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!