Possessions (2026)

Set & Props Design

When twins Annie and Laurie return home after their grandmother’s funeral, old memories and uneasy spirits surface. Joined by Annie’s partner Matt and family friend Vera, a night of drinking and childhood games awakens something ancient beneath the floorboards. Blending psychological thriller, domestic drama, dark comedy and ghost story, this gripping premiere explores inheritance, belief, and the weight of unchosen legacies. How do we live with the past when it refuses to stay buried?

Shay designed the heightened realist set with it’s high, vaulted spider-like structures and late Victorian era styling, along with the mechanisms for a variety of supernatural effects such as magically reappearing chalk, mysterious cracks in the walls, magic candles that self-light and extinguish, and sudden jump scares. He also designed the set dressing and props, including weapons with hidden blood effects, a complex and lived-in dressing for the space, and personalised furniture that tell the story of an old house, lived in and passed down through generations. He also did the scenic art for the basement stairs area and wallpaper, and sourced the props and set items such as the furniture, chandelier, and fireplace.