Behind the seams

The stage may remain in blackout during these unprecedented times, however the forced interval in theatre has shone the spotlight on the fact that there are many people involved in theatre aside from the person taking the bow each night centre-stage.

It takes many creatives to ensure each performance is ready for a live audience. A school production is no different. With this in mind, it is important to remember that not every student wants to tread the boards in the limelight. There are others who prefer a backstage role.

As theatrical costumiers, we are keen to promote production roles to students to encourage their interest in the profession. There is plenty of opportunity for students to gain experience within a costume department on a school production and their added interest can be a great assistance to teachers.

Harlequins Costumes have designed a hire service that supports those students wishing to gain such an experience. Each of our costumes is fully accessorised and altered to fit. We remove the complexity of costuming your production by helping teachers with a friendly customer service team and easy to use resources so that students can get involved too.

The process

Our hire process is in itself educational, and allows non-performing students to get involved. Working alongside Harlequins Costumes, students will learn transferable skills that will equip them for future roles, whether in theatre or not. Skills such as project management, administration and customer service.

The first step is to list all the students in the cast on the measurement form. The records should note their name and the role they are playing. Once this is complete, the measuring can begin.

Each costumier will have their own measurement form and method that they would like you to use. Harlequins Costumes prefers measurements to be taken in inches.

It is always best to have two people measuring cast members: one to take the measurements and the other to act as the scribe. It is also a good idea that the same two individuals measure each cast member (you may have to measure the cast across multiple rehearsals due to time restraints or student availability).

The measuring process should not be rushed but it is important to check with the costumier how soon they would like to receive them.

Students take centre-stage

Already in these two tasks you have given students ownership of the wardrobe department. They are using their administrative and communication skills to complete both. A keen eye for detail is encouraged as the costumes will be altered to fit the measurements provided.

© HARLEQUINS COSTUMES

© HARLEQUINS COSTUMES

The list of names created when filling out the measurement form should be copied to the costume plot, which details what costume each member of the cast requires. In order to find out these details the students will need to attend production meetings with the director. It is also a good idea to attend rehearsals too so that any quick changes can be noted for discussion at a production meeting, as this may impact the requirements. Does the student need the costume to be bigger than their measurements so that they can wear a second one under it? Do you need the zip to be replaced with Velcro or press studs for fast costume changes at the side of the stage?

All the aforementioned tasks will challenge the organisational skills of those students involved in the production side. They will also be building risk analysis by identifying problem areas regarding costume changes that may be too quick and impossible to achieve.

Once your requirements have been listed, these should be forwarded to the costumier, along with the copy of the cast measurements.

While the costumiers will be making the necessary adjustments and pulling your costumes together, the job for your wardrobe team does not stop there. They should continue to attend rehearsals and regular production meetings with the rest of the production team.

The finer details now need to be looked at, such as hair, shoes and make-up. These items are not usually provided by costumiers and the students are often required to provide their own. Other students may be assisting with this area, however they still need to be instructed on what to do.

As costume assistants your students should note what each cast member should look like in each scene. Should they be dirty or clean? Is their hair to be up or down? Is the production set in a specific period? A pair of high-top trainers won't look right in a Victorian period musical, for example.

All these details need to be discussed and communicated with the cast members. Your students in the wardrobe team could do this. They can take the notes made and create a small note to be handed to each cast member providing details of what they need to provide. They could create a small questionnaire to see if any cast members suffer with allergies that could be affected by the make-up.

Show time

The rehearsal period is coming to an end and show week draws ever closer. The costumes have been delivered to the school by the costumier and now they have to be sorted. At Harlequins Costumes, each of our costumes are individually bagged and labelled with the student's name on for ease of identification. These will need to be laid out or stored ahead of the costume fittings.

The costume fittings should be a smooth process providing that you have measured the cast members accurately and that you double checked the costume plot to ensure all costumes required were ordered.

One big challenge most teachers find is that students complain it isn't their favourite colour or they wouldn't be seen in town wearing that dress. We have to remind them that this is theatre and we are entering a world of imagination, so the costumes are there to enhance the experience of storytelling to both those on and off the stage.

During the production run itself, your wardrobe team will be backstage ready to assist with any quick costume changes. They may also be required to set certain costume elements on the set. Does the coat need to be on the hat stand? Has the shawl been placed on the end of the bed for the night scene? These are all jobs that you can encourage your students to take ownership of.

Final bow

At the end of each performance, are the costumes all stored correctly? Have the used costume items been removed from the set and returned to the dressing room?

As the curtain falls for the last time, the final job is to pack the costumes ready for collection. As mentioned, our costumes are delivered in their own bags and they include a label detailing what should be in each bag. Using the list, ensure each item is placed back in the correct bag. You can tick these items off or highlight them for ease.

It is also advised that any missing or damaged items are listed on a separate sheet. This should be handed to the driver when the costumes are collected.

A final sweep of the dressing room, stage and wings to check that all items have been packed away brings the wardrobe team's role to an end.

Costumes within a production bring much value to the experience of live theatre. Not only do they enhance the story through vision, but the job roles that can be created for those students not wishing to perform are valuable to the students’ skills development, and will also take the pressure off you as the director by assisting you in this busy and complex task of producing a show.

Costuming a production can be a complex and expensive undertaking. Hiring costumes is not only an affordable option but it is also sustainable as they are re-used for many more productions for years to come.

Harlequins Costumes hire fully accessorised costumes altered to students’ measurements nationwide. We strive to take the stress out of costuming a production and help teachers create a spectacular production with costumes fit for any West End or Broadway theatre. We have easy to use resources and a friendly customer service team who are happy to assist at any stage, from enquiry through to collection after the final curtain.

Harlequins Costumes works with all budgets and no hire is too big or too small. For more information on the services provided please call 01527 877325 or email info@harlequinscostumes.com
www.harlequinscostumes.com