Spamalot - Diva's, Costumes and Props Ahoy!

A quick post today, and not as nautical as the title would suggest, it is none-the-less all go. After going through the costumes sourced so far and the pieces left to make/find with Lisa, I am delighted to be making several costume pieces, including one of the costumes for our wonderful Diva! So as not to ruin the surprise I will not be able to post photographs or a description of the costumes until after the performance dates, but suffice to say that it is by far the most complex - and possibly the shiniest - costume I have made. With final approval on designs and after collecting measurements and fabric, the costume block drafting and costume making starts in earnest today.

The results of just one of my fabric sample sourcing trips over the last two weeks!

The fun of experimenting with trick costumes is still to come today and tomorrow as we have a very interesting trick onstage that is going to take some working out - you will know it when you see it!

Spamalot - Its all about the timing, and its definitely all go!

Well we are now almost two months into rehearsals with just over three months to go, and it is indeed all go! You know when it is going to be a large show when even at this stage, there is very little time to write posts about the show so apologies for any long gaps!

Over the course of rehearsals, I have been taking costume notes and timing costume changes, beginning to take measurements, and in the course of the last few rehearsals costumes have been appearing in rehearsals with costumier Lisa Stead to be tried on by various cast members which I have been documenting, with fittings to come closer to the show. I have been given responsibility for designing and making some of the costumes which I am already well under way with and it is incredibly exciting! With a fabric sample sourcing trip last week, there are a variety of designs to choose from waiting for final selection. Due to not wanting to give away any spoilers, details of those particular costumes will not be being released until after the performances, but it is safe to say that there will be a few surprises during the show! In addition to this I have been given responsibility over designing and making various props, which is proving to be an interesting and exciting challenge - I have now started an itemised to-do list separated into costume and props.

In the case of the quick changes, timing is everything in both working out who needs a dresser, and how many dressers may be needed! With the amount and complexity of changes, I created another master document keeping track of who is onstage and what they are wearing, who is offstage and when and where they need to change, if they have a dresser who it is, and with a section for props locations so that if quick changes are needed for someone with props to take on, they don't change on the opposite side of the stage to their props! Another aspect of this is timing the quick-changes so that both performer and dresser know exactly how much time they have, and to make sure that we can practice and have the changes smooth and on time by the time we get to show week.
The master document will no doubt be refined a few times, with changes happening as people are added to or moved between scenes, but at the moment, it is working out the best way of keeping track of the wardrobe. The rehearsals are going beautifully, and already it is a wonderful show to watch!