WHERE TO START? |
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KEYWORDS
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SET DESIGN
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COSTUME DESIGN
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PROP DESIGN
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Sweeney Todd - Background/Info |
Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the main protagonist of the Victorian serve the pies to customers. Penny Dreadful The String of Pearls (1846–47).
The tale became a staple of Victorian melodrama and London urban legend, and has been retold many times since, most notably in the Tony award-winning Broadway musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler. |
Plot Synopsis |
In the original version of the tale, Todd is a barber who dispatches his victims by pulling a lever as they sit in his barber chair. His victims fall backward down a revolving trapdoor into the basement of his shop, generally causing them to break their necks or skulls. In case they are alive, Todd goes to the basement and "polishes them off" (slitting their throats with his straight razor).
In some adaptations, the murdering process is reversed, with Todd slitting his customers' throats before dispatching them into the basement through the revolving trapdoor. After Todd has robbed his dead victims of their goods, Mrs. Lovett, his partner in crime (in some later versions, his friend and/or lover), assists him in disposing of the bodies by baking their flesh into meat pies and selling them to the unsuspecting customers of her pie shop. Todd's barber shop is situated at 186 Fleet Street, London, next to St. Dunstan's church, and is connected to Mrs. Lovett's pie shop in nearby Bell Yard by means of an underground passage. In most versions of the story, he and Mrs. Lovett hire an unwitting orphan boy, Tobias Ragg, to s |
Literary History |
Sweeney Todd first appeared in a story titled The String of Pearls: A Romance. This penny dreadful was published in 18 weekly parts, in Edward Lloyd's The People's Periodical and Family Library, issues 7–24, 21 November 1846 to 20 March 1847. It was probably written by James Malcolm Rymer, though Thomas Peckett Prest has also been credited with it; possibly each worked on the serial from part to part. Other attributions include Edward P. Hingston, George Macfarren, and Albert Richard Smith. In February/March 1847, before the serial was even completed, George Dibden Pitt adaptedThe String of Pearls as a melodrama for the Britannia Theatre in Hoxton. It was in this alternative version of the tale, rather than the original, that Todd acquired his catchphrase: "I'll polish him off".
Lloyd published another, lengthier, penny part serial from 1847–48, with 92 episodes. It was then published in book form in 1850 as The String of Pearls, subtitled "The Barber of Fleet Street. A Domestic Romance". This expanded version of the story was 732 pages long A plagiarised version of this book appeared in America c. 1852–53 as Sweeney Todd: or the Ruffian Barber. A Tale of Terror of the Seas and the Mysteries of the City by "Captain Merry" (a pseudonym for American author Harry Hazel, 1814–89) In 1865 the French novelist Paul H.C. Féval (1816-1887) famous as a writer of horror and crime novels and short stories, referred to what he called "L'Affaire de la Rue des Marmousets", in the introductory chapter to his book "La Vampire". A version of this story is related by the author Jacques Yonnet in his book Rue des maléfices (1954). This version is set in late medieval (1387) Paris, at the corner of the Rue des Marmousets and the Rue des Deux-Hermites. The familiar plot of the barber and the pastrycook who sell pies made with human flesh is followed, the dénouement following one of the victims' dogs alerting neighbours and the gendarmes. The two confess, and are summarily burned alive; the houses where the crimes took place are then razed. Whether this version of the story is based on The String of Pearls or its dramatisation, or a much older tale alluded to by Féval, is unclear, in any case, it may well be the source for some recent versions that move the tale from London to Paris. In 1875, Frederick Hazleton's c. 1865 dramatic adaptation Sweeney Todd, the Barber of Fleet Street: or the String of Pearl was published as Vol 102 of Lacy's Acting Edition of Plays. A scholarly, annotated edition of the original 1846–47 serial was published in volume form in 2007 by the Oxford University Press under the title of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, edited by Robert Mack. |
Background / Oliver Twist
Purity in a Corrupt City
Throughout the novel, Dickens confronts the question of whether the terrible environments he depicts have the power to “blacken [the soul] and change its hue for ever.” By examining the fates of most of the characters, we can assume that his answer is that they do not. Certainly, characters like Sikes and Fagin seem to have sustained permanent damage to their moral sensibilities. Yet even Sikes has a conscience, which manifests itself in the apparition of Nancy’s eyes that haunts him after he murders her. Charley Bates maintains enough of a sense of decency to try to capture Sikes. Of course, Oliver is above any corruption, though the novel removes him from unhealthy environments relatively early in his life. Most telling of all is Nancy, who, though she considers herself “lost almost beyond redemption,” ends up making the ultimate sacrifice for a child she hardly knows. In contrast, Monks, perhaps the novel’s most inhuman villain, was brought up amid wealth and comfort.
