ORANGO
Opera by Dmitri Shostakovich
Designed for Selligman Studio, Chapter Arts Centre
RWCMD Conceptual Project
For this version of Orango, I designed the production to unfold on an early Soviet propaganda train, using the setting as a mobile stage for political display, persuasion, and spectacle. Within this world, Orango is presented as a grotesque warning against capitalism, turned into a living exhibit of greed, corruption, and moral decay.
The design explores the absurdity of early Soviet propaganda, where ideology was often communicated through exaggeration, performance, humour, and fear. By presenting propaganda as a theatrical spectacle, the production also draws parallels with the modern world, where media, image-making, and staged political narratives continue to shape public opinion.
Research
I have used agit-trains as a key design influence, turning the production into a travelling propaganda machine where theatre, politics, and spectacle collide.
This is relevant to today’s society because propaganda still exists through media, social platforms, advertising, and political image-making, where performance and spectacle are often used to influence what people believe.
Early Digital Renders:
Model making
Moment drawings & Costume drawings
