5 minutes with designer Frankie Bradshaw

Designing the set and costumes for Starter for Ten has been a delight...

We’ve been able to really immerse ourselves in the world of the 1980s, and in particular a 1980s’ television studio.

The story of Brian Jackson and his fledgling years at university take us to many different locations, so we decided we needed a framing device to hold all these different places. 

We use the image of a television studio, which we come to realise is in fact the University Challenge television studio as the backdrop to all locations, in front of which we create sit-com style sets from furniture, moving flattage and doors to create all the other places we visit along the way, until finally we arrive at the Challenge studio properly.

It’s been great fun delving into the fashion dos and don’ts of the 1980s as well. Big hair, shoulder pads, loud patterns, it’s all there...

...along with a good helping of academia and geeky students! 

I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I’ve loved designing it!

Frankie Bradshaw, Set & Costume Designer, Starter for Ten

Starter for Ten plays 29 Feb – 30 Mar