Disguised or Mistaken Identities
The plot of Oliver Twist revolves around the various false identities that other characters impose upon Oliver, often for the sake of advancing their own interests. Mr. Bumble and the other workhouse officials insist on portraying Oliver as something he is not—an ungrateful, immoral pauper. Monks does his best to conceal Oliver’s real identity so that Monks himself can claim Oliver’s rightful inheritance. Characters also disguise their own identities when it serves them well to do so. Nancy pretends to be Oliver’s middle-class sister in order to get him back to Fagin, while Monks changes his name and poses as a common criminal rather than the heir he really is. Scenes depicting the manipulation of clothing indicate how it plays an important part in the construction of various characters’ identities. Nancy dons new clothing to pass as a middle-class girl, and Fagin strips Oliver of all his upper-class credibility when he takes from him the suit of clothes purchased by Brownlow. The novel’s resolution revolves around the revelation of the real identities of Oliver, Rose, and Monks. Only when every character’s identity is known with certainty does the story achieve real closure.
Throughout the novel, Dickens confronts the question of whether the terrible environments he depicts have the power to “blacken [the soul] and change its hue for ever.” By examining the fates of most of the characters, we can assume that his answer is that they do not. Certainly, characters like Sikes and Fagin seem to have sustained permanent damage to their moral sensibilities. Yet even Sikes has a conscience, which manifests itself in the apparition of Nancy’s eyes that haunts him after he murders her. Charley Bates maintains enough of a sense of decency to try to capture Sikes. Of course, Oliver is above any corruption, though the novel removes him from unhealthy environments relatively early in his life. Most telling of all is Nancy, who, though she considers herself “lost almost beyond redemption,” ends up making the ultimate sacrifice for a child she hardly knows. In contrast, Monks, perhaps the novel’s most inhuman villain, was brought up amid wealth and comfort.
Disguised or Mistaken Identities
The plot of Oliver Twist revolves around the various false identities that other characters impose upon Oliver, often for the sake of advancing their own interests. Mr. Bumble and the other workhouse officials insist on portraying Oliver as something he is not—an ungrateful, immoral pauper. Monks does his best to conceal Oliver’s real identity so that Monks himself can claim Oliver’s rightful inheritance. Characters also disguise their own identities when it serves them well to do so. Nancy pretends to be Oliver’s middle-class sister in order to get him back to Fagin, while Monks changes his name and poses as a common criminal rather than the heir he really is. Scenes depicting the manipulation of clothing indicate how it plays an important part in the construction of various characters’ identities. Nancy dons new clothing to pass as a middle-class girl, and Fagin strips Oliver of all his upper-class credibility when he takes from him the suit of clothes purchased by Brownlow. The novel’s resolution revolves around the revelation of the real identities of Oliver, Rose, and Monks. Only when every character’s identity is known with certainty does the story achieve real closure.
SYMBOLS
Character’s Names Mr. Bumble’s name connotes his bumbling arrogance; Mrs. Mann’s, her lack of maternal instinct. |
VICTORIAN ERA... What Life Was Like For The Working Class?
The pictures below are just some of the images that I looked at and gathered as part of my research into what life was like in the Victorian era, especially for the working class.
