Fabric shopping

I returned to Shepherds Bush to look for fabrics again this time more set in what I was looking for, I found a speckled brown wool that I liked and fits my dads criteria. I chose this fabric as it was the correct weight and I liked the fact it was plane but had the specked effect given by the different tones of brown.
 

Fabric Sourcing

I went to Shepperd's bush fabric sourcing for my SDP project. I went to get some ideas then show them to my dad to decide on what he wanted. It was also hard as I am making it for some one else so nee to think about what they want.I will go Fabric shopping again and hopefully find something that fits the criteria. Here are some of the fabrics I found.

I liked this herringbone but it is the wrong weight.

I liked this fabric but I would rather not do a pattern.

This fabric was nice and simple but it quite course.

I liked this fabric but I don't think it was wool.

Strawbeery hill house

This is from the room where the opening scene takes place, this is where all the characters are introduced to the audience and the story begins.

This is the staircase where Grace summons the spirits and all the ghosts start to appear.

This is the library where we learn more about Horace and he invites Hero and Isabella to stay the night and see if Hero is worthy enough to learn the secret.

 This is the room Isabella sits eating her tea, the audience walks past and see her and as they are walking along the corridor the ghosts jump out on them.

This is the Spectral Bed Chamber where the mad monk appears, and we discover grace is not what she seamsto be.

These are photos of the house from the outside.

SOTS - Cast

Actor: Leigh Stevenson

Character: Horace Walpole

Horace Walpole built Strawberry Hill House and the play is about his ghost which is still haunting the house.  

Actor: Nicky Diss

Character: Grace

Grace is a Horace’s new servant but is pretending to be a male ghost but is really a ghost hunter writing a paper on ghosts and very excited to see the Mad Monk.

Actor: Tom Judd

Character: Hero

Hero Has come to visit the house and gets caught up in everything and is finally revealed to be Horace’s long lost heir.

Actor: Emily Holden

Character: Isabella

Isabella has also come to see the house and is fascinated by Gothic horror. When a position for a heroine comes up she jumps at the chance to become part of the story.

Actor: Bernice Pike

Character: Narrator

The narrator acts as a tour guide round the house as well as narrating the piece.

Dancers

Dominic Hansford, Matt Kennedy, Ben Phelps, Dulcie Garcia, Emma Crawford, Georgian Krelle.

The dancers scare the audience as there walking around the house and finish the performance with a masquerade ball.

Dom Emma

 Georgia

SOTS- Preformance Schedule

4:30-5:00               Arrive at strawberry Hill house and set up the room for the evening, checking all the costumes are prepared and to a good standard, making sure all the clothes are on the right hangers or chares and everything is tidy.  Get out sewing machines, and set up hair and makeup. Carry out anything that needs repairing or altering.

6:00-6:30              Actors start to arrive. Start by dressing Leigh in everything apart from the waistcoat. He then gets hair and makeup and once done the waistcoat goes on and he is ready. We then dress Nicky and she then has makeup. Tom, Emily and Bernice dress themselves and do their own hair and makeup as they are in modern clothes which are much easier though we are there to help with any fastenings if needed.

6:30-7:00              The dancers arrive, generally by now the actors are readfy so we can focus entirely on the dancers. We start by dressing them and lacing up the girls bodices and boys breaches. We then paint them white using face paint and talcum powder, and add dark make up and put their hair in messy buns which are then Talcum powdered to.

7:15                        Performance Starts

7:45                        All the dancers are ready and everybody has left the costume room. We tidy and prepare for the quick changes and end of performance.

8.15                        Go up to the Holbine Chamber where Leigh has his first change. We take the monks costume and the dancers masks. We have to be in position early as the audience walk past and we would not be able to get through.

8:45                        Leigh’s quick change takes place. His waistcoat is unbuttoned and taken off and the backpack and cloak is put on. The cloak is wrapped around and fastened with a cord and his gloves and put on. We then take is waistcoat and move to the Great hall where we put the dancers masks on and fasten with grips. We then wait in the next room for Leigh to finish his scene and come to change back into his costume which he was wearing before. As soon as he is dressed we then bring the monks costume down and hang it up.

9.15                        Performance ends. We undress all the actors and check the costume and hang them on the correct hanger.  Prepare anything that needs washing and hang up and Febreeze all other costumes. Tidy the room for the next day

9:30-9:45              Pack up the cars and leave.

All timings are approximate and change slightly every evening.

Research - Patterns

 I have sleeted some examples of patterns to look at so when i come to drafting my pattern I have an idea of the shapes.

a selection of jackets and sleeves from the late 1800s

Jacket Pattern taken from the Modern Tailor, Outfitter and Clothier

1893  Frock Coat

1893 Dress coat

1893 morning coat

Trousers 

SOTS - Photos

These photos were taken during the matinee as the first few scenes were in daylight. I am really pleased with how they costumes look during the performances and i feel they work really well.

Horace Walpole
I created the waistcoat, Amy created the Breaches and shirt was hired from the costume store.

Grace

Emma made the waistcoat and shirt, Leane made the Breaches

Isabella

This costume was entirely sourced as Isabella arrives and to begin with is part of the audience so she needed to look modern.

Narrator

this costume was sourced from Miss Selferage

 

Hero

Hero like Isabella arrives late but also as part of the audience.

 

Dancers

We create the dancers costumes, the girls are wearing hired Underskirts with distressed muslin on them and tacked into place. we then created bodices which we broke down and added muslin to. The boys are wearing breaches which we created then broke down and sourced shirts which were then broken down and died. we put them in tights to save time when painting then white.

Out of all the costumes I feel the dancers work the best as they look so good in the dim light. We also did all the make up for the dancers.

This final photo was taken after the performance when we did a photo shot of the cast.

Tailoring

This week I have started researching tailoring, I have looked at different styles of jackets and different patterns . I also started to research the stile of jacket that I want to create. I have started to draft the pattern for the jacket but as i am still on my work experience I have not had much time and it is not as precise as I would usually be. Because o of this I will re-draft the patterns as i want them to be the best of my work. Yesterday i had a tutorial with Graham and we looked at my pattern and decided what photo I would use for inspiration. I have decided on a Victorian jacket and my dad is also likes this style. Below is the jacket i will be using as inspiration.

Reaserch

Here is a Selection of different Jackets from the Later Victorian and Edwardian era. I have shown these images to my dad and he will pick one that he feels will work well for a jacket for him. I will base the design of my jacket on the image that is selected and this is where I will go for design decisions. 

1859 A morning coat, a chesterfield and a tweedside jacket

1880 A lounge jacket a morning coat and a top coat

1891 a frock coat

1859 a morning coat