The Blue Room’s small black studio space is effectively transformed with Matthew Osborne’s superb visual projections and lighting design.

The backbone of this production was a spectacular projected animation, which used large moving LED screens trucked across the stage, taking the audience on a kaleidoscope around Oz. The images ranged from the inside of a clock to a hurricane. All were especially vivid due to the intimate seating of the Glen Street Theatre.

This best ever stagecraft-driven production of WICKED cleverly manipulates their well chosen and beautiful animated state-of-the-art video-walls to set the stage for each scene, and is a unique techno-triumph.

As a third and fourth layer to this experience, we have the lovely lighting and visual design by Matthew Osborne and a complex musical composition by Ekrem Mulayim; they complete setting, reflect mood, and create metaphor. Without these elements Chester’s actions would be less meaningful, and we’d have a much harder time understanding her character’s solitary existence. This world simply wouldn’t exist without those elements.

Matthew has been contracted as a technical adviser and lighting designer over the last couple of years for major school productions at Sydney Grammar Preparatory School for which I direct. Each year he continues to save us money and time with his efficiency and technical skill with regard to lighting, staging and projection . He not only brings technical expertise but is also able to provide amazing creative solutions to any number of production problems. He effortlessly creates complex moving projections, hand makes specialty items including custom footlights and seems never to face a challenge he can’t solve. I have also used him on many other independent theatre projects. I can’t recommend him highly enough.

Having such a dark and focused set is actually very beguiling, as every set piece and movement by the performer is easily highlighted and even the smallest details can be picked up by the audience. The projections and compositions are beautifully crafted and this is one show that the skills of the stage manager are particularly apparent, as every light, sound and visual cue seem perfectly timed and executed

Matt Osborne’s lighting design is one of the most adventurous community theatre lighting designs I’ve ever seen with a large amount of LED screens used to display settings on. At times, it’s a bit over the top, but on the whole, it’s inventive and very clever.

I have never seen the Blue Room’s minimalist spaces used more effectively. Matthew Osborne’s lighting and vision design is sometimes breathtaking, and Chester and Barbe work within it faultlessly.