This production of Richard III was a new adaptation by dramaturg Lindsay Fleck and under the direction of Keeley Stanley-Bohn. This production had a focus on the paranormal and death. It was symbolic of the way that death haunts and stalks Richard through his violent rise to power. So, the sound design reflected this supernatural, other worldly quality. Each death is marked by a Death Knell, the traditional way of announcing deaths in Richard's time. By having those sounds follow him around after each murder he orchestrates, it lasts as a looming reminder that his death knell, the final one, is also coming. As well as that, I utilized atmosphere soundscapes to emphasize each of the murder scenes, which were added in the adaptation as they occur off-stage in the original. Various other easter eggs to death and supersitions around it are also featured in the sound design, such as the thunderstrike at the beginning, which was programmed to only play from the left speaker, referencing the superstion that thunder from the east fortold great bloodshed coming.
For this production, the director and dramaturg were very focused on the repeating theme of death. For each of the major death scenes in the show, I created a unique soundscape to emphasize that scene, while also reminding the audience of the atmosphere and dread of the upcoming death of so many characters. While each sound has unique characteristics, it was also important to me that they sounded cohesive. As such, each sound you'll notice has the sound of wind and a subtle drone to fill out the