Troilus and Cressida opens in the Globe Theatre on 26 September 2025. Directed by Owen Horsley, Shakespeare’s scathing satire is gearing up to be a production of glamour, glitz, filth and decay. Designer Ryan Dawson Laight spoke to Saamkyu Smart, Globe Marketing Officer, ahead of the show to share his sketches and ideas before they come to life on stage.

What is the world of this production? How did you and Owen Horsley come up with the concept?

We enter the play seven years into the Trojan War, and we have two contrasting worlds. One is the Greek camp, which is a world that is entirely breaking down. Our soldiers are damaged and diseased. The world is very masculine, out of shape, it’s dark, it’s damp. The world of Troy that we’ve conjured up is a kind of tarnished Last Vegas. It’s athletic and overblown. It’s presented through the lens of social media and celebrity culture. And the energy in that world is bright and at times really camp!

Owen has had this in his mind for a long time. Everything I am working on is about unpacking his thoughts and creating a world of Owen’s wild ideas in line with my own aesthetic. We’ve worked together before on similar projects that are often fun, sometimes queer – it’s always had an energy about it that feels unexpected.

What were your main inspirations or references for the designs?

We’ve been looking at social media, particularly in relation to the façade that people present. We’ve also looked at celebrity culture and how celebrities appear in the eyes of the people. One of our biggest inspirations has been game shows and that feeling of winning, such as in ITV’s Gladiators.

How will the contrast between Greece and Troy look on stage?

There is real fun to be had in the world of Troy because we’re creating Helen of Troy to be this huge star and around her will be a frenzy of people who work for her and admire her. We’re looking at celebrity culture, merchandise, branding, logos, advertising, and propaganda. The way we tie them back into the Greek world is that there will be moments where something that once felt shiny, such as soldiers’ uniforms, will take a real battering. We may see a faded ‘I heart Helen’ t-shirt in the Greek camp. Whilst Troy is going to be this shiny Vegas-esque world, we’re also interested in the bleakness surrounding it, which allows us to come back into the world that we’re creating for the Greek camp.

Can you tell us about the set and how this will be constructed?

In the middle of the stage will be part of a damaged Trojan statue under construction. It once stood tall and grand, and is now a fragile, shattered symbol of a fleeting power. This part of a statue that is broken down and allows us to play with the idea of what looks shiny on the outside is actually damaged and falling apart. We’re able to show both worlds in this set piece.

Helen of Troy is a significant character in the story. Can you tell us about the ‘cult of Helen’ that you’re creating and how you’re showing this on stage?

I’m currently sat at my desk and I’m trying to imagine a version of Helen. Helen in our story is a huge star – she is about to release her number one single. Audiences should definitely look out for that on stage!

I’m also excited about this gladiatorial moment where our Trojan warriors appear; we’re hoping to get the whole Globe into the idea that our gladiators have arrived and are winning with the voice of the Trojan propaganda machine led by Helen.

All the men of Troy will enter wearing giant gold Trojan muscle suits. I’m very excited to see this built. We will also see the men zip in and out of them – bringing in that idea that they are just like all of us but by putting on this suit of armour people believe that they are more than men and capable of winning the war.

Troilus and Cressida, directed by Owen Horsley, plays from 26 September – 26 October 2025 in the Globe Theatre.

FINIS.