Midnight Mole

We were commissioned by the lovely people over at The Egg – Bath Theatre Royal, to create an Illustration for their Christmas Play 'Midnight Mole'.

The show is to feature puppetry and is loosely based on Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard. Our brief, to create a moonlit image that conveyed fun, adventure, music and dance.

The Logline

The cherry orchard is Madame Ranevsky’s favourite place and tonight she’s saying goodbye to it one last time before moving house. Under the light of the silvery moon, she plays with her nocturnal friends before Midnight Mole bursts from his mound to join her. With a fascination for found objects, Mole leads her on an adventure of rediscovery, above and below ground, which allows her to see her orchard afresh and embark on her new journey.

A heart-warming, moon-dancing adventure from the creative team behind Snow Mouse (with a nod to Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard) full of puppetry and music.

Our initial thoughts

• An orchard in the moonlight, brings thoughts of earthy tones, along with blues from the moonlight or oranges from sunset.
• Maybe whites along with very subtle pink hues could be used (sparingly).
• Illustration to be magical – an image you would want to spend time in.
• Ethereal, halation, brights and darks.
• Playful imagery
• Paper textures – water colour paper also water colour style design elements
• Bold shapes would work well as this would be representational of children’s illustrative design. Maybe silhouettes – of Mole &Madame Ranevsky dancing in the moonlight, under the cover of the cherry orchard.
• This feels like a landscape design, a glimpse into the cherry orchard from a wide. Maybe a pivotal scene – Madame Ranevsky and the Midnight Mole dancing under the star. Dreamlike, magical.

Outcome

The 'Midnight Mole'illustration presents a charming scene under the moon's glow. Here, the mole is depicted with subtle grace, its fur blending into the night's canvas. The surrounding garden is hinted at with gentle strokes, suggesting a world alive with nocturnal whispers and secrets. This piece offers a glimpse into the mole's quiet adventures, where magic is felt rather than seen, inviting the imagination to wander in the soft lunar light.

Find out more about the production here:Midnight Mole — Theatre Royal Bath