Creating the Chaos

The world of Torch The Place doesn’t simply sit in the background, it breathes, shifts, and quietly asserts itself as an undeniable presence. Described as the production’s “sixth character,” Jeremy Allen’s set and costume design transforms the Bille Brown Theatre into a living, layered environment that pulses with memory, history, and meaning.

Comprising more than 500 individual props, the set is a meticulously constructed chaos: a hoarder’s castle overflowing with relics, references, and supposed “treasures”. Every surface is crowded, yet nothing feels accidental. Instead, the design reveals a careful hand—each object considered, placed, and integrated with precision so that, despite the apparent disorder, the stage never feels overwhelming or impenetrable.

Photography by Georgia Haupt

Allen reflects, "I would describe myself as a bit of a minimalist – I’ve always hated clutter, and I’m fairly unsentimental when it comes to objects. So, designing the set for a ‘hoarder house’ is a bit of a personal nightmare – but an incredibly exciting challenge to tackle.

Torch The Place is totally, utterly bonkers. It’s a demanding script, particularly for scenic design - I can confidently say I’ve never read a script with such huge needs when it comes to props, and then also have such incredibly specific prop detail. Not only is it a ‘hoarder’ house, but it also has to contain several very specific objects and elements and ‘tricks’, all that need to be revealed in a particular order - and then also create space for these surreal sequences or exterior moments outside of the house - it’s a figurative (and literal) mountain of junk to climb."

"Really at its core though, it’s a space that feels cluttered and disorganised and chaotic that can then be stripped back and made tidy. So - we began by looking at ways we could create order amongst the chaos, and then find ways to remove it. Once we landed on the idea of these movable junk towers, it became a bit of a choreography game for Ngọc and the cast - working out ways to get things moved where we need them, open up space and create stage images for the moments of magic realism, and then leave the space. There’s also an Everest of paperwork done by our amazing Stage Management team to track almost every single prop, even down to the incidental ones - every bit of paper, every scrap."

"Stylistically, it’s an injection of pure nostalgia - the idea that this house is more than just full of junk, but full of memory - every item should look like it has its own story, a raison d’etre. There’s a heightened feel to everything too - the colours are brighter, the patterns clash - all these elements help with making the space feel busy and chaotic, but also cohesive. There’s an overall design language, in part inspired by '90s cartoons and sitcoms, that I hope gives the show its own kind of visual identity and feel."

Jeremy Allen
Set and Costume Designer