TWICE-BORN

Scottish Ballet Production, by Dickson Mbi [2023]

Set Design by Ruby Law

Twice-Born is a groundbreaking Scottish Ballet commission by Olivier-Award-winning choreographer and renowned dancer Dickson Mbi. Mbi draws inspiration from ancient parables to create an epic narrative set in another world where matriarchal figures are sacrificed and reborn.

The set unfolds as a dynamic, fractured mountainous landscape that transforms throughout the performance. Shifting formations, levitating elements, and hidden details revealed under specific lighting contribute to its immersive quality.

At its heart stands a large, hand-sculpted sculpture that serves as both a physical and symbolic foundation. Drawing on influences from my travels in Peru, I incorporate stone-stacking elements traditionally used as wayfinding symbols to evoke resilience and hope.

Conceived as a living, breathing environment rather than a static backdrop, the set design interacts with the dancers to reinforce themes of transformation and ritual. Meticulous technical planning ensures the set is visually arresting and adaptable for touring, with lightweight materials and specialised lighting techniques creating the illusion of floating stones and dynamic shifts at pivotal moments.

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“ It boasts a jaw-dropping design from Ruby Law: a vast mountain and a stage strewn with boulders.” - The Stage

“ An impressive set, designed by Ruby Law, adds a degree of intensity to the atmosphere of the piece.” - Theatre Scotland

“ It’s a big piece, with a huge, impressive set designed by Ruby Law.” - The Reviews Hub

“ Ruby Law’s set design was a character in itself—a craggy rockface adorned with hidden runes, illuminated by Jessica Hung Han Yun’s evocative UV lighting.” - The Live Review

“ The set, by Ruby Law, is terrific, adding menace, and a sense that the earth itself will always overpower the insignificant beings who inhabit it.” - Seeing Dance

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Photography Credit: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan & Andy Ross