School of Performance Productions 2012: Razzle!

So seeing as I'd worked on 3/4 performances of the autumn/winter term at AUCB I thought I should probably cross the last one off the list and add a full compliment of shows to my experience. This turned out to be a good decision, as everyone who wasn't on the making team for the show On The Razzle seemed to shun all further responsibility after their own shows, meaning this last one was a bit left in the lurch.

It was going to be a bit of challenge as this show had quite a few actors doubling up roles, with quite quick changes between the two, including a character change from a waiter to a distinguished older lady in about 3 minutes, and then from the woman into a young boy in about 6 minutes! It was really good experience to be involved in quick changes, and it was also a good way of getting to know the actors quite quickly. The team had a really good system put together after a few rehearsals for the quick changes, and by the final night the actors were almost twiddling their thumbs backstage waiting to go on after their changes....almost. The dressing room wasn't perhaps quite as organised as for previous shows but this didn't stop us from getting everyone dressed in their costumes on time, and everyone looked really smart and absolutely beautiful.

This term has really opened my eyes to new experiences and I've learnt so much. I know this is a cliche and everyone says it, but I really have! My work was finished more quickly than ever before, but also to a higher standard. I've worked the longest days I've ever done at university this term but all for a good cause. I've seen how a show works from the initial design phase right up until closing night, and have been involved in every single phase, albeit not all on the same show. Roll on EMP and the last projects I'm going to do at uni.



Terrified and so excited all in one.

School of Performance Productions 2012: Cementville

The third show, at the end of November, was Cementville, a show dominated by its cast of female wrestling characters. The costume I made was for one of these such characters; a performance costume of 'Tiger's called Bloody Mary. 

The design, a wrestling performance costume, by Natassia Green (Level 6 CwPD student), was not that complicated in terms of its basic construction. I used a pattern made up by CwPD tutor Mark Dexter for the lycra bodysuit. The complicated part was the application of the design. I spent ages putting samples together for the applique of the red diamonds, and had to cut two layers of lycra for the entire bodysuit to accommodate the 680 eyelets punched through the costume.

The finished costume looks perfect on the actress. It helped her to bring her character alive and it really stands out against the filthy, grimy backdrop of the set, and is quite different from all the other costumes. I was really pleased with the outcome, considering I had never worked with stretch fabric before, and would be able to tackle another project using similar fabric with much more confidence. The show was a refreshing contrast to the fairly traditional shows which had gone previously, and I really relished the opportunity to work on something completely new and different. 

School of Performance Productions 2012: Canterbury Tales

I didn't specifically make anything for the second show, but seeing as I was on track with my work for the third show I chipped in to help with the production week. The supervisor was keen to have a solid, reliable team of dressers, and seeing as I had been unable to dress on the previous show I thought it would be good experience to give it a go. It was a particularly easy show to dress as the only real strain was getting everyone in the cast ready at the same time before the start of the show and after the interval. Apart from that there were no changes as the entire cast were on stage for the whole of each half.

I learnt a lot dressing on this show; the importance of last minute checks as things change easily between the dressing room and the theatre, and the importance of pretty much continuous ironing to keep everyone looking smart and well dressed. Keeping a tidy dressing room was crucial to ensure all the costumes were returned to their correct place on the hangers each night. All these are the sorts of things that wouldn't occur to you necessarily before working behind the scenes on a show.

Katie's incredibly well-organised wardrobe!

School of Performance Productions 2012: Much Ado

First making project this term was this bad boy - the character of Leonato for a new interpretation of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. It was set in the early 1900s British Raj in a fictional region of India.

The design for my costume by AUCB CwPD student Eleanor Bull - comprising of tangerine velvet jacket, purple silk sash, cream cotton dhoti and hat of the same fabric

Finished costume in situe - the AUCB SOP Studio Theatre - during the performance. The only change really visible from the design is the alternate side of the sash; a decision which was made to hide a couple of flaws in the velvet of the jacket (it looked like it had been ironed/squashed?) The designer also chose a trim to go about the raw edges of the dhoti to make them look smarter and highlight the character's importance in the status of the household. I think he looks mighty fine and very dashing!

