Panto set and painting

I've been working on the Jack and the Beanstalk set for the last few weeks. Here are some photos of the set and cloths.

Front cloth:

Ida Bean's circus wagon:

The Panto is set in a traditional circus, everything has an aged feel to it, achieved with tinted sepia glazes and paint flicking texture added to the signage.

 Other bits of set and signage:

I've had four work placement students helping with the project and a few other people building and painting with me. 

Thanks to:

 Sam Gillespie, Tashi Gregorska, Beatrice, Charlotte, Alice and Lila.

The Stick House Headcage

I Recently made a wire head cage for Jagprops a show called 'The Stick House', by Raucaus Theatre. It was performed in tunnels under the Temple meads train station in Bristol.

The Munitionettes - Fun in the Oven

This week I am working up in Newcastle on an R and D for 'The Munitionettes', a show by Fun in the Oven. The Munitionettes were the women that worked in the munitions factories in the first world war, often also referred to as the 'Canary girls'. Their skin turned yellow from constant contact with dangerous substances such as cordite.

Here is an interesting extract from the diary of Miss G West:

July 22nd 1916 Today I was shown over the factory as a great favour. First I saw cordite made into charges. Each charge consists of five or six little bagsful and a core. Each little bag is shaped like a lifebelt. The quantity of cordite it contains has to be weighed to a pin’s head. Even the silk it is sewn up with is weighed. Each bag contains a different weight and the five or six are then threaded on the core. The core is made of a bundle of cordite like a faggot. The whole charge is then packed in a box with a detonator. Then I was shown the lyddite works. This is a bright canary yellow powder (picric acid) and comes to the factory in wooden tubs. It is then sifted. The house (windows, doors, floor and walls) is bright yellow, and so are the faces & hands of all the workers. As soon as you go in the powder in the air makes you sneeze and splutter and gives you a horrid bitter taste at the back of the throat. After sifting, the acid is put in cans and stood in tanks where it is boiled until it melts into a clear fluid like vinegar. Then it is poured into the shell case. But a mould is put in before it has time to solidify. This mould when drawn out leaves a space down the middle of the shell. Before it is drawn out beeswax is poured in, & then several cardboard washers put in. Then the mould is replaced by a candle shaped exploder of TNT or some other very high explosive is put in. After this the freeze cap is screwed in and then two screws have to be put in to hold it firm. The holes for these screws must not be drilled straight into the detonator. If they do the thing explodes

Fun in the Oven are currently seeking more funding through a Kickstarter project, help if you can!:

Kickstarter page

Here is a link to my Pinterest board with more images and research

The Munitionettes Pinterest board

Panto - Jack and the Beanstalk

I've nearly finished the set and props designs for Jack and the Beanstalk! 

A traditional panto set in a circus.

Front cloth:

Modelbox

Trapeze puppets

Peepshow - Jack in the box

We are currently working on a new show for the peepshow box. 

It is called 'Jack in the box ' a traditional Georgian style pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk...in the box.

I've made some stick puppets, creating smaller versions of the puppets I made for the first show. The idea is that all the puppets are to look like Tony, who plays the Raree man.

Here is the giant's beard and beanstalk.

Watch it grow:

Tony is currently performing with the Peepshow up at the Georgian Theatre Royal

Pancakes for 'Sphere' - A project measuring health with wearable sensors

I knocked up some latex pancakes for my boyfriends current project 'Sphere'.

Link to more info

Fair Game R and D ideas

I was part of the team working on and R and D for a new show by Small Acts of Rebellion called Fair Game. Here are some initial ideas that came out of the R and D.

Book of Mormon costumes for the broadway tours.

The team at Jagprops have been working on two new Book of Mormon monster costumes for the American broadway tour. 

Ice cream costume for the new Blur music video - Ong Ong

The costume was worn by Damon Albarn in the video:

Link to video

Made for Jagprops, with help from Sam Batlle and Maddy Humbertsone.

Panto initial design ideas/sketches

Here are some initial ideas for each scene for Panto.

Scenic painting for 'Outside Mullingar' at Bath Theatre Royal

Scenic painting also by Cliff Thorne & Son.

Teeth are finished!!

Giant mouth costume is finally finished!! Here it is in action! 

Giant teeth costume for Kelly Miller Circus

I'm currently working on a giant teeth/mouth costume for Jagprops:

Carved using plastizote:

Some initial Panto research for 'Jack and the Beanstalk' at The Georgian Theatre Royal

This year our panto will be set in a circus!!

Peepshow model theatre

Finished the peepshow box model auditorium

Total of 500 seats!

Barbican: Magnificent Obsessions family day - Classification Station

Classification Station at the Barbican

An interactive game of sorting and classification.

Mufti Games at the Barbican this Saturday!

I've recently been working with Mufti games, on a new collectors game commissioned by the Barbican as part of their Magnificent Collectors family day.

We have been creating a new game that responds to their current exhibition 

'Magnificent Obsessions'

Classification station badges: 

The badge design is meant to look like crossed magnifying glasses, similar to the crossed keys design in The Grand Budapest Hotel, and also suggests a face with glasses and a moustache.

Info on this Saturdays event:

I'll be there all day Saturday so come and say hi if you pop in!

Bristol Blues exchange graphic design

We are back with this years Bristol Blues Exchange!

I've just finished the designs for the website, poster and flyer:

Tickets available soon!

Finished design for the European Blues Invasion Flyers, posters and t-shirt design

Here is the front and back design for the EBI Flyers, and  black and white T-shirt screen print design:

Peepshow auditorium model

Last week I worked on the inside of the Peepshow box that I designed last year. For the design of the auditorium I combined elements of the Bristol Old Vic and The Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond.

NYE Tobacco Factory Speakeasy

Working with the Food and Theatre company I recently designed and made the decor for the Tobacco factory's NYE Speakeasy bar. 

It was based around the concept of 'Frank's' bar, with brewed Frank's corn whiskey. Fran was the original architect for the Tobacco factory, and was part of the Wills family who owned it. The Frank's tobacco logo that I used was based on the original trade mark that W.D & H.O Wills used on their Tobacco products.

Granny chicken costumes

Granny chickens!

I've just finished making three granny chickens for a walkabout show.

The chicken costumes are made with three layers of fabric, a lining, wadding and fur.

Costumes were made for Jagprops, I was assisted by Victoria Wells and Jane Alison Price.

Chicken heads were made in advance by Lizzie Watts

SBTD exhibition - Make/Believe Nottingham

 My display at the SBTD exhibition in Nottingham, on until the 31st January.

More info here:
Link to SBTD website

I am exhibiting:

The Boy Who Cried Wolf - Tutti Frutti

The Raree Man Peepshow - Prom Prom Productions

Cinderella - Georgian Theatre Royal

Catalogue page:

The Boy Who Cried Wolf modelbox

I made the scale figures using a wire armature, Supersculpy for the figure, Das for the clothes and paint to finish.