When director Peter Wilson approached Studio Bound to design Varuna for Taman Safari Indonesia, the brief was Indonesia’s first underwater theatrical dining experience — environments that transform between oceanic realms while audiences eat, watch live performance, and move between the two simultaneously.
The production follows a young prince discovering his destiny beneath the waves. Production designer Patrick Larsen’s challenge was building worlds that feel genuinely submerged without using a single drop of water.
Projection as Ocean
Large-scale projection mapping creates the illusion of being underwater throughout the entire space. The central deity figure — massive, translucent, appearing to float — becomes the visual anchor. Blue light washes the full environment, creating depth that extends beyond the physical stage boundaries.
The scenic architecture frames the projection rather than competing with it. Palm-frond columns with decorative capitals create theatrical structure while maintaining sightlines from all angles. These are practical scenic elements that performers interact with physically, but designed to read as underwater temple ruins — the present-day built structure and the imagined underwater world occupying the same visual space simultaneously.
The Dragon Proscenium and Multiple Realms
The signature scenic element is a dragon proscenium — two massive sea dragons forming an archway that frames the entire stage. The dragons are sculptural elements with dimensional detail: scales, fins, organic curves. Their lighting shifts colour temperature between scenes, moving from cool blues in underwater sequences to warm ambers when the narrative surfaces to the above-water world.
The production requires transitions between underwater and surface environments. Studio Bound designed a village setting that contrasts with the aquatic sequences through warm lighting and architectural forms suggesting land-based civilisation. Modular scenic houses suspended at different heights give performers vertical movement. The moon projection serves as both lighting source and narrative symbol — the visual threshold between the two worlds.
Production Design for Theatrical Dining
Unlike conventional theater, Varuna’s audiences are seated at dining tables throughout the entire performance. Every production design decision had to account for this. Scenic elements are positioned to create focal points that read from all sides of the space. The dragon proscenium functions as architectural framing regardless of seating position. Projection surfaces are visible from 360 degrees.
The theatrical dining format also meant lighting had to serve two functions simultaneously: creating atmospheric immersion for performance while providing adequate illumination for dining service. These are not always the same requirement, and the design had to accommodate both without compromising either.
What Aquatic Production Design Taught Studio Bound
Aquatic-themed production design requires constant attention to colour temperature. Too much blue becomes visually monotonous quickly. Modulating with greens, teals, and purples — expanding the underwater palette beyond the obvious — is what keeps the illusion alive across a 90-minute experience.
Projection mapping underwater environments works best when layered with physical scenic elements. Flat projection reads as flat. Add hanging canopy elements, sculptural scenic pieces, and atmospheric fog, and the depth becomes genuinely convincing. Theatrical dining experiences need different pacing from conventional theater — audiences are multitasking throughout, and the production design has to create immersion without demanding constant attention from every viewer.
Patrick Larsen is an Emmy Award-winning production designer and the founder of Studio Bound, based in Singapore. Over two decades, he has designed environments for global audiences — from the Expo 2020 Dubai ceremonies and Olympic broadcast sets to Las Vegas residencies, Broadway-scale theatrical productions, and permanent installations across Asia and the Middle East. Studio Bound takes projects from concept to build with one fully integrated team of designers, concept artists, technical drafters, and production managers. Visit studiobound.sg or read more at patricklarsen.studio
Further reading: Designing Varuna: Building Indonesia's First Underwater Theatre | Studio Bound: A Decade of Work Across Five Continents