I also constructed a second and third pair of dhoti for other characters in the show. The second pair were similar to those for Leonato but plain, but the third pair (shown above) were a different drape and much more decorated. I think they looked really beautiful, although they bared absolutely no resemblance to the original design. 

For the first show of the year, and the first acting production I've ever been involved in at AUCB from start to finish, I was really impressed with the outcome. Everything was beautiful, the costumes and the set, and the acting of course was truly impressive. The show was quite long but I was told by one of my colleagues who brought her 7 year old daughter that even she was hooked for the entire thing. This was the first of four shows, at the end of October 2012, and from then on there would be a snowball of show after show after show until the Christmas holidays!

The Blogger is Back

So I know it's been a while but the whole specialist historical construction has been on the back burners for this term whilst I've been frantically working on all 4 AUCB school of performance shows! I know! MENTAL! So I'm back now, after months of abandonment, to start up the whole shabang once more. In the next post I'll give you a flash of all the things I've been doing, but for now I'm going to update you on what I'm GOING to be doing.

So next term our big unit is called EMP!!!! (Which stands for Extended Major Project...and pretty much does what it says on the tin). For EMP!!!! I will be working (fingers crossed, waiting for confirmation) on the 1st year film unit Costume for Screen, making a costume for a principal character. The film is as yet to be confirmed and none of the script-writing, casting or designs have been done yet, but the general idea is Marie Antoinette. So I had in mind making something elaborate and fancy like this:

Or something a bit more simple like this:

This should occupy the second half of term from about March onwards. My original plans for the first half of the term were to make something like this:

From one of the Janet Arnold Patterns of Fashion books. But at my assessment presentation at the end of my most recent unit, when discussing the next project, it was decided that this might not be enough of a challenge for my final year, and that I could quite possibly achieve this in my own time. The Janet Arnold pattern that I have chosen instead of the 1800s riding habit is something altogether rather more complicated. Something a bit...well....like this:

Yup.
Gulp.

This beautiful specimen is an 1860s ivory silk wedding dress with three-tiered skirt and ivory silk flossing. This is not the actual example in the Janet Arnold book but is strikingly similar. I know the last pattern wasn't a challenge when looking at this one because of the level of skill which will have to go into making this. I am really interested in the history of wedding attire and this will aid my research and well as my understanding. It's also going to be a feat of skill just to keep the silk from getting dirty! It will challenge my abilities as a maker and I'm really looking forward to the challenge.

Production Photos

I've just come across some of the production photos for the show I was working on at the National, the Doctor's Dilemma, on their website! Unfortunately the photos published on the theatre website don't really show the costumes I made, but here's a couple of photos showing some of the things I worked on, which I am really pleased with:

A really gorgeous photo showing in detail the lace dress made by one of my colleagues at the theatre. The bit I'm interested in is the (slightly out of focus) shot of the maid 'Emmy' in the background, who I am proud to say is wearing the belt which I trimmed with brown braid and sewed the fastenings to! Not much, but something :)

Here, again, the little bit that I made for this costume is not very clear, but I did put some stitching with embroidery thread onto the belt that Genevieve (playing Jennifer Dubedat) is wearing! I promise I did. Even though you can't see it, I know it's there.

A Beautiful Day at the V&A Cont. - Ballgowns Exhibit

There was no photo-taking allowed at the next exhibit I visited, but I've managed to find some photos on the internet of the garments being worn in their original context. The ballgowns exhibition (British Glamour since the 1950s) was interestingly laid out according to colour, with different eras blending into each other; very contemporary designs alongside classical '50s shapes. Downstairs were the British classic designs, displayed on plain white mannequins with backdrops of the ornate paneling in Norfolk House. Upstairs the models were scattered under a domed atrium and the floor-space was adorned with over-sized pearl necklaces and fallen chandeliers. The layout was effortless, and perfect for such an exhibit. Here's a few highlights:

A fabulously '80s pink taffeta number worn by Joan Collins (left) in 1983, and Helen Mirren's 2007 Bafta dress (right) in fawn and ivory silk taffeta.