Incorporating not only costume elements, these images also depict Victorian street scenes, including market peddlers/traders, musicians, advertising and signage, shop fronts and helped me to get a clearer sense of what I was trying to convey to the audience in various settings in the play.
Although this was part of a schools tour, involving children in years 5 and 6, who had been studying the Victorian era - I was treating this like any other theatrical production and wanted to give myself the widest possible picture palette - in order to re-create the atmosphere. Whether it be a grande production in the WMC, or a small workshop piece - I still carry out the same production process, the 7 stages of design is always something that I adhere to, and the scale of the production shouldn't affect the amount of research that you do.
Incorporating not only costume elements, these images also depict Victorian street scenes, including market peddlers/traders, musicians, advertising and signage, shop fronts and helped me to get a clearer sense of what I was trying to convey to the audience in various settings in the play.
Although this was part of a schools tour, involving children in years 5 and 6, who had been studying the Victorian era - I was treating this like any other theatrical production and wanted to give myself the widest possible picture palette - in order to re-create the atmosphere. Whether it be a grande production in the WMC, or a small workshop piece - I still carry out the same production process, the 7 stages of design is always something that I adhere to, and the scale of the production shouldn't affect the amount of research that you do.
Oliver Twist – Depict Crime and Poverty
During my research, I also looked at issues relating to the working class and poor in London, and as the production incorporates some of the narrative from Charles Dicken's 'Oliver Twist', including the infamous Mr. Bumble and Mrs. Mann. I came across this very informative and interesting video, in which Professor John Bowen looks at the crime and poverty, which also includes interesting images and gives a historical perspective.
This also helped me understand the roles that the children would then take on, throughout the workshop. |
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These four additional video clip were also really useful background, which helped me in my visualisation process, giving me a wider foundation on which to build.
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The String of Pearls; or, the Barber of Fleet Street. A Domestic Romance. Illustrated with wood engravings. Published by E. Lloyd, Salisbury Square, Fleet Street, 1850. This was the first appearance of one of the immortals of Victorian fiction, Sweeney Todd, in a book.
After the success of a theatrical adaptation in London, Lloyd began an expanded issue in parts in 1848. The caption title of the first number is “The String of Pearls; or, A Sailor’s Gift. A Romance of Peculiar Interest.” By the time the book was complete (in 92 numbers) in 1850, Lloyd revised the subtitle to “the Barber of Fleet Street” and added a new preface by the author. Numerous further adaptations of the Sweeney Todd story followed, including most famously Stephen Sondheim’s 1979 musical and the 2007 film by Tim Burton.
In both Summers’ Gothic Bibliography, and James and Smith Penny Dreadfuls and Boys’ Adventures (1998), authorship of this edition was attributed to T. P. Prest; Helen Smith (2002) examined Lloyd advertisements to demonstrate that the author was in fact James Malcolm Rymer, author of Varney the Vampyre.
Entertainment of the masses, equivalent to a modern day soap, in a way.
After the success of a theatrical adaptation in London, Lloyd began an expanded issue in parts in 1848. The caption title of the first number is “The String of Pearls; or, A Sailor’s Gift. A Romance of Peculiar Interest.” By the time the book was complete (in 92 numbers) in 1850, Lloyd revised the subtitle to “the Barber of Fleet Street” and added a new preface by the author. Numerous further adaptations of the Sweeney Todd story followed, including most famously Stephen Sondheim’s 1979 musical and the 2007 film by Tim Burton.
In both Summers’ Gothic Bibliography, and James and Smith Penny Dreadfuls and Boys’ Adventures (1998), authorship of this edition was attributed to T. P. Prest; Helen Smith (2002) examined Lloyd advertisements to demonstrate that the author was in fact James Malcolm Rymer, author of Varney the Vampyre.
Entertainment of the masses, equivalent to a modern day soap, in a way.
Before 1834, poor people were looked after by buying food and clothing from money collected from land owners and other wealthy people.
