Puck and the love-struck young royals had to roll and tumble through the woods, Hans and I felt. So, how could the floor roll? I already knew: the entire stage had to consist of balls, small ones and large ones! A wonderful environment of black and white balls that leaves no room for security or certainty.

I thought of Raimondo Soto, the South American artist who experimented with Op Art. He stretched strings in front of a grey painted surface, and when you looked at it, the whole image would start to vibrate with an almost stroboscopic effect, like when a bright light rapidly blinks on and off.

Then, suddenly, I had it! From the fly loft, where the backdrops and valences are traditionally hung, I would let thousands of white cotton threads hang at intervals of a few centimeters. Hanging four or five of these ‘walls of threads’ about a meter apart would create a ‘forest’ through which the lovers could move with a stroboscopically magical effect.