 A design by David and Elizabeth Emanuel (left), who made the wedding dress for Diana, Princess of Wales. This one a gown for Elizabeth Hurley worn in the Estee Lauder 'Pleasures' advertising campaign. An ethereal and soft white satin and flocked tulle gown by Vivienne Westwood (right) for Lady Bianca Job-Tyoran to wear to Queen Charlotte's ball in 1994.

There was also a fabulous collection of accessories including gloves in mustard, flame, crimson, rose, teal, indigo and olive, and shoes with impressive diamante and crystal detail on the heels and toes. All in all a fabulous glitzy, girly day and the V&A!

A Beautiful Day at the V&A - Fashion Exhibit

I love the V&A. In my opinion it's the best place for research and also the perfect place to spend and entire day. I never feel like I've wasted my time going there, and I always see something new and different even though I've been there so much. I hope to have a look at some of the archive stuff to research for my Extended Major Project at the end of Level 6 Costume. I went to look at the new and improved fashion exhibit, with clothing on show from the mid-1700s onwards. The new pressure and humidity chambers mean that more delicate and intricate examples of historical clothing can be put on show, and the new exhibit is beautifully laid out. I was really impressed, although obviously it's the V&A; it was unlikely to be unimpressive! So here's a few photos I took with a few comments on the new exhibit and things that I took away from my day there...

 Incredible late 1700s silk gown with a surprisingly modern-looking gold thread pattern. The proportions on this dress were ridiculous. The tiny bodice with narrow sleeves and quite short  stature really contrast with the incredible width of the skirt

 Stays - 1780-90, English, linen with leather, silk and whalebone

Hat - 1760-70, English, straw with silk and bobbin lace

 The first area you come across is the 1700s, with an incredible selection of really really old clothing and accessories. I loved the hats and the shoes they had on display; the colours were gorgeous and the details so intricate. Everything is also really tiny and the mannequins quite short. An interesting comment made by an equestrian costumier I was talking to recently was that the people weren't all that short and tiny. The costumes that survive are short and tiny because the wider and taller costumes had a larger volume of fabric in them, and were probably remodelled into new clothes over a period of time until they were worn through! Two world wars has resulted in quite a few bodices and jackets surviving, but very few skirts, as these were a valuable source of fabric!

 A really nice comparison between the 1700s and 1800s can be made between the two ivory and gold dresses in both exhibits. It shows a massive progression in technique of cutting and use of fabric, but a similar love for glitz and colour. Gold was, is, and will continue to be, a powerful eye-catching detail to stylish and fashionable clothes.

Corset - about 1830, English, cotton with whalebone and cord; Chemise - 1835, English, linen trimmed with cotton; Drawers - 1834, English, cotton; Sleeve support - 1825-30, English, cotton stuffed with feathers

The early 1800s are, appropriately, separated from the late 1800s as they are so incredibly different, so the next section you come across is the early section. Some gorgeous examples of the extremes clothing reached in this early period, in particular some really impressive sleeve shapes and shoulder lines. In each section there is also an example of the undergarments of the time, which is really interesting to see as they define the silhouettes of the garments. The bottom image on the right is particularly significant in terms of undergarments as there is a sleeve pad on the right arm of the mannequin, which held out the voluminous sleeves of the era. Having the undergarments as part of every exhibit emphasises how important they are when looking at historical garments, and when reconstructing history.

The following section is the late 1800s, showing examples of enormous skirts and narrow waists. It's really nice to see items such as these that are so familiar from the V&A 'Fashion in Detail' books.

This 1908 pale rose pink linen gown is carefully detailed in the Janet Arnold 'Patterns of Fashion' books. It is, again, really interesting to see actual examples of the garments noted in the books I have studied. 

The early 1900s is nicely represented by some beautiful examples of soft tailoring and some lovely lacework. 

