Costumes

There’s nothing more exciting than a creative challenge and when the costume notes for a production are accompanied with both inspired suggestions from the writers and apologies for what they know may seem like a crazy idea, you know you’re in for a good time.  The first notes I received for this production included links to You Tube clips of the Beastie Boys and Monty Python, comments such as ‘Easy’ and ‘Loads of fun!’, as well as questions like, ‘can we get yellow wellies??’ and ‘does this give you enough?’.  And that’s just the kind of start I needed!  To this, I added as many images as I could from the internet and an ‘alien mood board’ from Rupert and my costume folder started to look convincing.   

Coordinating costumes for so many cast members may seem like a daunting task, although you discover hidden talents all around you as pupils, parents and teachers alike get involved – and that’s the key: get organised and get help.  A costume form designed to gather the pupils’ measurements as early in the process as possible not only got me organised but sent the costume message home to parents too so that some of the forms even came back with offers to help!  Next, a colour-coded spreadsheet with all the costume details on it – one colour for things for the costume department (ok, me) to find and another for the pupils to source themselves – they love seeing everything next to their name and the best moments are those when they look at your ideas, sketches or images and tell you they can do better – “yes please, go for it” I would always say! 

So when having divided up the list and sent half the cast off to become aliens ... the shopping and making could truly begin!  Online shopping sites, charity shops and people’s wardrobes are incredible places – you’d be surprised who has what and there were certainly some websites I visited looking for Momma Moon’s pvc dress that I would never be visiting again but the list of things I had to buy or find gradually got shorter and shorter.  There wasn’t much of a budget so a few key characters took priority and a little recycling of old clothes or costumes goes a long way! 

Apart from the Momma Moon uniforms – long live a certain budget, high street fashion store, perfect for polo-shirts, ties and skirts – the Long Armed Aliens were the only other characters who needed matching costumes.  The answer: A Level textiles students with too much design sense, sewing skill and generosity for their own good and a wonderful parent willing to give up time during half term and attach herself to a sewing machine.  The Witches and the incredible Remy le Chef costumes were the incredible work of another parent – I think everyone else may need to take the credit for the best costumes in the show – my job was to tick them off the list! 

I’ve had fun working on the costumes for past productions but this was special – attaching telephones to hard hats and making papier-mâché reptilian tales isn’t a challenge or a chore, it’s a gift - what better excuse could I have had for being creative, getting messy with paint and spending time with a great bunch of people – the costumes were worth it, the cast were worth it and above all, the show was worth it – who could ask for more?