A Very Expensive Poison, 2024. A part tragic biography and political satire about the poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko. These puppets are a satirical take on Yeltsin, Brezhnev and Gorbachev, Three Russian political figures that opposed Putin's rise in power until they were suppressed by his increasing control over the police and media. Their designs were always meant to be quite comedic in nature, so their primary function was just to babble and wave their arms up and down. They were created in collaboration with the costume department, workshop made the mechanism and look, and costume gave them their suits.
Image by: Drew Echberg
Set and Prop Designer: Jonel Factor
Workshop Head of Department: Sara Bayley
Workshop Assistants: Natalie Lau, Georgia Formosa
Costume Assistant: Jamie Garcia
Everybody, 2024. Natalie created the costume pieces for The Four Virtues, Strength, Beauty, Mind, and Senses. In 'Everybody' the protagonist is chosen at random and is confronted with Death, the inevitability and also the character. These Four Virtues with their gaudy gold collars, belts and arm guards, and their very on-the-nose symbol appliqués , represent how at the end of a life, Strength, Beauty, Mind and Senses will leave you.
Image by: Drew Echberg
Costume Designer: Charlie Lee
Costume Assistants: Natalie Lau, Georgia Formosa, Madison Lu
Everybody, 2024. Death is a character in this morality play, they give the protagonist a time limit at the start of the play and shows up at the end to collect their due. They are inevitable, they are death, but they are also very strange and abstract as most characters are in the show. Natalie made the hats for Death. Specifically, the crows that live on top of Death's hats. Crows are often seen as omens of death, so it was natural that Death the character would have them around. Natalie made two birds out of recycled fabrics, even using twigs from the campus for the beak. Ironically, despite being death's companions, they are quite life-like.
Image by: Amanda Hitten
Costume Designer: Charlie Lee
Costume Assistant: Natalie Lau
Attempts On Her Life, 2025. Attempts On Her Life is a post dramatic play that tells stories of an absent character named Anne, or Anny, or Annie, who exists in a disjointed and cruel world. The prop seen here is a chainsaw, created out of a real broken chainsaw body and a blade made of wood and foam. It's featured in a scenario that starts as a car advertisement and ends more in a misogynistic and racist rant. The Anny chainsaw is deliberately phallic and the Tesla font is entirely intentional.
Image by: Drew Echberg
Set and Prop Designer: David Wotherspoon
Workshop Head of Props: Natalie Lau
Workshop Assistant: Toby Vasilić
Watch On The Rhine, 2025. In the Farrelly's vast and wealthy living room is a faberge egg. They are a rich family in Washington, America, who are still removed from the realities of WW2 until they are forcefully awoken by events that follow the reintroduction of their daughter and her family. This egg symbolises the wealthy bubble that they were comfortable in. It was 3D printed and extra elements were sculpted by Grace Hicks. Painted and decorated meticulously by Natalie Lau.
Image by: Gregory Lorenzutti
Set and Prop Designer: Emma Ashton
Workshop Head of Department: Natalie Lau
Workshop Assistant: Grace Hicks
Watch On The Rhine, 2025. The Farrelly living room is full of disjointed yet ornate furniture from the past, a room full of class and taste. This was set that was created out of the Designer Emma Ashton's vision. The audience is sat intimately within the living room, following along as the family goes through their trials and tribulations. With set items borrowed from MTC and many found from inside op shops. Natalie made sure to closely follow the design and kept each element within the story of the world.
Image by: Gregory Lorenzutti
Set and Prop Designer: Emma Ashton
Workshop Head of Department: Natalie Lau

Natalie Lau is a set, props and costume maker based in Naarm/Melbourne. They are a passionate craftsperson who draws inspiration from the textures and materials of everyday life. They strive to create work that feels alive, honest, and deeply human. Natalie thrives in collaborative environments, valuing the power of working as a collective to create art. Their credits at the VCA include Costume Assistant for ‘Everybody’ and ‘The Bank’, and Workshop Assistant for ‘A Very Expensive Poison’ in 2024. As well as Head of props for 'The Other Shore' and 'Attempts on her life', and Head of Department for 'Watch On The Rhine'