The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, ensured that no able-bodied person could get poor relief unless they went to live in special workhouses. The idea was that the poor were helped to support themselves. They had to work for their food and accommodation. What were workhouses? Workhouses were where poor people who had no job or home lived. They earned their keep by doing jobs in the workhouse. Also in the workhouses were orphaned (children without parents) and abandoned children, the physically and mentally sick, the disabled, the elderly and unmarried mothers. Workhouses were often very large and were feared by the poor and old. A workhouse provided:
The staff of a workhouse included:
Workhouses provided almost everything that was needed onsite:
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IN THE WORKHOUSE |
Why were workhouses feared by the poor and old?
How did they do that? What were workhouses like?
Dr Thomas Barnardo and orphan children
- The government, terrified of encouraging 'idlers' (lazy people), made sure that people feared the workhouse and would do anything to keep out of it.
How did they do that? What were workhouses like?
- Women, children and men had different living and working areas in the workhouse, so families were split up. To make things even worse they could be punished if they even tried to speak to one another!
- The education the children received did not include the two most important skills of all, reading and writing, which were needed to get a good job.
- The poor were made to wear a uniform. This meant that everyone looked the same and everyone outside knew they were poor and lived in the workhouse.
- Upon entering the workhouse, the poor were stripped and bathed (under supervision).
- The food was tasteless and was the same day after day.
- The young and old as well as men and women were made to work hard, often doing unpleasant jobs.
- Children could also find themselves 'hired out' (sold) to work in factories or mines.
Dr Thomas Barnardo and orphan children
- Dr Thomas Barnardo felt that workhouses were the wrong places for children and so from 1867 onwards, he led the way in setting up proper children’s homes.
Market / Musicians...Again, I delved a little deeper into the Victorian street scenes. This time expanding my knowledge and visual ideas as to what the Victorian era was like in terms of the market scenes and the musicians.
I was aware that it was a big aspect of the workshop, and I really wanted to grasp what things looked like, the surroundings, what clothes people wore, comparing the social classes. |
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I honestly find this time period absolutely fascinating, if I could experience it just for a day, I would be a very happy chappy. I just find it so interesting, what life must have been like for all kinds of people, from all kinds of social class - to see it from both points of view, would just be amazing.
I want to share some of my thought process, and what kind of things I'm looking at. In the first picture below, I'm looking at the clothes every person is wearing, their worn down shoes, theirs hats, the instruments, the type of brick, the style of windows and doors, the lamp post, the railing, the pavement, even the expressions on their faces - everything tells you a story, everything is a clue, everything helps me breakdown the scene, and there's not one thing that I miss - you can't afford to miss anything.
In the second, again, I'm looking at all the pieces of clothing that everyone in the image is wearing - even the wealthy, upper class couple in the background, the instruments, the animal and the kerb, of course. In the third, it's key features like the carts, the big wheels and things like the canopies. The canopies could be something really interesting to play with, it is were a piece for the stage - you could really get inventive and create an interesting installation.
I want to share some of my thought process, and what kind of things I'm looking at. In the first picture below, I'm looking at the clothes every person is wearing, their worn down shoes, theirs hats, the instruments, the type of brick, the style of windows and doors, the lamp post, the railing, the pavement, even the expressions on their faces - everything tells you a story, everything is a clue, everything helps me breakdown the scene, and there's not one thing that I miss - you can't afford to miss anything.
In the second, again, I'm looking at all the pieces of clothing that everyone in the image is wearing - even the wealthy, upper class couple in the background, the instruments, the animal and the kerb, of course. In the third, it's key features like the carts, the big wheels and things like the canopies. The canopies could be something really interesting to play with, it is were a piece for the stage - you could really get inventive and create an interesting installation.
Victorian Colour PalettThrough my research into the working class in the Victorian era, it was evident that I would be limited to a fairly muted, earthy toned colour palette. As a majority of the working class had practical clothing, with very little adornments, with bright colours being limited to cravats and waistcoats.
