Auditions.

I went to The Canterbury Tales and consequently also On The Razzle auditions today and it was a really enjoyable experience. It was much more informal than expected, although I'm sure this may depend on different directors' styles. The atmosphere (we were all sat in a circle) was much more relaxed and I think this helped the actors to be freer to experiment with the different parts. A clear point came through from the director that although the play is written in verse this should not hinder the actor/actress but be used to an advantage and played with. It was interesting to see the different strengths coming from the individuals within the groups whilst also seeing how they comedically bounce off each other and more particularly sing together. Sitting in a circle also means you can see everyone and everyone can see you easily and I think that this worked well. I have really enjoyed watching the auditions today and already I can get an idea of how things are going to be acted and the feel of the whole piece. It was a really valuable experience and I look forward to meeting The Canterbury Tales cast in the autumn term.

Presentation.

I presented my project to the rest of the year group this afternoon. I think it is an important skill to be able to explain and speak about your ideas. I feel my confidence has grown in this area although I find it more difficult the larger the group of people you are speaking to. I think with more practise this will improve and it is a skill which is transferable into many areas. It was also great to see the work of other students doing very different projects and this gave me an idea how different projects can also have very different challenges.

Costume Store Research.

I went into the costume store today to do some research into whether any costumes from there can be used for my production. There's not really a lot that could pass for medieval although I have only looked at the costumes that are on campus. My first thoughts are that shoes could be difficult - they must look medieval although from my research I found that they are not hard to make. This could still be an option. I think it's good to see what there is so I am more prepared for the autumn term. Below are a couple of pictures of shoes....

I think I would like the shoes etc to be quite simple as most of the characters in the the cast are not high class. The black ones above are simple and I liked the worn and woven leather look of the yellowish shoes, although I'm not sure what character these would suit. It was good to have a look at what the store has that might be usefull and it's more research I can take forward into the autumn term.

Work Experience Placement. Final Day.

I have finished my work placement today and I feel it has been a really valuable experience. I think that working in a professional environment has really improved my confidence. At first I was a bit nervous but to stop this from hindering my time at the Playhouse I tried to volunteer for jobs rather than waiting to be asked. This also helped me to understand the extent of the various tasks that need doing and how much more busy and intense the job is during a tech week and closer to the run up of a show. I've also learnt that even when hiring costumes this still brings many tasks for the wardrobe team, whether it's adjusting it to fit the actor/actress or adding more decoration to make it more unique to the show. Below are some pictures of some of the tasks I undertook. For the show all costumes have to be labelled appropriately so that the dressers have a clear understanding of what each actor is wearing. I helped to organise all the costumes, dividing them by the different actors/actresses and labelling them with the actor's/actress' name and their character. This play is unusual as there are 9 performers playing several parts.

Above is a picture showing the rails divided into the actors/actresses with all their different costumes. Below are some pictures of decoration I added to a garment that was hired.

I had a great time at my work placement and it has helped me to understand the industry better, how a designer works and how the designer works with the actors, how fittings take place in the wardrobe department of a producing theatre, how the different departments work together and the general running of the wardrobe department.

Work Experience Placement Week Two. Alterations

For the past couple of days I have been working on alterations for the many different costumes in this play whilst observing fittings etc. Through watching the runs and using their the costume plots the dressers have established some of the quickest changes and therefore some adjustments that have to be made. For example, below are three pictures of how I turned a blouse into a quick change blouse using velcro.

This will speed up the changes and make the backstage work easier for the dressers.
Observing fittings has allowed me to see how a designer approaches any difficulties and problems that might occur. I have realised the importance of having a good rapport with the actors as this helps the process and improves the final finished costumes; both designer and actor can discuss the possibilities of a costume.

Work Experience Week Two

I went to part of a run through today and this was a really interesting opportunity to see how the actors, director and other members of the team worked together to help the smooth running of the play. Members of the wardrobe department were taking important notes on how, where, when and the speed at which the changes were going to take place. This experience gave me an idea of the importance of your familiarity with the actual play. Not only in terms of the script and writing but also what the director has chosen to do with it and how this will affect the costumes and therefore changes. I think this will also help in the autumn term when The Canterbury Tales rehearsals take place as I now have a better understanding of why it is so important to see rehearsals etc. It has helped me to realise how to fully appreciate the importance of how the play is happening so that it will be easier for me to understand the requirements and constraints of the performance.

