William Shakespeare's plays are over four hundred years old, and they have stood the test of time because of their brilliant writing, historical context, relevant story-lines and wonderful characters. One of the greatest things about producing a Shakespeare play is taking liberties in how you stage it. For LCP's production of Twelfth Night, the story would take place in a sea-side town, loosely set in the Victorian/Edwardian era.
Because the costumes would be the main technical focus for the show, it was very important to me to create beautiful new costume pieces that had never been seen on London's stages before. I needed to push myself and my abilities further than I ever had in the past, and I needed to challenge myself to use some of the newer costuming techniques I have learned, such as hat and jewelry making, pattern drafting, fabric dying and costume breakdown. With 146 costume pieces and accessories appearing on stage, nearly half of which were created specifically for this production, I feel I have accomplished my goals, and I am very proud of the costumes I have created for Twelfth Night.
Inspiration for My Designs:
During my initial meeting with the director, after looking at books of summer fashion from the 1880s to 1910, I was given a set of paint chips in a beautiful palette of smokey blues, soft greens, rosy pinks and creamy whites and beiges. With the entire story taking place in a sea-side town, my mind immediately went to the painting by Georges Seurat, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
Drawing inspiration from this famous painting and the colour-wheel I had been given, my mind was flooded with thoughts and ideas of how to bring Twelfth Night to life, and I couldn't wait to get started.
From Concept to Stage: My Process
After reading and analyzing the script, I spent several weeks researching Victorian and Edwardian fashion, and began sketching some rough ideas. As soon as we had a full cast, I finalized my costume sketches, measured the cast of twenty actors and was ready to begin creating the costumes.
With twenty-six designs in hand, I spent countless hours finding and re-sizing sewing patterns, and drafting original patterns for a few costume pieces the show couldn't do without. Even more hours were spent pouring over bolts of fabric, trim and notions at the LCP Wardrobe, The Costume Shoppe, Lens Mills and Fabricland, trying to find just the right colours and textures to compliment each of the characters. In addition to the sixty-one custom-made projects, many other costume pieces and accessories, in particular the shirts and suits for the men, were sourced from the LCP Wardrobe and The Costume Shoppe.
Because the costumes would be the main technical focus for the show, it was very important to me to create beautiful new costume pieces that had never been seen on London's stages before. I needed to push myself and my abilities further than I ever had in the past, and I needed to challenge myself to use some of the newer costuming techniques I have learned, such as hat and jewelry making, pattern drafting, fabric dying and costume breakdown. With 146 costume pieces and accessories appearing on stage, nearly half of which were created specifically for this production, I feel I have accomplished my goals, and I am very proud of the costumes I have created for Twelfth Night.
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| the cast of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, LCP 2017 photo by: Ross Davidson |
Creating the Costumes for Twelfth Night
Inspiration for My Designs:
During my initial meeting with the director, after looking at books of summer fashion from the 1880s to 1910, I was given a set of paint chips in a beautiful palette of smokey blues, soft greens, rosy pinks and creamy whites and beiges. With the entire story taking place in a sea-side town, my mind immediately went to the painting by Georges Seurat, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
Drawing inspiration from this famous painting and the colour-wheel I had been given, my mind was flooded with thoughts and ideas of how to bring Twelfth Night to life, and I couldn't wait to get started.
From Concept to Stage: My Process
After reading and analyzing the script, I spent several weeks researching Victorian and Edwardian fashion, and began sketching some rough ideas. As soon as we had a full cast, I finalized my costume sketches, measured the cast of twenty actors and was ready to begin creating the costumes.
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| Costume Designs for Twelfth Night by Whitney Bolam |
With twenty-six designs in hand, I spent countless hours finding and re-sizing sewing patterns, and drafting original patterns for a few costume pieces the show couldn't do without. Even more hours were spent pouring over bolts of fabric, trim and notions at the LCP Wardrobe, The Costume Shoppe, Lens Mills and Fabricland, trying to find just the right colours and textures to compliment each of the characters. In addition to the sixty-one custom-made projects, many other costume pieces and accessories, in particular the shirts and suits for the men, were sourced from the LCP Wardrobe and The Costume Shoppe.
It took us nearly five months of sourcing, sewing, fitting, altering and finishing, and finally the costumes were completed and ready for the stage. At our first dress rehearsal, I had tears in my eyes because the costumes were exactly as I had envisioned, and I have been so touched by the outpouring of compliments I have received from the cast and crew, friends and family and even audience members. Thank you!
Up Next:
Tomorrow, we will take a closer look at The Chorus, made up of eight incredibly talented ladies, who serve as the vocal soundtrack, the minor players, the mood setters, and who help move the story-line along. Their costumes were some of the more difficult, yet some of my favourite to create. Here's a sneek peek:
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| The Chorus photo by: Ross Davidson |
Extraordinary creation. It was an honour to be part of it!!
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