13: 2006 - Haunted

A quite unusual play in content, as a reclusive writer meets up with the ghost of his idol, Lord Byron. The set is one of a modern study/den in which our hero spends most of his life. As it was supposed to be a serious production, that meant being able to have Byron "materialise" in a convincing way on a number of occasions: a subject best approached through the strategic use of furniture. We allowed two points of appearance: behind the sofa and behind the desk. For the latter, that meant having a hole cut in the flat through which the character could enter as required; in the former case, he had to hide there from the beginning of the scene. A momentary dimming of the lights, the sound effect of a cold wind blowing, and there he was (or wasn't, in the case of dematerialisation). It's not completely seamless, but live theatre doesn't give as much scope for trickery as, say, television. A brief blackout is certainly better - and more convincing - than taking the time to send the "ghost" on through the normal entrances, or strolling on like any of the other cast members...