A Day in the Death of Joe Egg: Prop design

A Day in the Death of Joe Egg: Prop design

Prop Design

Use of Child’s Drawing

• Throughout the play, Joe’s drawing is referred to and used several times, highlighting her presence in the household.
• Though not physically active within the play, through the use of the drawing, Joe’s influence and importance in the plot is made apparent.

Wheelchair

• The wheelchair is a significant prop which symbolises Joe’s condition, the resulting struggles faced by her parents, and their entrapment.
• The shabbiness of the wheelchair also showcases the family’s financial struggles and the state of medical equipment for disabilities during the time.

Furniture

• The furniture in the setting, being dilapidated and worn, illustrates the material sacrifices Brian and Sheila have made for Joe’s care.
• The disarray of the living room also symbolise their chaotic lives, affected by Joe’s condition.

Quick Changes

• The requirement for quick changes of props to establish different timeframes and moods demonstrates the abruptness and disruption brought about by Joe’s disability, and reflects Brian and Sheila’s fluctuating emotional state.

Religious Symbols

• The presence of religious symbols, such as the rosary beads, highlights Sheila’s reliance on faith to cope with Joe’s condition.

Humorous Props

• Props that evoke comedy, such as the joke shop glasses and dribble cup, tie into the play’s theme of humour used as a coping mechanism. These absurdist props also links the play to the genre of the Theatre of the Absurd.