This means that those few items of costume, that are brightly coloured, such as Mr. Bumble coat, the red shawl and the bird hat stand out as being rich and vibrant. This creates a contrast, which illustrates the social division between the working class and the upper classes, such as Mr. Stokes. |
The Middle Classes...While researching the difference between working class, middle class and upper class. I came across this video clip which illustrates the social strata and provides useful references.
I learned that Victorians were obsessed with wealth and social class, during that period the world was changing - there were new kinds of wealth. Everyone needed a label almost, they needed that back story. Middle class, make their way in the world, work hard and you can overcome obstacles and become the man you want to be, I say man because it would be a man, and not women. |
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The Barber's Shop! |
As one of the scenes in the workshop takes place in Sweeney Todd's Barber's shop - I would need to source props and simple stage sets. I began my research by looking at images, which feature further below, of the setting and what they were like.
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I wanted to study the setting of a Barber's Shop - to find out what elements or features represent the space best - as it' a minimalistic set, I've really got to pick out the key objects, as it will need to be quickly recognisable and identifiable for the children.
I wanted to understand the atmosphere, having not had any reason to go into a barbers, being a female and whatnot, I can imagine the place in very male orientated. You can probably smell the testosterone , or something weird like that. It's a very unique environment and I just wanted to get to grips with the atmosphere of the place. So I read lots of articles, poems, and descriptions, I picked this one below to share with you, but there are so many others.
I wanted to understand the atmosphere, having not had any reason to go into a barbers, being a female and whatnot, I can imagine the place in very male orientated. You can probably smell the testosterone , or something weird like that. It's a very unique environment and I just wanted to get to grips with the atmosphere of the place. So I read lots of articles, poems, and descriptions, I picked this one below to share with you, but there are so many others.
'Victorian Barbershop', written by Rosa Morgan.
Because of my spectacles I am often taken for being much older, but in truth, I turn eighteen today. To commemorate this rite of passage I am venturing to the barbershop. Up until now, my dear mother took shears to my head and there being no moustache to speak of and only peach fuzz upon my chin, I had no previous use of that establishment. But I am now clerking at Goslings & Sharp of Fleet Street and appearances are everything as I aspire to one day seek promotion. And so with sweaty palms I entered the cigar smoke filled bastion of gentleman grooming and affected an air of experience and confidence whilst taking a seat on the bench to await my turn. On the shelves were the customers' personal shaving cups each decorated with their name. There was a section entirely devoted to clientel who were Masons and I could only hope that one day I would have my own cup up on that shelf. Nervously studying the diagrams of possible haircuts, I felt the other chaps' eyes upon me and when one asked my occupation, my voice broke as I declared my newfound position. This was a respected establishment and I knew they accepted no customers lower than a baker, but my answer seemed to be accepted without any qualms. When I was finally asked to take a chair, my heart skipped a beat and I slid giddily on the hair clippings littering the tiled floor. With an abruptness I had not expected, my collar was ripped off, a starched sheet draped over me and my body flung backwards. A steaming towel infused with witch hazel was wrapped around my jaw and then as if examing the contours of my face, he chose a brush from his collection, dipped it into a bowl of bubbling water and whilst pinching my nose sharply, lathered my face with the hot soapy mixture. With almost diabolical gusto he ran the blade a few times along the pigskin strop then brought it up to my extended neck. I feared how he would navigate my Adam's Apple without making me a permanent falsetto, but my trepidation was for naught for like an artist with his paintbrush, the barber deftly manipulated his tool throughout an incessant chatter. "Lilac water, sir?" he asked when he had finished I nodded and felt a tingling, slightly burning sensation of the fragrant tonic. I handed him the two pence payment, nodded to the other gentlemen, and sauntered out, ready to take on the world. |
http://thevictoriantimes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/victorian-barbershop.html
The way Rosa picks up on certain aspects and tendencies, that a typical Barber Shop would have. I just felt like I understood the environment, which would in turn make it easier for me to convey it - if you don't feel for something, if you don't understand it - then you are really going to struggle with adapting that information and making it your own. There were key things that I picked up on;
"cigar smoke filled bastion of gentleman grooming and affected an air of experience and confidence"
"I could only hope that one day I would have my own cup up on that shelf"
"Freemasons" are an elite group, strange rituals, supposedly do good works - elements of corruption, you can recognise each other with a particular hand shake, etc.
