Dress, Technical Rehearsals and the Performances.

 Today we have the final two performances and I'm really pleased with the costumes and set. The technical and dress rehearsals gave me a chance to see if the costumes worked within the space and if the actors and actresses could perform all the movements required. I watched the performances from different areas of the audience seating so I could get different views of how the costumes and set worked. I am really pleased with the colour palette and silhouettes of the costumes and the set is used to the maximum to illustrate the different tales. I have learnt an huge amount from this project and I am really pleased with the result.
Breaking Down I did after feedback from the dress parade. Below: Carpenter's apron, Reeve's hat and cape and Cook's underwear.

 I decided to add some linen to the sole of Alison's shoes as after the technical rehearsals I could see that the lining of the shoes was reflecting the light as it was shiny pvc. I then painted the elastic so it didn't look glaringly white.

 Warming up for the performance...

 Here I added some hessian to the bottom of one of the buckets to cover the plastic bottom.

The National, Fittings and Set Progression.

The trip to the National hire department went well and I think we have managed to source the gowns that we didn't have and also found lots of hats for all the characters. Some may need covering in different fabrics, particularly for the Knight as we have found a hat the right shape but not the right colour. It really helped having a list of things I felt we needed to find as it made it easier for me to chose things quickly and efficiently. I think that preparation is key as it ensures that nothing is forgotten or incorrect especially in a play such as The Canterbury Tales where there are so many characters to remember and actors/actresses are playing several characters. Today I had toile fittings for Alison/Pilgrim (Jessamine) and the Knight (Ethan), as in the initial fittings the measurements were incorrect. I think it went really well and I am very excited and pleased with how the costumes look. The fabric for the Knight is the most expensive in the play however it is perfect for the costume and great quality. The cut of the costume, along with quilting in sections which we decided to add at an initial fitting, will show off the richness of the fabric and therefore the class of the Knight. The Squire's fabric also has a rich muted colour and feel to it although it is not as rich as the Knight's, showing that they are the two wealthiest characters in the play but that the Knight being the Squire's father is still above him in rank.
Below: Knight before.

 Below- Showing the fabric on Ethan. I'm really pleased with this colour, the fabric has a good sheen.

 Alison/Pilgrim before.

 The Knight- after.

Alison/Pilgrim after. We made her costume a bit more fitted and added lacing on the inside of the arm so the sleeve could be fitted but comfortable. I think this would be more subtle than on the outside of the arm and would look good when she plays the recorder/raises her arm.

I helped out with the seat coverings today and it has helped me to think and plan (especially in terms of time and helpers) certain elements of my set and how those are going to be realised.

Fabric Sourcing and Production Meeting 19th October.

Today my supervisor and I sourced the wools for the saxon scene in the Man of Law's Tale. I am really pleased with what I chose and the fabric I allocated to each character. As one of the fabrics did change from my original choices (we found a good tartan in the archive clearance sale with the right amount for the Northumbrian Lord and Lady) it made sense to create a collection of tartans that had the same tone and texture. It was important for me in this scene in the Man of Law's tale to have a fabric that accentuated each character and to ensure that the fabrics worked as a whole.
We also had our 2nd production meeting today, the first since the cast has been rehearsing and I think that it went really well. I enjoy these meetings as it is good to bring up any issues or confusion when everyone is together as problems are solved much quicker. I feel much more confident in being vocal with my thoughts and ideas. I also think that having sketches of any relevant ideas really helps the director and crew to understand ideas and to solve any agendas.

History in the Making Hire Company, Rehearsals and Fittings.

Yesterday my buyer, supervisor and I went to History in the Making hire company. It was quite a successful trip and they had some good medieval shoes which was reassuring as the shoes are one of the hardest things to ensure that they look authentic and fit. It is really exciting as a designer to search through a multitude of different items and hunt to really find what you want. It is interesting how a design can change and how I feel I can adapt things whilst still keeping the feel of the original idea where necessary. For example one of our actors is very tall and therefore we were finding it difficult to source a gown for him (Man of Law). We found this gown (below) and therefore I decided to adapt my design. As this costume was not being made, and to get the feel of my original idea, we decided to make the cape. Because the garment pictured below was long enough to fit the actor I decided to change the gown to red and the hose to blue (instead of the other way around). If we get a true red for the cook then these two garments won't match in colour.

This picture shows the two options for the Miller, the one on the right was more the correct colour and a good fabric.

 ...with hose...

Possible apron for the cook although it would need adjusting as it is a full body one.

Tartan, Young Knight?

Hose in good shades of colour and below the items that are definite possibilities.

Above: Shoes, these are quite worn therefore we will need some in better condition for the high class characters (Knight, Squire, Wife of Bath, Man of Law).
Below are some of the pictures from the first fitting. I have taken part in quite a few fittings before and this is the second time for something I have designed, although that was only one costume. My confidence grew with each actor/actress and I enjoyed helping to suggest solutions and overcome any problems with the construction of the garments.
Below is Katie Smith's dress (Emilee, Constance etc). At first the sleeves were in the wrong place and gathered which is not authentic to the period. We decided that to create the correct neckline there would have to be two seams all the way down and I didn't want to change the neckline. it would also have to be laced to the hip. I am finding it easier to decide what I feel is essential in my designs, for example the neckline in this garment and overall that the costumes are authentic to the period as much as possible.

Molly Pitham- Prioress. I am really pleased with how this costume is progressing and I am glad that I decided to go with a panel of pleats down the front rather than pin tucks as now I see this would have been too much and not conducive with the period. It was really good for me to see the smaller toiles that my maker produced and now it is the full size toile I'm even more certain of my decision.

Below- I really like how the pleats unfold where they end, this will look great when she walks.

Below, working out the yoke with the belt.

Henry Dell- Host.

Above- Trying out buttons. Looking at the scale of the buttons on him now, I think that the one on my original design is slightly too big (bottom in picture) and the one above is too small so therefore we concluded that the buttons need to be 2cm in diameter.

Jessamine Oldman- Shipman. For this costume the main points for me were the sleeves needed to be a bit fuller and have a bit more padding to make her even more of a manly shape. Thses are things that you can only really see when you have the toile on the actor or in this case actress. This is a difficult costume and because of the padding I decided to change the design so that there are buttons all the way down. This was a common fashion of that period and I don't mind adapting my designs where necessary. In fact I enjoy solving the problems that cause these changes whilst still staying true to the original design. It is exciting to still be creative with the designs and develop them through the realisation.

This week I have had the new experience of rehearsal notes, at first I found these quite hard to understand so to ensure that I knew how conclusions were come to I decided to sit in on a morning of rehearsals. It became clear how complex a play this is to direct and because it is spontaneous in nature that means spontaneous things could come up and therefore I need to be flexible and clear minded in how I react and act on these developments. Seeing the rehearsals really gave me an idea of how the process works and therefore I understand a lot more how things can chop and change and to embrace that so that we make the most of the rehearsal period and yet be true to the concept of the play.