Costume Designer
Telling stories through costume...
TWO ROUNDS
Jermyn Street Theatre
Italy, 1960s. Claudia, Gabriella, Sofia, and Beatrice meet every week to play cards, discuss their marriages, and shuffle the deck of life. Fast forward thirty years, their daughters gather after a funeral, and the cycle repeats. But has anything changed? An @aslantheatre and @jermynstreettheatre co-production, as part of FOOTPRINTS festival. 📷 Giulia Delprato Natalie Cutler CLAUDIA / CECILIA Daria Mazzocchio BEATRICE / GIULIA Flora Sowerby GABRIELLA / SARA Saria Steyl SOFIA / ROSSANA Writer - Cristina Comencini Director - Aida Rocci Producer - Antonia Georgieva Set & Costume Designer - Evelien Van Camp Lighting Designer - Han Sayles Sound designer - Hattie North Movement Director - Phoebe Hyder Translators - Aida Rocci, Tessa Nelson, Paul Hilliar Assistant Producer - Frederick Zennor Stage manager - Heather Smith
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I found inspiration for the vibrant colour scheme for the ladies in the 60s in pop-art and the idea of children dressing up paper dolls. In the silhouettes I felt the most important thing was to establish the time, while also encapsulating these women's big (somewhat stereotypical) personalities. Claudia lectures her friends on ideal motherhood, which is why I chose a shirt dress for her, the uniform of the ideal midcentury housewife. The costume became my personal favourite, made out of old faded curtains, with fabric covered buttons, a fabric covered belt, pearls and vintage shoes. Beatrice, heavily pregnant is the youngest of the 4 and the most hopeful for the future where the men's and women's worlds get closer together. Her pink colour-blocked dress is the perfect combination of mod and innocence to represent her hopeful demeanor. Gabriella, a promising concert pianist, regrets forsaking her career for marriage and child-rearing and is described as bitter by her friends. Her trouser/shirt combination is comfortable and practicle and reveal a longing for a life of more then motherhood. Sofia, trapped in a loveless marriage, tries to find satisfaction in looking for lovers. I wanted Sofia to be exude effortless sexappeal, and a pencilskirt with a knit top felt appropriate. I opted for making the skirt so I could add pockets, a period correct lapped zipper and details like a shaped waistband.
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In act 2 we enter the 90s and the daughters take centre stage as they gather for the funeral of one of their mothers and discuss both their own positions as women and the effects of their mothers on them. They consciously and unconsciously echo their mothers, which is why I chose their silhouettes to do the same. I also carried through some of the jewellery. Cecilia inherits her mother's pearls, Sara her mother's watch. Cecilia (Claudia's daughter) longs to be a mother, romantisizing her mother's life, but struggling to get pregnant herself. Her comfortable, but quintessentially 90s shirtdress are her way to pay hommage to her mother and in a way willing motherhood into existence. Giulia is mouring her mother's death. She is the only one fully in black and her miniskirt is a subtle nod to her mother's mod dress. Most of all I wanted it to feel like she just put on some clothes that she had in her closet and didn't give her outfit too much thought. Sara, a celebrated concert pianist, bursts in like a hurricane. Her larger then life personality is underscored by her slightly overdone jewellery. Rosanna, a doctor, confesses she hates being likened to a man when her husband saw her talk to her collegues and her desire to be pregnant just to reclaim her womenhood. A dress therefore, seemed the only appropriate choice. The silhouette inspired by the Ralph Lauren runways of the 90s, while also reinforcing her image as a working woman. Photo's: Giulia Delprato
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