‘Sounds of Music’: The art of lighting a musical

By Tony Okuyeme

A musical comes alive when music, performance and stagecraft work together to draw an audience into its world. In The Sound of Music, staged at National Theatre on 10th June, 2023. the story of Maria and the von Trapp family unfolds through song, movement and the changing atmosphere of the stage.

From the solemnity of the Abbey to the strict order of the Captain’s household, the production creates contrasting worlds that gradually give way to warmth, affection and renewed freedom.

Rewritten by Kunle Enilolobo and directed by Ugochukwu Victor, the musical follows Maria, played by Tinuoluwa Fakorede, a young woman whose lively personality and love of music set her apart from the quiet discipline of convent life. Sent to serve as governess to the seven children of Captain Georg, played by Thomas Daniel, she enters a household where grief has hardened into strict routine.

The Captain’s military approach to raising his children leaves little room for playfulness, but Maria gradually challenges that atmosphere, introducing music and affection into a home that has forgotten how to express either.

What makes the production engaging is the opportunity to watch this transformation take place on stage. The contrast between Maria’s warmth and the Captain’s rigid authority gives the performers a clear emotional dynamic to explore.

As the children gradually respond to Maria’s influence, the atmosphere of the household begins to shift. Music becomes more than a series of songs; it becomes a means of expression, bringing the characters closer and allowing the audience to witness the family’s changing relationships through performance.

The songs are woven into the dramatic action, allowing the characters to express emotions that ordinary conversation might not fully capture. The combination of singing, acting and movement gives the story its theatrical energy, while the family’s gradual transformation provides an emotional thread that holds the production together.

The audience encounters the spiritual stillness of the Abbey, the disciplined atmosphere of the Captain’s home and the growing warmth that Maria introduces into the family. These environments must feel different, not only through the dialogue and performances, but also through the visual atmosphere surrounding them. This is where the production’s lighting becomes particularly significant.

In theatre, lighting can do far more than make a stage visible. It can establish a world, alter the mood of a scene and influence how an audience feels about what is unfolding before them.

Oyeyiola Mary Oyeyilola’s lighting design does this flawlessly. The use of warm amber tones in the Abbey scenes creates an atmosphere of reverence and tranquillity, The effect supports the solemnity of the setting while giving Maria’s early scenes a sense of spiritual calm. Rather than serving simply to illuminate the performers, the lighting helps establish the emotional character of the space.

The cooler blues and stark whites associated with the Captain’s household create a different impression. Against the warmth of the Abbey, these tones lend the home a more restrained and austere atmosphere, complementing the Captain’s rigid approach to family life. The visual contrast gives the audience another way to experience the difference between the environments, reinforcing what the performances communicate about the characters and their circumstances.

What makes these choices especially effective is their relationship with the story’s emotional progression. The Captain’s home is shaped by grief, discipline and a desire for control, while Maria gradually introduces a more affectionate and expressive way of living.

As the family dynamic changes, the atmosphere surrounding the action becomes an important part of how the audience experiences that shift. Lighting helps establish the initial emotional distance and supports the contrast with the warmth that gradually emerges through the performances.

Oyeyilola’s contribution demonstrates how lighting can strengthen a theatrical production without drawing attention away from the actors. Its colours and tonal contrasts support the director’s interpretation, complement the stage environment and help establish the mood of individual scenes. These choices allow the visual presentation to work alongside the music and performances, creating a more cohesive experience for the audience.

The wider achievement of the production lies in the collaboration between its creative elements. Tinuoluwa Fakorede’s portrayal of Maria gives the character’s warmth and spirited nature a human presence, while Thomas Daniel’s Captain provides a contrasting expression of authority and emotional restraint. The music carries the story forward, and the staging gives these performances a shared environment in which their relationships can develop. Within this combination, Oyeyilola’s  lighting helps define the atmosphere in which the audience encounters each moment.

Ultimately, The Sound of Music offers an engaging theatrical journey from emotional restraint towards connection, joy and renewed hope. Its familiar story finds expression through the immediacy of live performance, where music, acting and stagecraft work together to bring the characters’ experiences before an audience.

Oyeyilola’s lighting design is a notable part of that achievement, using colour and atmosphere to reinforce the production’s emotional contrasts and enrich its visual presentation.