Set Design student Beth Nutley & Emily Harrington win national set design competition for Castle Players Summer Priduction of Shakespeare in Love!
BA (Hons) Production for Stage & Screen students Bethany Nutley and Emily Harrington won the ‘Castle Players’ Theatre Competition with their detail production pitches for the theatre groups upcoming performance of ‘Shakespeare in Love’. A total of six students from our degree programme were shortlisted as finalists in the competition, to design the set for their outdoor summer production including Emily Delaney, Emily Harrington, Noah Harvey, Phoebe Lynch, Maiya Melling and Bethany Nutley. Stepping into the spotlight on May 8th, 2025 they presented their stage designs to the companies creative team, which included Director Gordon Duffy-McGhie.
Senior Lecturer Tony Shaw said “The work was presented by the students at Northern Stage in Newcastle. After a gruelling two hour long presentation and deliberation by the judges it was decided to split the prize money (£500) between two students Level 6 student Bethany Nutley and Level 5 student Emily Harrington. Both had exciting concepts for what is a complex show and the production company wanted to use both designers’ ideas. The company were impressed with the work students had produced, but were more than impressed by the professional way they presented themselves.”
Bethany Nutley, a third-year student from Brighton, and Emily Harrington, a second year from Cambridgeshire were praised by judges for their vivid visualisations and inventive take on Elizabethan England. Senior Lecturer Tony Shaw praised the experience as invaluable for the students. “They got so much out of it,” he said. “Live projects like this are a great stepping stone into the industry.” With the winning designs selected, work has already begun to bring their sets to life.
Winning student Beth Nutely said “it has been an honour to take part in the design of The Castle Players’ open-air production of Shakespeare in Love and to have won the competition. Our task was to create a versatile set concept that could be adapted to the play’s multiple locations and easily transported across various outdoor venues in the North East. The brief challenged us to meet specific requirements and limitations, encouraging all participants to expand their visual communication skills through carefully considered plans, elevations, and design presentations.”
“Drawing major inspiration from Elizabethan architectural motifs, my design combined historical accuracy with creative interpretation. My submission included concept imagery, detailed technical drawings outlining the construction of the flats, and styling plans for each scene in the play. Presenting this work to a panel of judges reinforced my ability to communicate complex design ideas clearly and professionally.”
The Castle Players describe themselves as “a diverse bunch of people who all have one thing in common, a love of theatre and performance. Over many years we have established a reputation for presenting large-scale, high quality outdoor productions each summer.”
This summer they will “make a bold return” to their summer tradition of outdoor performances “with a spectacular production of ‘Shakespeare in Love – the Play’. Touring to five venues on five consecutive nights it opens on Whorlton Village Green on Tuesday 1 July at 7pm before visiting All Saints & Salutation Church, Darlington on 2 July, Mickleton Village Green on 3 July, TCR The Hub, Barnard Castle on 4 July and finally, on Saturday 5 July, the stunning walled gardens of Raby Castle.”
“Directed by Gordon Duffy-McGhie, the play is based on the Oscar-winning film, ‘Shakespeare in Love’, and follows young Will Shakespeare as a penniless playwright struggling with writer’s block. Everything changes, however, when Will meets the daring Viola de Lesseps, a noblewoman with a secret passion for acting at a time when women were banned from the public stage. Disguised as a man, Viola auditions for Will’s play, and when a whirlwind romance follows it inspires the legendary story of ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Expect sword fights, mistaken identities, and a barrel of laughs in this enchanting tale of poetic love!”
Professional stage designer Simon Pell—also a founding member of The Castle Players—is leading hands-on workshops to translate the students’ vision from concept to reality. The set will shift through multiple iconic locations, from Queen Elizabeth I’s palace to Shakespeare’s own Rose Theatre.
Construction is currently underway for the production which will be opening to audiences the first week of July. Bethany and Emily’s role doesn’t end with the designs. They, along with other students, may also assist in building and painting the set. “Just give us the time and place—we’ll be there,” Shaw said.
The production will run across multiple North East Locations from July 1st to July 5th 2025. Tickets are £15 pp* (+£0.75 booking fee) find out more here.
If you are interested in a career in set and production design our BA (Hons) Set Design for Stage & Screen degree programme is a fantastic pathway to gain the skills, opportunities and the knowledge needed to carve out a successful career in the stage and screen industries. Find out more here.
