04: 1993 - Daisy Pulls It Off

Now, this one was quite a serious challenge and perhaps the closest rival to the later "Alice In Wonderland" for the title of Biggest Evolution In Set Design. It was certainly the prototype for making scenery painting an integral part of the whole set rather than a necessary evil at the end of the build. Having done this one, we had a much clearer idea of what could be accomplished with a few litres of different-coloured emulsion and a two-inch paintbrush.

The setting is an old stately home that has been converted into a 1920s girl's boarding school. Even though a lot of the effects relied on using the same basic set as various parts of the building (such as classrooms, dormitories, library and corridors), the structure itself was quite a task and the hand-painted stone and woodwork took ages. We made several of the desk units, which doubled (with a bit of imagination) as things like the train carriage for the opening arrival scene; used the under-stage, floor and apron for a night-time clifftop rescue; even had the clear space in the centre as a hockey pitch. There was lots to do with lighting as well, hiding the parts of the stage which didn't need to be visible and because there was a lot of mysterious creeping about at night! Even the set decoration played a part - the far left portrait had to be luminous in the dark.

A challenge, but a lot of fun - and still one of the more involved sets we've ever put together. In many respects, though, it was eclipsed by the cast and the visual spectacles that didn't rely on the backdrop.