For this version of Sophocles’ Philoctetes , I wanted to interrogate the overarching theme of environmental injustice. Instead of a polluted island, this design places the
audience at the bottom of a vast storm drain. In this bleak, industrial landscape, the cave that Philoctetes inhabits is transformed into a drainpipe full of rushing black water. This setting seeks to confront our collective response to crises, our responsibilities and attitude toward waste, and unfair social hierarchies that determine who suffers first.

The science fiction aspect of this design is influenced by Robert Silverberg’s The Man in The Maze (1969), a version of Philoctetes which has a heavy focus on disability injustice and architectural barriers. Like in Silverberg’s maze, Philoctetes’ isolation is emphasised through the precarious scaffolding and steep metal ledge, central to the design. By making himself intentionally difficult to access, he has created emotional distance and a looming sense of danger. Despite this, the platform itself should be easily accessible to performers from backstage.