The way Rosa picks up on certain aspects and tendencies, that a typical Barber Shop would have. I just felt like I understood the environment, which would in turn make it easier for me to convey it - if you don't feel for something, if you don't understand it - then you are really going to struggle with adapting that information and making it your own. There were key things that I picked up on;
"cigar smoke filled bastion of gentleman grooming and affected an air of experience and confidence"
"I could only hope that one day I would have my own cup up on that shelf"
"Freemasons" are an elite group, strange rituals, supposedly do good works - elements of corruption, you can recognise each other with a particular hand shake, etc.
It was a place for the Middle class gentleman and wealthy people, so I can imagine that the décor would still be quite lavish.
I looked into all kinds of different styled barber's chairs. However, I was under the impression... from what I had picked up on, that we had already got one. A chair that had been used previously, but everyone was okay with using again. Once you consider the budget, time and resources - it's sometime's good to stick with what you've got, if it works. And for a project like this, I wasn't too worried about using that chair. |
The Barber Surgeons - History of the Barber’s Pole...
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- The original barber’s pole has a brass ball at its top, representing the vessel in which leeches were kept and/or the basin which received the patient’s blood. The pole itself represents the rod which the patient held tightly during the bloodletting procedure to show the barber where the veins were located. The red and white stripes represents the bloodied and clean bandages used during the procedure. Afterwards, these bandages were washed and hung to dry on the rod outside the shop. The wind would twist the bandages together, forming the familiar spiral pattern we see on the barber poles of today.
- After the establishment of the Barber-Surgeons Company in 1540, a statute was passed that required barbers and surgeons to distinguish their services by the colours of their pole. From that point forward, barbers used blue and white poles, while surgeons used red and white poles. Today, red, white and blue barber poles are often found in the United States, although this may have more to do with the colours of the nation’s flag than anything else. Some interpretations posit that the red represents arterial blood, the blue represents venous blood and the white represents the bandages. Spinning barber poles are meant to move in a direction that makes the red (arterial blood) appear as if it were flowing downwards, as it does in the body.is sh
- Happily, the only thing your barber is likely to cut on your next visit to hop is your hair! Or so we hope!
History of Costume
Victorian fashion comprises the various fashions and trends in British culture that emerged and developed in the United Kingdom and the British Empire throughout the Victorian era, roughly 1830s to 1900s (decade). The period saw many changes in fashion, including changes in clothing, architecture, literature, and the decorative and visual arts.
By 1905, clothing was increasingly factory-made and often sold in large, fixed price department stores. Custom sewing and home sewing were still significant, but on the decline. New machinery and materials developed clothing in many ways.
The introduction of the lock-stitch sewing machine in mid-century simplified both home and boutique dressmaking, and enabled a fashion for lavish application of trim that would have been prohibitively time-consuming if done by hand. Lace machinery made lace at a fraction of the cost of the old. New cheap, bright dyes were developed that displaced the old animal or vegetable dyes.
By 1905, clothing was increasingly factory-made and often sold in large, fixed price department stores. Custom sewing and home sewing were still significant, but on the decline. New machinery and materials developed clothing in many ways.
The introduction of the lock-stitch sewing machine in mid-century simplified both home and boutique dressmaking, and enabled a fashion for lavish application of trim that would have been prohibitively time-consuming if done by hand. Lace machinery made lace at a fraction of the cost of the old. New cheap, bright dyes were developed that displaced the old animal or vegetable dyes.
