Set crews prepare the stage to support a 7,000 gallon pool of water.

We've now been rehearsing for two weeks, and I am balancing costume fittings with spending time in the rehearsal room, something which I really like to do. It’s great to be on hand to answer the questions that the actors might have about the set or their clothes, and also to work closely with Josie on the shape and feel of the scenes.

The set for Macbeth was removed from the theatre the day after the final performance, and the main aim for us this week is to get the structure which supports the large pool in place. 7,000 gallons of water is extremely heavy, and it will take until the weekend to prepare for its arrival...

We are asking unending questions about how the water will affect the clothes (every single item of which has been handmade by the wardrobe department), although it is very hard to predict the effect it will have. Part of my excitement about the water is bound up in the idea that these garments will get water-marked over time, that the dye may run slightly on some of the patterns, that the water will erode and react with the fabric. This will make them feel more used and real. However we do want to be in control of this to some degree! This is an issue which affects the wig department as well, and we have to consider how hair will look when it is both wet and dry, and whether we can actually have some fun with structured Elizabethan hairstyles that fall apart when they get wet.