar to her bedchamber but on a far grander scale— consciously dividing the space in half in a very symmetrical and highly ordered way, with the intention of separating and defining her public persona of power and order. The final scene—Mary's execution—was shot at Penshurst Place in Kent. This was an example of where a beautiful location really does set the tone and this influenced my rather minimal approach. I wanted to echo Mary's final fate by adorning the walls with headless antler horns. The grey lonely stage speaks for itself—the block awaits her, but even here I felt there was room for interpretation. By chaining the block down to the stage, it gave Mary something to grasp hold of and to give her strength as she kneels down for her final breath before the axe descends. ADG A. ELIZABETH'S BED, SKETCH BY JAMES MERIFIELD. B. MARY'S BED. SKETCH BY JAMES MERIFIELD. C. INTERIOR HOLYROOD— MARY'S BEDCHAMBER, R STAGE PINEWOOD, SET BUILD. D. INTERIOR HOLYROOD WALL ELEVATIONS. DRAWN BY TOBY BRITTON. E. INTERIOR HOLYROOD- MARY'S COURT - R STAGE PINEWOOD BUILT SET WITH TAPESTRY AND SCREEN. F. FOTHERINGHAY CASTLE—THE GREAT HALL, PENSHURST PLACE, WHITE MODEL. G. FOTHERINGHAY CASTLE VISUAL, MARY'S EXECUTION. ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS BAKER. A B C