Wardrobe are having a breakdown! – Wardrobe Supervisor, Amanda’s Blog

9 October 2013

In the Wardrobe Department, we like creating things, we like looking after things, and we like making things look nice. What we don’t like is destroying our costumes in the name of art – at all…. The trouble is, the costumes might look perfect when we’ve made them, but frankly, that just won’t do, they need to look authentic and lived in. This process is known as “breaking down” and can mean anything from a light sprinkling with fullers earth to create a dusty effect, to cheese grating a period suit and then setting fire to it – I know!

This happened during the preparation for our production of Sherlock’s Last Case when we were required to produce a suit which looked like it had been sprayed with acid and left to rot. Well, Eloise (Wardrobe Assistant) and I set to work with our trusty graters. We grated the jacket, the trousers, the waistcoat and mostly our fingers. If you ever find yourself in this situation, you will discover that a well made wool suit will resist the cheese grater for the longest time, but will eventually give in. Having reduced the 3 piece to shreds and liberally sprayed it with black paint, we presented our efforts to Simon, the show Designer. Simon looked doubtfully at our creation, “good start” he said with a raised eye brow “now set fire to it”… As I dragged the suit around the car park, looking for a suitable bonfire venue, I bumped into Production Manager, Lawrence who was all too happy to assist with his blow torch – a genius! As Nelly, Eloise and I looked on (from a safe distance) Lawrence set to work. The smell of singed and burning wool was quite delicious as you can imagine, but the job was done, and Sherlock Holmes became suitably attired, much to our delight.

Amanda Dooley
Wardrobe Supervisor