With such a well-known show, how have you approached this long history of Wizard of Oz Costumes?
I started by looking at the old illustrations in the first few iterations of the original L Frank Baum Oz books. We always knew that we wanted to create an aesthetic that that was dark and edgy with a discernibly eerie atmosphere to the piece. We have reimagined the original story and given it a modern twist.
Were there any further inspirations for them?
I looked a lot at old vaudeville and circus aesthetics, as well as Thierry Mugler's late 90s fashion collections when researching and designing the costumes for the show. the costumes are bold and dramatic which audiences love!
How have you approached the dance element of the costumes? – they must go through a lot with all of that movement!
Making the costumes and the wigs robust enough to withstand a large dance tour is always the hardest part. My Lead Maker and wonderful Costume Supervisor Rosie Armitage was incredible at problem-solving all of these difficulties: she's nothing short of a wizard herself. There's a lot of complex structural jiggery-pokery happening inside those costumes, and without Rosie's expertise, they wouldn't have survived much past the first show!
Attached to that, I must ask, how do the dancers keep their hats/wigs on?
This is something that I'm always amazed at. I'm from a theatre background, so by default I never think twice about putting performers in hats. But with dance, suddenly something that looked so simple in a drawing becomes a feat of engineering. Usually, it's amazing what an experienced wardrobe team can do with bobby pins, but this time, the witch's wig was so big that we had to strap it on and raise the neckline of the bodice to hide it a bit.
Speaking of wigs, how have you worked with the lighting to create the spooky aesthetic of the wicked witch?
It's important, especially with anything fantasy-based, to choose fabrics that will light well and enhance the atmosphere of the piece. With the witch, I tried to use lots of different textures in order to help them stand out in the darkness. They are meant to feel like a beetle or a bug, which I think was really enhanced by the spectacular, and at times, spooky lights!
