What visual elements can you use to create a sense of magic and wonder in a fantasy play?

2 Costumes and props

Costumes and props are essential to establish the identity, personality, and role of your fantasy characters. They can also help you create a visual contrast between the ordinary and the extraordinary, the realistic and the fantastical. You can use different materials, colors, shapes, and textures to create costumes and props that reflect the nature and culture of your fantasy world. For example, you can use feathers, fur, and leather to create animal-like costumes, or metal, glass, and crystals to create futuristic or alien props.

3 Scenery and set design

Scenery and set design are the backbone of your fantasy world. They can help you create a sense of space, scale, and depth on stage, as well as provide clues and details about the setting and the story. You can use different techniques, such as painting, sculpting, projecting, or moving scenery, to create realistic or abstract landscapes, buildings, or objects. You can also use different levels, platforms, or flying systems to create vertical or horizontal movement and variation. For example, you can use a painted backdrop and a rotating platform to create a castle scene, or a projection and a flying system to create a flying carpet scene.

4 Special effects and illusions

Special effects and illusions are the cherry on top of your fantasy play. They can help you create moments of surprise, awe, and wonder that make your fantasy world come alive. You can use different methods, such as pyrotechnics, smoke, fog, lasers, or mirrors, to create effects that simulate magic, fire, explosions, or transformations. You can also use different tricks, such as hidden wires, trap doors, or sleight of hand, to create illusions that make objects or characters appear, disappear, or change. For example, you can use pyrotechnics and smoke to create a dragon's breath, or hidden wires and trap doors to make a character levitate or vanish.

5 Symbols and motifs

Symbols and motifs are the subtle but meaningful elements that add depth and richness to your fantasy play. They can help you convey themes, messages, or emotions that go beyond the literal or the obvious. You can use different forms, such as images, objects, colors, or gestures, to create symbols and motifs that represent or suggest something else. You can also use different patterns, such as repetition, variation, or contrast, to create connections or contrasts between symbols and motifs. For example, you can use a rose as a symbol of love, and repeat it in different scenes, or vary its color or condition, to show the development or the challenges of a romantic relationship.

6 Audience participation and interaction

Audience participation and interaction are the final touch that can make your fantasy play more engaging and immersive. They can help you break the fourth wall and involve the audience in the story, the characters, or the world. You can use different strategies, such as asking questions, giving instructions, inviting volunteers, or providing props, to create opportunities for the audience to participate or interact with the play. You can also use different effects, such as lighting, sound, or special effects, to create reactions or responses from the audience. For example, you can ask the audience to clap their hands to make a fairy appear, or use a sprinkler system to make the audience feel the rain in a storm scene.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?