How final exams SHOULD be done

Today was the drama class' finals (finals, so American man) for the class which my boss teaches, as well as the million and one other things that woman handles!

Now when taking into consideration the teacher of the class, it was never going to be your ordinary final exam, noooo way.

The class had learnt and rehearsed Spoon River anthology by Edward Lee Masters and they each had an excerpt written by an imaginary character from the grave. So, how would one hold this final exam I hear you ask? Well, you could just have the students stand and read their pieces, you could have one on one performances in a quiet room... or.. you can take them around the centre of Rome to perform amidst the commotion of a city centre.

Filming in public spaces is never an easy task. This is due to a number of ever so slightly distracting noises. Wailing children. Buzzing motorbikes and car engines. Beggars hollering around for money and of course, the numerous helicopters around because today just so happened to be the canonization of the Pope. Whatever that means...?!

These pain the arse locations were actually only for the students that couldn't make the REAL trip. The next stop was the English Non-Catholic cemetery - spooooky. ..No really it was quite beautiful. It is actually the home to the graves of John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley - two major English romantic poets and also the German writer Goethe.

A student about to perform his monologue in the English Cemetery

Next stop, because no finals are final without a final celebration, was the beach. The sun wasn't shining, there were funny looking clouds that may even suggest that rain was on it's way. Did that stop us? Heeeell no.

I got to visit the beach for the first time in Lazio which was cool, we stopped at an apartment of a friend for a delicious Italian lunch (cooked by a New Yorker!) and of course, delicious Italian wine.

What better way to end a 'semester'! Makes me look forward to going back to university and having modules and final deadlines.. not sure it's going to be quite the same though..

The view of the Ostia beach front. Look at those stunning terracotta villas!

Folies Begere Costume & Headpeices I Crafted for 'Nine: The Musical'

We have now finished the performance 'Nine'. I admit, of all the show I have worked on here, this is the one I am most relieved to have finished. I really worked hard and I am looking forward to a few days rest. 

As the costume designer, I showed the ability to be incredibly resourceful; I undercut the costume budget by a significant amount. I did this by being resourcing and imaginative when shopping. This is incredibly satisfying as I know that for a company with such a small budget, an undercut of 200 euro is a serious amount. A few things were brought from new but apart from that I was as cheap as possible. 

My role during this show required thorough planning and organisational skills to meet our deadline last week and cover the vast amount of work I had. I am an excellent organiser in fact, and I am now utilizing this skill within my work to get the best results.

The project gave me confidence in my leadership skills the ability to allocate practitioner roles. The particular moment I am referring to in this reflection is here:  A Costumista's Catalyst

All the costumes and head pieces in the photo's are designed and created by me.

Folies Begere head pieces close ups 

La Fleur and her Follies Girls in full costume

Saraghina the volumptious, gypsy prostitute 

Saraghina's four gypsy sluttons

The Chorus members in their Overture costume

One of the fellow students filmed the show for his personal project and I was lucky enough to receive a copy. These are stills taking from the film of the performance. 

The overture scene

Louisa and Guido both in 60's fashion, and reporters

Guido's Italian mother in a Roma apron

Guido and the women in his life

Saraghinas sluttons dance, I love the lighting on this

Guido and Claudia, his muse

Louisa and Guido, Louisa in mock 60's glasses

Folies begere dance

Claudia, the muse

Carla, Guido's mistress in a genuine 60's leopard print coat and bag with a sexy red dress

Market bargains - Carla in her babydoll cami 

This was by far my best experience so far working with the theatre. My abilities were put to the test and I worked really hard - it paid off. I got lots of good feedback from people in the audience after the show about how amazing they thought the costumes were. A friend of a friend even asked 'Wow what was the budget for costumes this year?' .. that was really satisfying to hear knowing how little I spent. 

My Design Process as a Costumista for 'Nine': 21st March - 7th April

Costume design process for 'Nine'

This week I worked my socks off to ensure that the costumes would be ready for the show.

I understand the usual procedure for a costume designer would be to draw up costume designs and pass them on for other people to resource and create. As I would be resourcing the clothes and creating the costume myself I skipped this step due to being on a short time scale. I had 3 weeks to resource, fit, and create costumes.. and the cast wasn't small. I felt that I could use my time more wisely by noting down the costume ideas. I understand that this would not usually be possible in the industry, not only because people would need to see your ideas to visualise them, but because I doubt that the director would trust the designer enough to be able to let them go ahead without seeing anything. Luckily my boss had enough trust in me to let me run with my ideas.

Main characters:

Guido: Two suits- one plain and one plaid, one pair of stylish Italian sunglasses

Guido’s wife: Classy 60’s dress, casual but elegant. Monochrome colours. Long coat and stylish Italian sunglasses

Carla (mistress): Seductive and sexy babydoll/chemise for ‘A  call from the Vatican’, red dress & leopard print coat for second change

Saraghina (lead gypsy): Big bustier to show off her amazing assets and reflect the ‘volumptious’ character from the skirt. Fur, red and black colours. Fishnet tights. Skirt created from layers of material and scarves. Large gold hoop earrings, heavy gold jewellery

Claudia (muse): Long dress almost like that of a ball gown. Very high-profile actress

Guido’s mother: Modest clothing, long skirt and a top with an apron over the top

La Fleur (producer): Black blazer and black trousers with a sexy corset peeking out from underneath. Hot red feather boas to finalise folies’-bergere extravagant appearance.

