Stockholm: Lighting design (direction, colour, intensity, special effects)

Stockholm: Lighting design (direction, colour, intensity, special effects)

Overview of Stockholm’s Approach to Lighting Design

  • Stockholm uses lighting design effectively to resonate the emotional depth and tension embedded in its narrative.
  • The lighting cues and changes are intricately linked to the psychological journey of the characters, Todd and Kali.

Direction of Light

  • Clear distinction between upstage and downstage lighting helps create spatial awareness and depth to the performance area.
  • Downlighting is used to confine the characters, symbolising their trapped state within their relationship.
  • Side lighting enhances the physicality of Todd and Kali by highlighting their form and movement.

Colour

  • The prevailing use of cold, blue light creates an element of detachment, reflecting the estrangement between Kali and Todd.
  • Warm, comforting colours are used during their moments of comfort and happiness.
  • Sudden switches between warm and cool tones denote the erratic state of their relationship.

Intensity

  • Bright lighting often symbolises their attempt to portray a ‘happy couple’ image to the outside world.
  • Dim or low lighting is used to convey their hidden, internal struggles and the claustrophobic reality of their relationship.
  • Intensity variations also help in distinguishing between reality and Stockholm’s many dream-like sequences.

Special Effects

  • Flash lighting is used to give the impression of SNAP shots, reinforcing the motif of memory and time.
  • Strobe lighting is used to create a sense of tension and urgency.
  • These effects add to driving the narrative tension and dramatizing the volatile emotions in the play.

Integration of Light with Set Design

  • Careful interplay of light with set objects, such as the bed and butcher’s block, further evokes powerful symbolism.
  • Lighting cues resonate with the thematic intent of the props to create visually stirring moments.

Conclusion

  • Overall, Stockholm’s lighting design showcases its bold visual aesthetics, contributing significantly to the overall narrative and thematic impact of the play.