Set Dressing on Time Bandits

You can watch Time Bandits on Apple TV

For about nine months over 2022-23 I worked as the Assistant Set Decorator (to Kathryn Lim) on the Time Bandits TV series. My role involved a lot of research into the set dressing details of the places the bandits visited across the globe and throughout the ages — looking at lighting, furniture, wall coverings, and all the little details that make each era feel authentic. It was fascinating and I learned so much.

As I am making this post quite some time after the release of the series, I can safely say (without breaching my contract), that while I had a hand in most of the sets, the one I feel I contributed to the most was the Goth House. Set in Bingley in 1991 in a squatted Victorian mansion, it was full of worn carpets, peeling wallpaper, old furniture, and DIY band posters. We even photographed crew members in costume to populate the walls — it was a lot of fun bringing that space to life.

The show is based on Terry Gilliam’s 1981 film Time Bandits, directed by Gilliam, and the TV adaptation was co-created by Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, and Iain Morris.
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Working on this project was fast-paced and challenging, but incredibly rewarding — seeing all the sets come together was a real thrill.