Defining Props
Props are vital to any production, and theatre sets would not be the same without them. Here at Keeley Hire, we stock a vast array of props and set pieces which can be hired at reasonable prices to enhance your production without the hassle of hiring storage space. There are often arguments amongst some artistic directors and set designers as to what constitutes a prop. There seem to be many different opinions on which parts of a set are props and which are not. Most of us would agree that a book or a mobile phone used on the stage is a prop but disagreement occurs when a piece of furniture such as a shelf or a cabinet is referred to as a prop. Some people believe that furnishings are not props, but are in fact design settings.
In reality, it does not matter how we refer to these things. Each item in its own way is a prop. It does not matter whether the item in question can be picked up and used or whether it is a stationary piece of background furniture; it is still a prop which has been placed on stage with a purpose to either further the plot or make it more realistic. It does not matter much whether you would like to refer to them as props or part of the set; the objective remains the same. The props set the desired scene and help the actors and the audience to believe the drama unfolding before them.