I really wish that I could share all the information that I've absorbed over the last several months, but it would then take weeks to just get to the bottom of this website page, and I honestly don't think this site could handle it.
I looked at all aspects of costume in the Victorian era, and looked at the different shapes - particularly in women's clothing, as there silhouette changed throughout the period, from early, middle and late victorian. For example, the leg of mutton sleeve, which were common fashion for the more wealthier women. I also looked at the different fabrics, coarser fabrics for the working class costumes, and richer fabrics such as silk and damask, or richly embroidered material for the wealthier characters.
I looked at all aspects of costume in the Victorian era, and looked at the different shapes - particularly in women's clothing, as there silhouette changed throughout the period, from early, middle and late victorian. For example, the leg of mutton sleeve, which were common fashion for the more wealthier women. I also looked at the different fabrics, coarser fabrics for the working class costumes, and richer fabrics such as silk and damask, or richly embroidered material for the wealthier characters.
Things to take into consideration...Physical Theatre
Due to the project being so physical, I really need to think about the way performers move and with it being a piece that involves so many activities, etc. It's also a very improvised piece, it's never performed the same because it relies so heavily on the audiences participation as well. However, it's going to be difficult to stay true to the piece. As these costumes, in their original state would be big, heavy and very restricting. So I need to be able to source costumes that represent the same style and feel of that time and period. But, trying to make it work for what we're doing... Costume Changes With some scenes being rather quick, I need to be able to make costumes easy to be able to put on and take off... What also factors in, is that I need to make myself available to carry out set changes - so, if I source a costume that Opera Singers Having done my research about opera singers, and working with them - I learned to understand that they need room to breathe. It's really important that you don't restrict them. I paid really close attention to this... because I knew that if I did this wrong, then it wouldn't be great start to the project. As well as all these different elements, I also need to consider the production going on tour, and having to make space for everything that we need in the Hire Van... |
Again, images such as the ones below, were very helpful in visualising what different characters would be wearing and also in creating an image of what the street scenes and floor cloth would look like and formed the basis of my initial drawings and ideas for the floor cloth.
I looked closely at lots of images of Victorian streets paying particular attention to the way in
which the cobbled streets had been constructed.
All of this was moving towards creating a strong gallery of images for a mood board.
which the cobbled streets had been constructed.
All of this was moving towards creating a strong gallery of images for a mood board.
Again, I have thoroughly enjoyed researching this particular aspect. I find the street scenes fascinating - probably because it's nothing like what I have ever experienced. You don't get those types of scene, today. You may find similar, as in your typical market scene. But that point, in that era, on the streets of London, with what was going on elsewhere in the world - you can't mimic that. It was a unique point in history.
Which is something you just can't achieve in theatre, you can do your best - but you won't get the smell, that air, that street, those street sellers - it must have been a remarkable place. I particularly liked this image, even though it is more contemporary because it shows the way light and water bounce off the surface creating movement. I feel it also represents the grey, gloomy atmosphere, which is something I really wanted to pick up on and create to emphasise the miserable conditions that existed for in the Victorian era, for the poor. It's something that I would really play on if it were more of a bigger production, I can imagine creating a really interesting installation and set to create this murky atmosphere, that is simply so obvious in this tale. It's something that I hope to re-create, or try to anyway - I think it's an important feature to build upon, I like the connections being made. I feel the miserable and depressing atmosphere within the time period, and the tale of Sweeney Todd needs to be involved somehow or another. |
As mentioned in the brief, the floor cloth isn't just meant to represent a cobbled street, but it also needs to work for the workhouse scenes. So the images above are just some of the visual imagery that I collected, I was mainly looking at the flooring, trying to find key features and similarities, or common ground between the two settings.
