The Design

As the audience enters the theatre it will appear as though they are entering a cave. The outside of the theatre will be disguised by rock formations and inside will be more rock formations covered in graffiti with phrases such as "Rats Rule!" The set is a German medieval town in a cartoon style with the suggestion of a mountain range in the background. There are three separate ‘buildings' on stage: a town hall, a stall and a pub and a large performance space centre stage with room for dance and movement. A tall memorial statue with some peculiar writing on its plaque is on stage. There is something strange about it - could it be alive?

The costumes are mostly of medieval design, excluding the girl and boy who will wear modern clothing. The pied piper will wear a costume as described by the Robert Browning poem, "His queer long coat from heal to head was half of yellow and half of red." And "a scarf of red and yellow stripe, and at the scarf's end hang a pipe." The rat's costumes consists of dark pants and shirt with ears and a tail, though some rats will also wear more detailed costume to assist in defining their character. Cool Rat will wear baggy pants and a bandana and ballerina and lifesaver rats, among others, will also be making an appearance.