For this conceptual design project, we were provided with the script of the play ‘The Visit’ by Friedrich Dürrenmatt. To summarise the script, Claire Zachanassian having left the town of Slurry as a young woman in humiliation, returns seeking justice for the crime committed against her. She is determined to stop at nothing to achieve it, even proposing a dreadful bargain: the townspeople must kill the man who impregnated her and then abandoned her, leaving her with no choice but to flee the town. In exchange, she promises to provide enough money to revitalise the decrepit town. With her influence over the townspeople apparent, they gradually succumb to her power and agree to kill Alfred.Before seeking external imagery or creating mood boards, I allowed myself to immerse in the text and visualize my own interpretations. This process, to me, exemplifies the beauty of reading—allowing the mind to create its own imagery based solely on the text. I would read a few pages and then close my eyes, envisioning the scenes inspired by the play’s words. Using large A1 sheets of paper, I sketched four scenes depicting how I visualised the story, employing oil, pastels, chalk, and paint to bring my interpretations to life. The world of Slurry, as depicted in the script, resonated with me in greyscale, portraying the townspeople as miserable and selfish characters. The palettes were dark and dreary, with a smoky, shadowy atmosphere. Claire, portrayed as a billionaire seeking vengeance, was envisioned as the embodiment of the devil herself, elegant yet sharp and dramatic, splashed with red amidst the sea of smoky grey, symbolising her materialistic obsession infiltrating the town.

To further explore the characters and their world, I visited a local charity shop and selected clothing items that resonated with each character in the play. Using various techniques such as dyeing, breakdown, appliqué, stitch, painting, and embroidery, I created a large tapestry depicting the character panorama. This process allowed for organic creation, with the characters emerging naturally as I selected fabrics, textures, and colours without overthinking. The patchwork element that emerged from this process inspired the idea of the Slurrians wearing a greyscale patchwork uniform, reflecting their existence in a limbo-like world.

Inspired to delve deeper into character development, I chose to focus on Claire, Zachary, and Annalise—Alfred’s two young children—in a scene depicting Claire’s arrival to the town. Using wire, mod rock, and collage, I created 3D sculptured figures, continuing the patchwork aesthetic. Crafting miniature costumes from thrifted fabric scraps, I brought the characters to life, allowing the costumes to evolve organically as I selected pieces that resonated with each character’s essence. The contrast between Claire’s opulence and the children’s poverty and despair was evident, emphasising their disparate worlds.

This project was immensely rewarding, allowing me to immerse myself deeply in the world of the play. Bringing the characters to life through both tapestry and sculpture felt like a privilege, and delving into the dreamlike limbo world of Slurry gave me confidence in my costume choices. This journey provided valuable insight into the costume design process, equipping me with skills and tools for future design projects.