When you put a conveyer belt on the stage, people often say things like; Why did they do that? I think the more appropriate question is; Why wouldn't you do that? English audiences are very suspicious of set design, they feel it is too tricksy, an add on, a bit of frou frou. I heard several complaints as I left the theatre after watching 'The Trial' at the Young Vic (all, I observed, from middle aged men and women, though don't ask me to reflect on this) about the set and the costumes. 'What was the point?', 'Too weird', 'What's wrong with just normal theatre and normal staging?' Were there similar comments being made after the introduction of the revolving stage in Les Miserable? I don't know, I wasn't there, but maybe.