Work Experience Day Two

I discovered the various pitfalls and challenges that come with any specialist equipment/costume that has to be sourced and purchased for a play. Not only is it important that the quality is right for the piece and its period but also the price and fundamentally it has to be the right size for the actor. I am really enjoying my time at the Playhouse already and it is a pleasant environment to work in. I like the team atmosphere particularly as I think that any problems are solved much quicker in such an environment and everyone can use their strengths most effectively.

Work Experience Placement Day One.

I started my work experience placement in the wardrobe department of Salisbury Playhouse today. I was slightly nervous to begin with but I settled into the tasks very easily as the staff were really friendly and welcoming. I feel really excited about the various tasks I will be given as the team are working on a show that starts soon. I feel that my confidence will grow more and more working in a professional environment and I am pleased that this experience will give me a much better view of how a show comes together before opening night. I found it interesting how various challenges were overcome in terms of sourcing and buying costume pieces. Also today helped me realise the importance of labelling and organising costumes correctly so that it is easier and more efficient for a dresser when the show opens; particularly within a show that has many quick changes.

Initial Fabric Research.

This is a picture of some of my initial fabric research. I have tried to collect as many different samples that I think are suitable for my set and costumes so that when I go to the fabric shops I have more of an idea of what I'll want in terms of colour, texture and content. When developing my designs and throughout my degree I have found it increasingly important to fully consider the sampling. After all when the costumes are made nobody ever sees the design again, it is the final piece that matters. I think with this project I want the costumes to look authentically medieval yet with some interest as well. Therefore the fabrics I should really use are things like linen, wool and silk for the more upper class characters. In conclusion I am keen to get the right fabrics for my characters as the samples are always an essential and extremely important part of the design.

Experimentation - Creating the feel of Roman/Grecian/Saxon etc. Dress.

This is an example of some experimentation I have done to create the Roman, Grecian, Saxon etc atmospheres that are in some of the Tales. My thinking was 'how many ways can you use a length of fabric to create a different costume'. In the medieval period most tables, benches etc had a simple white covering. I thought that if this was the case in my set design it might be possible for these coverings to be used in a simple and effective way to create new costumes. As I have stated before, this play is about storytelling and I think it will be very interesting if all the costume changes were quite simple and happened in front of the audience. This would accentuate that they are all telling their own tales which are being created in front of the audience. I really like this idea and my experimentation is allowing me to explore the limitations and advantages of it. Obviously these changes have to be quick, simple and clear for the audience to understand. The above picture is inspired by Grecian dress and the Grecian God Diana. The only problem with this particular one is the belt, would this be too clumsy for the actor? Could it be tucked into an exsisting belt or tied with a rope instead? All of my experiments only took me a few seconds each and would be really easy for the actors to recreate. This experimentation has been very effective and therefore I intend to incorporate it into my designs.

Mock Up Set and Experimentation.

Here is one of the pictures I took whilst trying different arrangements of my set. I think this method really helps me as a designer to visualise what the set will look like, to actually get an idea of the space and the objects within it and to test out sightlines. I have also tried out different flooring styles to try and achieve the right atmosphere. This experimentation also ensures I have developed my idea enough to discuss with the director futher at our next meeting.

Initial Set Thoughts.

This is an initial set sketch based on the requirements of the piece and what I found out from the director. I am finding there are a few issues with sightlines and I would like to escape from my sketchbook so to solve these issues I am going to create a mock up set that I can chop and change to really get an idea of how things might look. In my last project I realised that this is a good way for me to work and I got this feedback from my tutors, so I am going to develop my ideas this way. I have also done a lot of research into the period and I feel I confident enough to move forward with ideas.

Sampling and Fabrics

I have been unsure as to whether it would be a good idea to visit London, Shepherd's Bush etc. to source my fabric samples so I asked the advice of the 3rd years who did this project last year. Their advice was very helpful and it enabled me to put my thoughts into the right context for the amount of time there will be to make the costumes in the autumn term and how many may be made. An issue with buying the fabrics this term, particularly from London, is the distinct probability that they won't be there in the autumn term.  However something similar could be bought instead. Ultimately things will have to be changed in the autumn term but I know the kind of feel I want to achieve for this piece. Changes will be a matter for the supervisor and myself to discuss in the autumn term. To start my research I will look in the shops in my local area. I think I want quite textural fabrics that could be dyed, yet are quite plain to reflect the period. At the moment I feel these would not be too difficult to source locally.