Newspapers and periodic tables - Current typography trends that I have seen

Because I can't get to sleep, and there isn't anything better to do at this moment then watch old episodes of SBS cooking shows, I'll write about what my current thoughts of how typography is currently used on stage, referencing things that I remember or watched before.

Every time that I remember seeing a typographic element on the stage would be only to suggest a time period that the musical is set in, or where the current part of the play was set. I even remember creating some prop design for the musical Jekyll and Hyde; a newspaper front cover that the newsboys were holding up.

For this piece of work, I had to research for a few hours, looking for a source of how newspapers looked like in the 1880's. No pictures on front pages, justified text in three columns, the setup of the dates. Very different to the visual styling of the front pages of current newspapers, that's for sure.

Another memory from the Jekyll and Hyde set was a high school periodic table of the elements which appeared in the first few rehearsal runs, then was taken away. It was being used to signify the fact that one corner of the stage was Jekyll's lab – but a few people pointed out that it didn't make sense IN THE PERIOD that the musical was set. They hadn't found many of the elements in the year 1888, so why would them have Uranium on the periodic table.

In shows that I have seen, type is usually seen as a only read once type of thing, then becomes invisible as the action always happens elsewhere. The latest musical that I have seen (just a few hours ago in fact) was the Melbourne production of Love Never Dies on DVD (I do wish I was there though). This time, however, I think the typography was used to signify the place that the musical was set, rather than the time – though it did connote time period, but was very outweighed by the type of performances that the show framed.

And now for the title piece – Into the woods. As I have said before, I have performed the show, and I have also seen the musical through a DVD. However, if I remember correctly, both had NO elements of typography in them. However, I remember when I was Into the Woods crazy, and I was researching the opening number, I watched a video with a very minimalistic set, but used letter blocks for props and set designs.

This fascinated me. Even though it could've been a figment of my imagination, it actually works. The typography is there, but really isn't as the letters by themselves don't connote any meaning. It reflects and portrays that children are important to the moral of the story. This has pushed me along with my stylistic thoughts stage design in particular.

I was to use books as a main design element, as many stories are conveyed through books. And of course, books have to have words in there, and it's the way that I will introduce all the typographic elements into the musical. As with any book, the letters make up the story. If I treat the typography correctly, as make the characters look as though they have fallen out of their respective books, then I think the typography will work.

The typographic groupings would have to be:-

• Rapunzel's story – The Baker and his wife, the mysterious man, Rapunzel and the witch
• Cinderella's story – Cinderella, stepmother, father, step sisters
• Red riding hoods story – Red riding hood and grandmother
• Jack's story – Jack and his mother
• The Princes – Cinderella's and Rapunzel's prince, steward and the wolf
• All groupings – The Narrator

Why are the princes separated from their story lines? They will primarily be using the typography from their respective story, but will have other lines of type from other stories that involve a prince. I've always seen them as jumping from the next 'conquest' to the next, in reality being all the princes at once, by the fact that they have lost the initial excitement of the relationship (it's all about the chase with these guys) they they find Sleeping Beauty and Snow White.

Anywho, aside from the digressions, I think that typography has to be able to shine once, then become part of the background. If this were to ever become live, I don't want the audience to be looking at the stage design and wondering what words the letters have made. I need them to be looking at the actors, so I have to find a way to make the typography subliminal but noticeable, or make the actors stand out from the books. Well, that's all in the experimentation.

Now it's time for some plugging. My friend Emma has her own blog about her honours project. It's also on the side bar if you are looking for it elsewhere. A primary illustrator, I wish that I had a bit of her talent. It will make my sketches a lot more refined (you'll see when I have to put some up... some quick sketches of my initial ideas are coming up soon) We've made a pact to write a whole bunch, thinking that people may want to read about 45,000 per week, we've paired up in this journey. It'll keep us motivated as well.

She's doing her honours project on "Sydney 2050" and hopefully there will be more hovering stuff and better tv. Not that SBS cooking shows are bad or anything.