Design for Don Giovanni's Hollywood Mansion

Don Giovanni's character is extravagant, wealthy and flamboyant, and he is a very successful Hollywood producer.
This meant that we wanted the set to reflect who the Don is, and to show the kind of environment Hollywood was. Mansions in Hollywood are famous for their size and grandeur, and using one as a backdrop for the story creates a very glamorous and dramatic atmosphere, as well as having the potential to be eye-catching for the audience.

We used a moodboard of photos of various Hollywood mansions in order to help us get the general feel of what we wanted the set to look like. We decided to use a wide sweeping staircase, which could be used as the set for the interior or the exterior of the mansion. This design shows the garden in which the final scene takes place.

This piece was made as part of ENO's Lockdown Aria challenge. Children and young people across the country made work inspired by the concept of an Aria "a single character sharing their inner emotional world and thoughts with an audience."

The work was created as part of Arts Council England's The Way I See It project which captures the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the lives of children and young people, articulated in their own voices, through their own creativity.

English National Opera is the national opera company dedicated to one simple aim: making opera for everyone.