I am typically a lover of historical fashion pre-WW1, and I don't tend to look that carefully at the fashion exhibits post-WW1, but at the V&A all the examples of historical fashion are so beautiful and shown so well, I found myself spending an uncharacteristic amount of time in the '40s, '50s and '60s! The women's tailoring from the '40s was lovely to see, juxtaposed with cardboard boxes on string which would have had gas masks in, and hard leather accessories. I struggle matching checks, stripes and patterns in tailoring, and these examples were immaculately matched. Obviously I shouldn't have expected any less, as these were high class examples of '40s fashion, but it's still impressive to see. Also exhibited were the understructures of '50s dress alongside the coat and skirt it would have been worn with. Again the understructure in this era defined the shape, and it was interesting to see how much it had moved on since the earlier periods. The really striking thing about the '60s exhibition space was how contemporary everything looked. The patterns, cuts, fabrics and embellishments would not have looked out of place in a modern shop. Just goes to show how history repeats itself, although possibly not to the extremes of corsets and crinolines....

Reflection

I have learnt so much whilst being at the National, and at the same time it has firmed up some things I think I already knew.

I've had a really positive experience. I feel like my work is good enough for the professional environment, I've seen some of the costumes I've made and helped to make on the real stage, and I've worked with a really nice group of people for 3 weeks and felt comfortable and settled really quickly. I now know that when I go into a professional working environment I can feel confident and comfortable with my work as soon as I get there. I know I need to work faster, but for now I know my costumes will not fall apart...

I've also learnt some things the hard way. The designers and surrounding company are not there to appreciate your costumes, and you will only hear from them if something is wrong. Also, commuting in London is difficult. Being on the tube is depressing, especially before the Olympics. Everyone looks tired and grey and bored. This often conduces low level rudeness. Bad times.

I really appreciate all the help and information I was given at the National, and I really hope they'll have me back one day. For now I'm going to work really hard to create beautiful costumes for my final show that are finished to a high standard. I am going to try to get as much work experience as possible with as many people as possible, and get my name around in the costume world.

I feel very privileged to already have, as they say, 'one foot in the door.'

End of Week Three - Race to the Finish

It seems like everything has gone so quickly. And now it's all over. I've learnt so much and had so much fun working with the people at the National. I've been made to feel really welcome and have really been put to work! During this last week the main bulk of Doctor's Dilemma costumes were finished, and the tech was over the weekend, so we've been sent up things to alter and finish in dribs and drabs during the rehearsals. This was a really interesting week as I got to work on some other productions and got given much more of a range of jobs to do, including a lot of alterations, labelling and finishing. Obviously I was given odd jobs that no one else really likes doing that much, but I didn't really mind, that's what I was there for! Here's a few things I've been working on during the last week at the Theatre:

Monday - trouser hem alterations, velvet ribbon on maid's skirt, brown trim on 'Emmy's belt with new hooks and bars; all for Doctor's Dilemma.

Details of the maid's belt

Tuesday - stitching detail on green velvet belt, train loop on green skirt, blue jacket extra trim and buttons sewn back on. Watched the dress rehearsal in the afternoon and couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride. Costumes that I had helped to make were on stage at the National Theatre. It was so surreal.

Train loop on green skirt

Hand stitching on green velvet belt

Wednesday - worked on a few Curious Incident costumes: labelling and poppers on policeman shirts for quick change.

Thursday - More Curious Incident labels and made new chiffon cuffs for Doctor's Dilemma cream and fawn-coloured understudy jacket

Constructing new chiffon cuffs

Cuffs finished inside jacket sleeves

New self-covered buttons attached to jacket front

Friday - last day! - touched up jacket inside (sewed up holes), replaced buttons which I covered myself, finished blue belt for understudy, London Road alterations and labels!

Blue belt covered with lace for understudy

Phew, what a busy week. And it flew by so so quickly. And now it's all over and I have to go back to normal life! To top it all off I got free staff tickets to see the production I'd been working on the most (Doctor's Dilemma) on Friday night. I took a friend with me and she too was so proud to see stuff I'd made on the National stage. The audience made so much difference and the production was actually quite funny! The set looked beautiful and I hope the designer was really pleased. I'm sure the sense of pride eventually wears off, but I couldn't help but feel a bit teary.

Photos of original set design on walls in studio

Actual set! On stage and ready to rumble! So exciting!