Fittings for Mary Barton

The fittings took place on Monday 2nd July which allowed 2 weeks before the show opened. Again the director decided not to attend the fittings and in attendance was myself as costume designer, the wardrobe supervisor and a wardrobe assistant.

The complexity of the play demands doubling and multiple costume. Though some of this had been considered during the design process the organic nature of this production was that the script was still developing and therefore the doubling and characters were still changing. The fittings offered an opportunity to consider further the quick changes and whether elements of the garments would be able to be underdressed. This task is impossible to do at the design stage as it depends on the individual actors body shapes and the the flexibility of the garment fastenings. The evolving nature of the piece had mean that some of the characters hadn’t been designed for. With this in mind the designs were referred to for the main character costumes but the secondary characters were designed ‘off the rail’ during the fitting. By working with the actors who came with a clear idea of who else they were playing and how long they had to change we started to collate costumes together for the other characters. It was important to make sure the extra costumes suited the overall concept and colour scheme of the piece and did not look out of place. Also that they had the same period cut as depicted in the script. Though most of the costumes were being sourced it was key as the designer that I kept an eye on the overall look of the production to make sure it was still conveying what had been discussed with the director. The supervisor in this nature was very good and provided a variety of options for the actors to try. Considered at this stage was not only whether the costumes fitted and where right for the character but how the clothes would be worn. Though I had studies the character during the design stage of the processes by working with the actors in the fitting I was able to really get a feel of how there characters were developing. This evolving nature is a unique way to work which I enjoy. It makes the fittings a much more creative environment.