Jehan Fonseka

The primary reasoning for opting to present the play of Hekabe within the lower basement of 45 Downstairs revolves around the potential to convey an unwavered intimacy. With key themes of the play accentuating extreme grief, resentment, betrayal and vengeance, a personal connectivity or familiarity is necessitated to connote the feelings of graveness and futility throughout the play. The concept of ‘groundlings’, popularized in the 16th century, was also quite influential in my consideration of audience arrangement and viewing experience. Personally, I felt that by having an audience not only on the same level as the actors, but within the same space due to the lack of a defined stage area, a truly immersive experience could be achieved. As such, one of my earliest conceptions for the space concept was to have my audience seated on the floor rather than within chairs so as to not segregate them as an audience watching a play, but experiencing it instead. Additionally, the conceptual malleability of 45 Downstairs was particularly intriguing, with the space holding no particular definitions or layout. This in turn enabled the potential for creative freedom both within the space, and even outside through the juxtaposed arch-windows and space beyond.