Romeo & Juliet at the Court Theatre Lighting effects

The set is amazing; large pillars set on diagonal lines receding into the background; There will be pictures. Up-stage and stage right the backgrounds change - you may wonder how it happens so quickly; There are cafe curtains, flickering candles and  a fountain/ a religious art work/ a statue of Jesus. These changes are done using a scrim [gauze] - here is some information about how that works.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN2kd-TJARU

A scrim or gauze is a very light textile made from cotton, or sometimes flax. It is lightweight and translucent...Scrims have also seen extensive use in theatre. The variety used for special effects is properly called sharkstooth scrim. 

Scrims both reflect and transmit light. This means that if a light from a front-of-house position is shone at a scrim, then both the scrim and everything behind it will be lit. This can lead to a variety of interesting effects:

• A scrim will appear entirely opaque if everything behind it is unlit and the scrim itself is grazed by light from the sides or from above.
• A scrim will appear nearly transparent if a scene behind it is lit, but there is no light on the scrim.
• A dreamy or foggy look can be achieved by lighting a scene entirely behind a scrim.
• If a light with a gobo is aimed at a scrim, the image will appear on the scrim, but also any objects behind the scrim will be lit by the pattern as well.

In general, anything that is lit will be seen on both sides of a scrim: scrims do not absorb light. Scrim can also be used in theatre in combination with a cyclorama or backdrop. The idea is similar to the other uses. When the drop is lit (or images or video are rear-projected onto the back of the drop), the images or colours projected are visible. However, when the drop is not lit, the images or colours will disappear. A scrim can also help dull the image, creating a greater sense of depth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrim_(material)