Storm Boy soundtrack

Background: There is something of a paradox in the design brief to conjure vast, sprawling, unkempt and threatening Australian landscapes within the built artifice of a contemporary theatre space. To illustrate nature makes a mockery of theatrical form and underestimates the imagination of the audience, whilst to look to metaphor outside the landscape entirely can neglect a crucial feature in the process of storytelling. This project was an explicit exploration of how the different departments in scenography grappled with this design challenge. Contribution: This project examines the different methods of engagement sound, light, set and video have with epic landscape. Whilst landscape and space are treated as characters in the play, it established clear demarcations between documentation (video), approximation (sound design), representation (light and set), abstraction (set) and cinematic metaphor (music). Temporal and emotional shifts demanded a synergy of artforms, which were at various times preoccupied with different foci: environment, narrative and mood. The project involved the interplay and overlap of the scenographic elements; the way in which space, sound and light worked in concert to give life to landscape as character and undulation to narrative. Significance: This was a coproduction between two premier state theatre companies, the Melbourne Theatre Company and Queensland theatre. According to the director Sam Strong, 'Darrin was selected as composer out of a range of alternative options. His track record and body of work, stylistic adaptability, and first-rate collaborative approach when crafting his soundtracks made him the frontrunner in a competitive selection process.' It was performed to sold out seasons to critical acclaim in Melbourne and Brisbane. In 2020, a paper exploring the mechanics of the design elements was published by the 11th Annual International Conference on Visual and Performing Arts in Athens.