Flying witches and full circle moments: Morgan Large on life after LIPA

Theatre & Performance Design graduate Morgan Large says the challenge of re-inventing Wicked inspired one of his most innovative designs.

The award-winning set and costume designer recently worked on a new production of the show in São Paulo – which in turn led to an international tour.

As part of our 30th anniversary celebrations, we caught up with Morgan to talk about reimagining one of the world’s most recognisable musicals, the design he’s most proud of, and memories of LIPA.

Recently you've been set and costume designer for the Wicked International Tour. What was that experience like?

That came about after a producer from Brazil came to see one of my shows playing in the West End, he liked what they saw, and they asked me if I would like to work on a brand-new production of Wicked in São Paulo in 2023.  Being such an iconic show, and this before the movies came out, everyone has an image in their minds of what Wicked the show looks like, so it sounded like a daunting prospect.  I spoke to the director who was keen to explore the darker themes in the piece, and to really experiment with how else the story can be told.  So, for that reason I said yes pretty quickly as I believed we could really shake up the show and give it a real fresh spin.

One of the design challenges I set myself was the moment in the show where Boq turns into the Tin Man. I was keen to work out how we could do this live in front of the audience.  The result would incorporate every single department from costume, props, lighting and including an illusionist, and required detailed work from each of those departments but was a fantastic collaboration.  The composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz came to work with us on the show and absolutely loved the outcome - so that was a very proud moment.

We were also the first production to fly Elphaba through the audience during the song Defying Gravity which gives the audience an intimate yet thrilling perspective on her character's journey at that point. 

That production did incredibly well, it broke box office records for its time in Brazil.  During that run, a different set of producers came to see it, liked what they saw, and picked it up. Our latest production opened last November in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and is currently on an international tour visiting places like Dubai and Mumbai. It was a real challenge and honour to recreate such a beloved show, and I’m so thrilled with how it has been received.

Is there a set or costume that you’ve worked on that you are particularly proud of, and why?

The one that initially springs to mind was when I designed Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium back in 2019. 

When I was at school, we used to visit the West End to see hit shows of the time, and the first show I ever saw was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium starring Jason Donovan as Joseph. This was back in 1992. It was strange 30 years later to end up designing my own version of Joseph, at the London Palladium, also starring Jason Donovan, this time as Pharaoh! It felt like a full circle moment. 

What piece of advice would you give to an up-and-coming designer?

You’ve got to really want to do it, as it’s a lifestyle over a job. I still wake up every morning and want to go to my studio every day. I feel so fortunate to be able to create something new every day. Saying that, it takes a long time to design a show, so you have to be prepared to put the hours in to deliver a show to the quality that I’m happy with. So, before making that first step you must make sure your heart is really in it.  

An important factor about the job is about nurturing relationships. I’m very lucky to have worked with a lot of the same people over and over for the past few years, some of whom I met at LIPA. I’m lucky that people have taken me along with them on their own creative journeys. We’ve learned together about each other’s personalities, tastes and skills along the way. That’s a special part of this industry, as these collaborations often turn into proper friendship.

What was your favourite moment from your time at LIPA?

I will never forget the excitement of turning up on my first day. I instantly felt at home and thought ‘these are my people’. You’d go down a corridor, or to the bar, and it just felt like the place was alive with vibrant people who are all in the same boat of being nervous but excited as to what the future could hold. I’ve never forgotten that feeling.