Its no secret, like so many things in life, designing and creating the costumes for a show takes hard work and dedication, patience and perseverance, as well as having the knowledge, skills and creativity to take an idea and transform it into something tangible for the stage. But it also takes knowing when to ask for help, and I could not have done this show without the support and assistance of my amazing team of sewers and dressers.
One hundred and forty-six costume pieces and accessories appear on stage in Twelfth Night, and about half of those were created specifically for this production. While I personally built nearly one-third of the new costume pieces myself, I also had a wonderful team of sewers ~ Mary Jane Walzak, Becky Lenko, Sylvia Behr, Debra Chantler, Tania Harvey, Joan Bolam (my mom!) and Peg Spurgeon ~ who helped in the creation and alteration of the rest.
If you've ever been backstage during a costume-heavy show, if you've ever had to wear a corset, or if you've ever tried to change your entire outfit in less than a minute, you might have an idea of just how valuable a backstage dresser can be. I wasn't able to be backstage during any of the performances, but my mind was always at ease knowing Melissa Moore, Jayme Russell and Becky Lenko were there to help the actors and keep everything in order.
"I can no other answer make but thanks, and thanks; and ever thanks."
Twelfth Night III, iii
Some of My Favourites
As the show begins to wind down, and my blog series comes to an end, I've enjoyed reflecting upon my process and the amount of thought and effort I've put into this production. The wonderful production photos by Ross Davidson have not only immortalized these characters, but also sparked a reminder of how much love went into creating these costumes. While it's difficult to say which costume is my favourite, as there is something I love within each one of my creations, I thought I would share a few that stand out for me.
One of my very favourites is Viola's shipwreck costume. As soon as I had the idea in mind, I couldn't sketch it fast enough. Not only do I love the appearance of this costume and the feeling it evokes within the story, but the process of constructing it, only to literally tear it apart, was something very special for me as a costumer, as this was my first full costume breakdown.
The Chorus also stands out for me, mainly because almost every single costume piece worn by The Chorus was built from scratch, and everything just came together so beautifully. These costumes also presented me with the challenge of balancing certain technical aspects of the costumes, such as allowing for dance and movement, with the styling the director wanted. I also had to keep things reasonably comfortable, as The Chorus would be on stage for the entire show, which is not an easy task when you're creating corsets and bustles.
The twins, Viola (as Cesario) and Sebastian are another favourite of mine. Because the actors are so similar in appearance, right down to their eyeglasses and haircuts, it was really important to me to make these two costumes identical, to not only make the confusion within the story believable, but to also keep the audience guessing who's who.
Seeing "The Rascals" on stage together, and mixing together those floral patterns in shades of green, beige and pink, also made me very happy. As much as I had intended for this grouping of costumes to coordinate and compliment one another, seeing it all together on stage for the first time, I was nearly in tears because it worked out so well.
Overall though, I think I would have to say my most favourite costume belongs to Antonio. Loosely basing the design for his pirate coat on Colin Farrell's costume from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, I decided to test my abilities and designed a coat with the same split sleeve. I was thrilled with how the coat turned out and the impact it had on the stage, but I think the biggest reason I love Antonio's look is largely due to the actor's reaction to his costume. Every step of the way, through fittings, dress rehearsals and performances, Sam connected with his costume differently from any of the other actors. While all of the actors were pleased with their costumes, Sam embraced his costume as an extension of his character, and when an actor does that, not only have I done my job in dressing the actor, but I've also played a small yet special part in the actor's process of creating his character.
Since joining London's theatre community in 2009, I have worked on over thirty productions as an actor, producer, costume and makeup designer. With twenty-four costume design credits to my name, I am always proud of the work I put on stage, but from a costumer's perspective, there are now four productions that hold a special place in my heart:
# 4: The Three Musketeers (London Community Players, 2010)
Working in a team of nine costume designers, we sourced and created over 350 costume pieces and accessories for this 17th Century wonder.
# 3: Edward II (Empty Space Productions, 2013)
The director wanted something "out of time," so I sourced black and silver costume pieces and accessories to create a goth-cyber punk fantasy.
# 2: Antony & Cleopatra (Western Summer Shakespeare, 2011)
My first solo design project, I created each period costume piece from scratch, using colour and accessories to divide the ancient worlds of Rome and Egypt.
and my new # 1: Twelfth Night (London Community Players, 2017)
From the moment I began working on this production, I knew it was going to be something special. I am touched and humbled by the reactions I have received from the director, crew members, actors, friends, family and especially audiences. I often say I love what I do, because I do what I love, and costuming Twelfth Night has been no exception to that.
 |
| Cheers to every single person who had anything to do with "Twelfth." |
One hundred and forty-six costume pieces and accessories appear on stage in Twelfth Night, and about half of those were created specifically for this production. While I personally built nearly one-third of the new costume pieces myself, I also had a wonderful team of sewers ~ Mary Jane Walzak, Becky Lenko, Sylvia Behr, Debra Chantler, Tania Harvey, Joan Bolam (my mom!) and Peg Spurgeon ~ who helped in the creation and alteration of the rest.
