Shroud Maker

The Shroud Maker is a play written and directed by acclaimed Palestinian writer Ahmed Masoud, performed by Julia Tarnoky. I was invited to design the set for its run at RADA and subsequent UK tour. For this exciting collaboration between theatre and visual art, I decided to create a conceptual hand-made set design, presented as an art installation on stage, in and through which the actress could move and narrate the different stages of her life. There is a strong connection, and a continuous conversation between the development of this set design and my previous installation artwork Nasher, where fabrics are a very present element. The play brings new focus with the moving story of Hajja Souad, an 80-year old woman who has survived decades of war and displacement by making and selling shrouds for the dead, and her powerful journey of resilience. Handwritten fragments of her story in Arabic are written on the suspended fabrics onstage, reflecting the haunting metaphor of shrouds following her; painted red, the empty photo-less wooden frames suggest the presence and absence of family members; inspired by Palestinian embroidery, simplified motifs are carved and hand printed on all of the fabrics to accentuate the presence and power of culture. 

Additional Creative Team: Sound Designer – Richard Melkonian; Lighting Designer – Jack Weir; Producer – Alia Alzougbi; Stage Manager – Federika Schliessler. The Shroud Maker was first performed at RADA Studios London, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in May 2018, then toured to venues including Barbican Theatre Plymouth, Unity Theatre Liverpool, Green Belt festival, Volcano Theatre Swansea, Stantonbury Theatre Milton Keynes, SOAS University of London, and Greenwich Theatre.