The Void: Q&A
with Designer
Caitlin Mawhinney
We caught up with Caitlin Mawhinney, Set and Costume Designer for Thunder Road’s sci-fi horror, The Void.
The Void is a full-circle moment for you! Can you tell us about your first time working with Thunder Road in 2019, and how that compares to now?
I was a fresh new graduate when I worked on The Body Snatcher. I built the set with my dad in our garage, where now we have the brilliant Will Hunter who brings all his construction and building knowledge. And I like to think that I’ve gained a lot more style, experience and knowledge myself in that time.
Caitlin Mawhinney on the set of The Bodysnatcher
What was the first thing you thought when you were asked to “design a spaceship for a horror story”?
The first route we went down was soviet spaces - I found an amazing photography book ‘Soviet Ghosts’ by Rebecca Litchfield which provided endless inspiration of broken down and abandoned, very dystopian looking spaces. Mix that with your classic sci-fi films and some more modern iterations and we were on the right track!
What do you want the audience to feel when they first walk into the theatre and see the set?
I hope they feel unnerved, I hope they feel that this is a space where things have and will continue to happen.
Caitlin Mawhinney on the set of The Void
Tell us about some of the challenges involved with designing a show that blends theatre and film together.
It’s very important to consider where that video is placed within the set - you don’t just want a square projection screen like we see day-to-day. Here they are inbuilt as the main window of the ship, as a portal in a door. They are part of the story of the set, not just an add on. We also have to be very particular about what material we use for the projection surface - it’s very high tech!
What are some of your favourite details in the set that audiences might not immediately notice?
There are some surprises built in that I can’t tell you about! Working with our amazing illusionists, Jay and Joss, there is plenty of work going on that the audience will never spot.
If you weren’t a set and costume designer, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
I actually can’t picture anything else. Perhaps a cinematographer? It’s also very visual and I like the collaboration with set, spaces and bodies of lining up the frame of a shot. Though I have no idea how to work a camera…
What’s the best thing about seeing an idea you’ve had in your head finally come to life on stage?
It never gets old! The best bit for me is always when you finally get the actors and stage lights on and it actually comes to life. Before that it’s just a sculpture.
Alex Moran on the set of The Void (photo by Marc Brenner)
What would you like the next generation of Northern theatre-makers to know about building a career in the arts?
That it can take a good while for your efforts to visibly pay off. But if you keep creating and talking to people and seeing things and making your own opportunities if you can’t find any, then it all accumulates into something that you’ll love.