However, I found these images extremely helpful when trying to understand the workhouse kids. Looking at the clothes that they wore, as this is what I need to take inspiration for when putting together a costume for Tobias Ragg. Tobias Ragg is played by Tom, who is a 27 year old man, I need to make him appear like one of the school children, who are aged 10-11... the obvious would be to dress Tom in clothes that are slightly too big for him, but then you risk making him look even bigger and there's always that comedic effect of making the clothes appear tight fitting, giving him the comedic "big kid" look. But, we shall see how it goes with the costume later on in the process.
Anyway, I found that the pavements on the streets and the flooring in the workhouses, have some kind of common denominator - paving slabs. The concrete slabs may appear to be a little bigger than the ones you'll find on the street - but I feel that is going to be the key feature that will merge the two scenes.
Images below, I am mostly looking at the different styles, analysing the structures, lay out, and just trying to depict the scene. The shape and tones of the cobbles, again, the way the light reacts with each cobble - anything that will help me on my journey to discover what it is I want on that floor cloth. You've just got to gather as much as you can.
However, I found these images extremely helpful when trying to understand the workhouse kids. Looking at the clothes that they wore, as this is what I need to take inspiration for when putting together a costume for Tobias Ragg. Tobias Ragg is played by Tom, who is a 27 year old man, I need to make him appear like one of the school children, who are aged 10-11... the obvious would be to dress Tom in clothes that are slightly too big for him, but then you risk making him look even bigger and there's always that comedic effect of making the clothes appear tight fitting, giving him the comedic "big kid" look. But, we shall see how it goes with the costume later on in the process.
Anyway, I found that the pavements on the streets and the flooring in the workhouses, have some kind of common denominator - paving slabs. The concrete slabs may appear to be a little bigger than the ones you'll find on the street - but I feel that is going to be the key feature that will merge the two scenes.
Images below, I am mostly looking at the different styles, analysing the structures, lay out, and just trying to depict the scene. The shape and tones of the cobbles, again, the way the light reacts with each cobble - anything that will help me on my journey to discover what it is I want on that floor cloth. You've just got to gather as much as you can.
and last, but in no means least... THE BIRD HAT
One of the requirements stated in the brief, was for Mrs. Mann to have an ostentatious hat for the last scene. This hat would feature a bird... I got started straight away, researching and looking into "Victorian bird hats", however, I really struggled to find a wide range of examples, or just general information about them. Which surprised me a little, I spent hours trying to find information about who would wear such a thing and I was really eager to learn more about them and what they meant.
I had noted down that it was something that I may have to consider either making, or sourcing - we were leaning towards 'make', which wasn't a problem at all, as I had done some work on making hats for a tour last summer. I did try and investigate how much a bird hat would be going for - obviously it has to look like it was of that time period - just in case it was more productive to buy it, than my time spent making the bird hat. I also looked for pieces that I would need to buy in order to build a bird hat from scratch - such as taxidermy birds, feathers, wings, and the base of the hat itself.
These were attention grabbing, spectacular hats - they were pieces to be desired, They were items that a working class woman such as Mrs. Mann may aspire to own and by wearing it, she thinks that it makes her look like she's of a higher social class than she is.
I had noted down that it was something that I may have to consider either making, or sourcing - we were leaning towards 'make', which wasn't a problem at all, as I had done some work on making hats for a tour last summer. I did try and investigate how much a bird hat would be going for - obviously it has to look like it was of that time period - just in case it was more productive to buy it, than my time spent making the bird hat. I also looked for pieces that I would need to buy in order to build a bird hat from scratch - such as taxidermy birds, feathers, wings, and the base of the hat itself.
These were attention grabbing, spectacular hats - they were pieces to be desired, They were items that a working class woman such as Mrs. Mann may aspire to own and by wearing it, she thinks that it makes her look like she's of a higher social class than she is.
Of course, there was so much more that I have looked at - but, it would have taken a great deal of time and proved detrimental to the progress of this stage of the production. You really need to prioritise the production, so logging absolutely everything just wouldn't be practical. So this is just a glimpse into some of the things I have been looking through, in order to get to the next step of the process - which is starting to put all that I have been looking into together, and designing what the productions going to be.