Kirsty Blades Design: March 2012

Tuesday, 13 March 2012

First Family Entertainment: 2011/12 Season: Making

Since Graduating I have been working for the Pantomime Production Company: First Family Entertainment. For the season 2011/12 they had various Pantomimes throughout the country including:

Dick Whittington at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre

Starring; Jonathon Wilkes and Gillian Wright

Peter Pan at Bristol Hippodrome

Starring; David Hasselhoff

Sleeping Beauty at Theatre Royal

Glasgow

Starring: Karen Dunbar and Claire Grogan

Cinderella at Manchester Opera House

Starring: Louie Spence, Suzanne Shaw and Tam

Ryan

Aladdin at Milton Keynes Theatre

Starring: Gareth Gates, Paul Burling, Camilla

Dallerup, Russell Grant and Anita Dobson

Cinderella at Richmond Theatre
Starring: Jenny Éclair and Gary Wilmot

   Dick Whittington at New Wimbledon Theatre
   Starring: Barry Humphries as Dame Edna Everage,
   Sam Attwater and Eric Potts

Peter Pan at New Victoria Theatre Woking

Starring: Steve McFadden and Harry Derbridge

It was my third season working within the wardrobe department making, retouching, mending and decorating costumes before they are sent out to the venues. Below are a few examples of what I worked on for some of the shows.

Dandini Designed by Emma Waugh, 2011

Dandini Making 1, 2011

Dandini Making 2, 2011

Dandini Making Cuffs, 2011

Louie Spence as Dandini 1, Photographer Unknown, 2011

Louie Spence as Dandini 2, Photographer Unknown, 2011

Trailer for Cinderella, Manchester Opera House

This is a costume I constructed for Louie Spence as Dandini for Cinderella at Manchester Opera House. This included the jacket, leotard alterations, shoe decoration, cuffs and jabot.

Sou'wester Petticoat Making 1, 2001

Sou'wester making 1, 2011

Sou'wester coat, Photographer Unknown, 2011, (apologies for the size of image)

I made the petticoat for this costume and also helped with the construction of the Sou'wester, assisting Elizabeth Hodgson. It was worn by Eric Potts as Sarah the Cook in Dick Whittington at New Wimbledon Theatre.

Tommy the Cat Costume, Photographed by Dan Wooler, 2011

This is a costume I made for Omari Bernard as Tommy the Cat in Dick Whittington at New Wimbledon Theatre. This included making the trousers, decorating the leotard, constructing the cuffs and the gators.

First Family Entertainment: Season 2011/12: Alterations

Whilst working at FFE I assist construction, alter, maintain and decorate costumes dependent on the character, show and actor. This required either interpreting suggested ideas, or using my own initiative. Below are examples of the range of work I have done for the 2011/12 season.

Fairy Bo Bells Shoes Making 1, 2011

Fairy Bo Bells Shoe Making 2, 2011

Fairy Bo Bells Shoes worn by Gillian Wright, Photographer Unknown, 2011

I decorated the shoes worn by Gillian Wright as Fairy Bo Bells in Dick Whittington at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre.

Fairy Bo Bells Apron and Dress Decoration, 2011

Gillain Wright as Fairy Bo Bells, Photographer Unknown, 2011

I bow-ed and bell-ed the costume worn by Gillian Wright as Fairy Bo Bells in Dick Whittington at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre.

Sarah the Cook Hat Making, 2011

Sarah the Cook Hat Making 2, 2011

Christian Patterson as Sarah the Cook wearing Hat, Photographer Unknown, 2011

I customized this hat worn by Christian Patterson as Sarah the Cook in Dick Whittington at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre. It was originally a drinks bottle.

Alteration Ugly Sister 1, 2011

Alteration Ugly Sister 2, 2011

Ugly Sister, Photographer Unknown, 2011

I was required to alter a costume for Cinderella at Richmond Theatre, something I have done to several costumes.

Genie Cloak Hemming, 2011

I assisted in the making and hemmed this cloak worn by Anita Dobson as Genie in Aladdin at Milton Keynes Theatre. I also worked on the Genie costumes worn by Camilla Dallerup and Russel Grant who shared the role throughout the run.

Christmas Tree Dress Alterations, 2011

Paul Burnham as Ugly Sister in Christmas tree dress, Photographer Unknown, 2011

I also got to redecorate the Christmas Tree Dress I made in 2009, as worn by Paul Burnham as Ugly Sister in Cinderella at Richmond Theatre.

I have been working in the wardrobe department since the end of the show’s run washing, mending and maintaining everything from clothes, shoes, hats and wigs.

Louie Spence as Dandini 1

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1280&bih=630&tbm=isch&tbnid=MGdbuUL_rbqFmM:&imgrefurl=http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/lifestyle/enjoy-a-spence-tacular-cinderella-this-christmas-1-3518587&docid=1Vk41T167ZM8ZM&imgurl=http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/webimage/1.3518584.1329214471!image/3542378710.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_595/3542378710.jpg&w=595&h=838&ei=9ztfT5vwD4Kg0QXb2aymBw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=571&sig=104909591937985863544&page=4&tbnh=129&tbnw=91&start=68&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:12,s:68&tx=64&ty=18

Louie Spence as Dandini 2

http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/Entertainment/Cinderella-review

Tommy the Cat Costume

http://wooller.com/?people=6746

Fairy Bo Bells Shoes worn by Gillian Wright

http://capitalpictures.photoshelter.com/gallery/G0000UJxcIfXVRY0

Gillian Wright as Fairy Bo Bells

http://www.uktheatre.net/magazine/read/dick-whittington--the-waterside-theatre-aylesbury_1225.html

Christian Patterson as Sarah the Cook in Hat

http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/leisure/9431813.Dick_Whittington__Aylesbury_Waterside/

Paul Burnham as ugly Sister in Christmas Tree Dress

http://allisonogdennewton.blogspot.com/2011/12/its-behind-you.html

Top Drawer

I have worked for the company Top Drawer on several projects.

This includes Elf costumes for a Grotto in the New Theatre Woking.

Elf Costume, 2011

This construction included shoes, trousers and tunic.

I also worked on the Female ensemble costumes for Pantos on Strike 2012. It played at Manchester Opera House and Regent Theatre Stoke.

Pantos On Strike, 2012

Unfortunately I don't have any photographs yet of the costumes, but they include Snow White, Genie, Dorothy (Wizard of Oz) and Beauty (Beauty and the Beast).

Watch this Space!

Monday, 12 March 2012

The Tap That Dripped: Short Film

I recently co-designed a short film called: The Tap That Dripped, which was Written and Directed by Simon Dymond.

The synopsis in short tells a story of a young boy whose imagination stops him from sleeping at night, only to be comforted by an equally as inventive father, leaving a restless night all round.

The film required Hannah Budd and I to design and dress the set, and also to create a Cyclops that would send a shiver through the spine of a “seen it before” audience.

The budget for the film was to beg, borrow and pitch in £10 each.

Budd. H, 2011, Set Before Picture

Budd. H., 2011, Set After Photograph One

Budd. H., 2011, Set After Photograph 2

With thanks to Rebecca Bradbury and the prop store at Trent College, along with other donators we transformed the above.

The shoot took place over two days, leaving us only an afternoon to dress the Cyclops, this time planning prompted us to work around the basis of a mask.

Having created leather masks whilst working at First Family Entertainment, with thanks to Top Draw, I had molded the base of the mask. Having worked around the origin to the myth of the Cyclops, Hannah and I used Liquid Latex and tissue paper to create an elephant skull inspired design.