If you've ever been backstage during a costume-heavy show, if you've ever had to wear a corset, or if you've ever tried to change your entire outfit in less than a minute, you might have an idea of just how valuable a backstage dresser can be. I wasn't able to be backstage during any of the performances, but my mind was always at ease knowing Melissa Moore, Jayme Russell and Becky Lenko were there to help the actors and keep everything in order.
"I can no other answer make but thanks, and thanks; and ever thanks."
Twelfth Night III, iii
Some of My Favourites
As the show begins to wind down, and my blog series comes to an end, I've enjoyed reflecting upon my process and the amount of thought and effort I've put into this production. The wonderful production photos by Ross Davidson have not only immortalized these characters, but also sparked a reminder of how much love went into creating these costumes. While it's difficult to say which costume is my favourite, as there is something I love within each one of my creations, I thought I would share a few that stand out for me.
One of my very favourites is Viola's shipwreck costume. As soon as I had the idea in mind, I couldn't sketch it fast enough. Not only do I love the appearance of this costume and the feeling it evokes within the story, but the process of constructing it, only to literally tear it apart, was something very special for me as a costumer, as this was my first full costume breakdown.
The Chorus also stands out for me, mainly because almost every single costume piece worn by The Chorus was built from scratch, and everything just came together so beautifully. These costumes also presented me with the challenge of balancing certain technical aspects of the costumes, such as allowing for dance and movement, with the styling the director wanted. I also had to keep things reasonably comfortable, as The Chorus would be on stage for the entire show, which is not an easy task when you're creating corsets and bustles.
The twins, Viola (as Cesario) and Sebastian are another favourite of mine. Because the actors are so similar in appearance, right down to their eyeglasses and haircuts, it was really important to me to make these two costumes identical, to not only make the confusion within the story believable, but to also keep the audience guessing who's who.
Seeing "The Rascals" on stage together, and mixing together those floral patterns in shades of green, beige and pink, also made me very happy. As much as I had intended for this grouping of costumes to coordinate and compliment one another, seeing it all together on stage for the first time, I was nearly in tears because it worked out so well.
Overall though, I think I would have to say my most favourite costume belongs to Antonio. Loosely basing the design for his pirate coat on Colin Farrell's costume from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, I decided to test my abilities and designed a coat with the same split sleeve. I was thrilled with how the coat turned out and the impact it had on the stage, but I think the biggest reason I love Antonio's look is largely due to the actor's reaction to his costume. Every step of the way, through fittings, dress rehearsals and performances, Sam connected with his costume differently from any of the other actors. While all of the actors were pleased with their costumes, Sam embraced his costume as an extension of his character, and when an actor does that, not only have I done my job in dressing the actor, but I've also played a small yet special part in the actor's process of creating his character.
 |
| original sleeve design by Colleen Atwood |
Since joining London's theatre community in 2009, I have worked on over thirty productions as an actor, producer, costume and makeup designer. With twenty-four costume design credits to my name, I am always proud of the work I put on stage, but from a costumer's perspective, there are now four productions that hold a special place in my heart:
# 4: The Three Musketeers (London Community Players, 2010)
Working in a team of nine costume designers, we sourced and created over 350 costume pieces and accessories for this 17th Century wonder.
 |
| Cast & Crew of The Three Musketeers Directed by: Ceris Thomas Costume Design by: A. Bennett, J. Bolam, W. Bolam, D. Chantler, D. Davis, A. Humberstone, B. Lenko, C. Thomas & M.J. Walzak |
# 3: Edward II (Empty Space Productions, 2013)
The director wanted something "out of time," so I sourced black and silver costume pieces and accessories to create a goth-cyber punk fantasy.
 |
| Cast of Edward II Directed by: Kaitlyn Rietdyk Costume Design by: Whitney Bolam |
# 2: Antony & Cleopatra (Western Summer Shakespeare, 2011)
My first solo design project, I created each period costume piece from scratch, using colour and accessories to divide the ancient worlds of Rome and Egypt.
 |
| Cast of Antony & Cleopatra Directed by: Jo Devereux Costume Design & Construction by: Whitney Bolam |
and my new # 1: Twelfth Night (London Community Players, 2017)
From the moment I began working on this production, I knew it was going to be something special. I am touched and humbled by the reactions I have received from the director, crew members, actors, friends, family and especially audiences. I often say I love what I do, because I do what I love, and costuming Twelfth Night has been no exception to that.
 |
| Cast & Crew of Twelfth Night Directed by: Kaitlyn Rietdyk Costume Design by: Whitney Bolam |
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