FROM SKETCH TO REALITY

The process begins with conversations with the Director Tinuke Craig - discussing the time period, the aesthetic and the character reference and plot points which the costumes help to illustrate.

When speaking about the initial inspiration for the costumes, Costume Designer Alex Lowde says: “We set about using the18th Century as our primary visual reference point, exploring the collision of period against a modern aesthetic to create what is essentially a contemporary render of the18th Century.

“Acknowledging that while Sheridan’s 1777 comedy of societal manners and morality resonates immediately within its period, it also possesses many parallels with our society today.”

Alex then talks through his designs with Alistair McArthur, our Head of Costume. He remembers how excited the costume teams were by such inspiring designs. As the decision was made to set the play in 'period' dress - that is, 18th Century - but with inherently modern elements, all teams begin extensive research into different costume elements and techniques to turn the designer's sketches into reality.

While the 18^th Century is often more associated with pale colours, pastels and plain fabrics, in reality, fashion was far more expressive and outrageous, especially towards the latter end of the era. Expensive, richly coloured silks or elaborately brocaded woollens grew in popularity, along with additional decorative items, such as ribbons, bows, lace trim and rosettes.

Alex says: “In terms of fabric, we’ve used the historically accurate natural fabrics, such as silk, linen, cotton, wool and skins in combination with contemporary recycled technical fabrics, alongside digitally printed fabrics, laser cut leathers and some very saturated colours only achievable with modern dye techniques."

To capture the essence of the time but with a more modern twist, the Costume Supervisor and the Costume Painting & Dyeing team experimented with different fabrics, patterns and decorative techniques.

Helen Hughes, Head of Costume Painting and Dyeing says: “Traditionally, the fabrics would have been painstakingly hand embroidered to achieve luxurious textures and patterns.

"However, we are using a digital process called foiling to give a more modern, incredibly shiny effect that will pop under stage lighting. We use a Cricut machine to cut out the incredibly intricate designs and then use a heat press to transfer the designs onto the fabric."

She says: "Under the stage lights, and against the backdrop of the set, hats, jewellery and accessories can be added or changed to emphasise certain characteristics. For example, we've been making a giant tricorn hat that’s being used as part of a disguise – this may need to be altered depending on whether it achieves the desired reaction on stage as it’s a crucial comic element of the scene."

The giant tricorn hat in question was inspired by an image from a collection of fashion and costume plates, distributed in Paris between 1778 and 1787, called Galerie des Modes et Costumes Français. With only a black and white 2D image to start with, the team has managed to replicate this 'Chapeau a la Suisse' in real life, possibly for the first time.

Shoes are also a key part of the costume, and our Costume Props and Footwear team have been hard at work recovering and painting the many pairs of shoes in the show. Many actors have more than one pair, so there has been a lot to do.

18^th Century men and women would both wear high heeled shoes, elaborately decorated with vibrant colours, pearly buttons, buckles, ribbons and ruffles - and Alex's shorter-style dresses will ensure these works of art are fully visible from every seat in the house.

In the process of creating costumes for a production like this, it is clear that our Costume Workshops use so many traditional crafting skills, as well as modern. 

Many of the costume makers highlight that working on a period-inspired production like this has the added benefit of preserving those skills and allowing the team to pass them onto future generations via our costume apprentices.