For the overture scene (the opening of the show) I wanted all of the girls in the cast (the main characters & the 4 chorus members) dressed mostly in monochrome shades with sequins and sparkles. This would represent the dream-like state Guido is in, with all the women around him who are singing a very mesmerising ‘la la la la’ song.

The chorus members would then have two changes to follow and these would be as follows:

Folies Bergere: More sequins. Shades of pink, red, blue, purple. Think super sexy, small underwear, corsets, high heels and most important fabulous head dresses. Feathers and sparkles.

Gypsy Whores: Corsets layered up with large skirts that were somehow hideous yet sexy. A dark kind of clothing shades of greens, purples and deep reds. Fishnet stockings, scarves to build layers.

Once I had thought about what I was after I took a trip to the market and began rummaging through all the 50 cent and 1 euro stalls. Our budget was tight so these were the only stalls I would be buying from. I managed to haggle a couple of things I found for 2 euro down to my 1 euro a piece budget. Here are some of the pieces I nabbed on my first trip.

One size sequin boob tube 1€  --  Size 8/10 black cami 0.50€  --  Size 14/16 White bustier 1€

Red curtain material 0.50€    --   Size 10/12 black corset 1€    --    Red stretch cami 0.50€     --   Black silk skirt 0.50€

As I was buying from the market there was A LOT of the things that did not actually have labels in them. On my first trip (as I know the cast pretty well) I visualised the students with the clothing and thought about if they would fit. I understand this is not the most professional way of doing things however when I returned home and measured them against size charts – my predictions were really almost spot on. I then had the idea of taking a tape measure with me next time however it is good to know should I ever be without a tape measure I can fairly accurately estimate clothes sizes.

I judged the pieces not only by the size but also by the material and how much stretch there was to allow for manoeuvre.

I took these photos into show my boss after my trip to market to receive conformation that she was happy with the direction I was heading. She was happy and she was even more happy with the prices I had paid for these items.

Total spent so far: 4.50€

Before I made any more purchases I wanted to gather whatever I could use from the costume closet. I went over to Gaby’s and rummaged through masses of clothing. I pulled out everything I thought might come in handy and brought it back to my house.

I had a selection of clothing however I did not have enough pieces that I could try on the girls of even make full outfits with. I wrote down all that I had and assigned them for each member of the cast. For example if I knew I had a top that would fit the muse for the overture (a size 14) this meant I needed to find a size 14 bottom half to match that top. I wrote out all the things I would need and took another trip to the market. It was harder than expected finding large skirts with elasticated waist bands and I needed something that was versatile in size. To solve this problem I bought a number of scarves (actually very good quality scarves at a very good discounted rate after a bit of bartering) and I would fashion those as skirts.

That evening after my shop I began playing around with some outfit combinations on my bed. I would have tried them on myself (or a mannequin), but all these clothes were really varied in size so that would not have been possible. Instead, I envisioned outfits and arranged appointments with the cast to try on what I had come up with. Some were yet without bottoms but once I had allocated pieces to certain people that would give me a base to continue shopping and find something that would complement it.

Overture costumes

In fashion design, unless you are working with plus sizes it is rare that you work clothing for bigger girls. I know in my previous experience if ever people design things they design them to look good on small sizes (8/10). This meant that this was much more of a challenge. We had a huge mixture of sizes – the smallest being a size UK6 and the largest a UK20. Again, I bore in mind when shopping - I had to consider what the girls would be comfortable in – they are students after all, not practised actors. 

Folies Begere costumes

Once I had done this I took the outfits in for the girls to try on and see what worked and what didn't. It was also a good opportunity to see how the clothes fitted the girls. 

Some needed progress but were a good start... some worked..   but some needed work..

For a final time and I went back to the costume closet and resourced everything I could, plus a few cheeky extras from the market. Some outfits I tried various combinations to see what looked right.

One of the chorus members, Maria, trying on various Gypsy Whore costumes

Next stage was Folies Bergere. I had most of the costume but now I needed the headdresses. I did my research and looked at the styles they use, some of the shapes they create and tried to figure out how the hell you can support something like that on your head. That was going to be the tricky part. I had some ideas. I could use headbands to support the base and create a sturdy curved platform in the centre to use as the base for my construction. With a 20 euro budget for four head pieces, I took to the shops.

I first came across some mini bowler hats with black netting all over and adorned with sparkles and feathers. As it was a shop – my bartering skills could only work so far. I was offered four for a discounted price of 17 euro (they were originally 5 euro each). Knowing this would only leave me with 3 euro to spare, I looked for an alternative. 

I managed to find a smaller equivalent of the hats without the feathers and netting… for 1 euro each. Bargain. Here is what I managed to find- excuse the photo from eBay, I didn't take one myself beforehand.

Using these as a base I bought feathers separately, along with some fabric and managed to create the 5 euro hats for a much lower price of around 1.50 each. Perfect. Then they needed height and extravagance. 

Backstage I had found the most bizzare bright green water fountain plant type thing (sorry I really don’t know how better to describe it than that!). I had a vision it would create a most amazing headpiece so with that in mind for one of the hats I decided to go for three other similar plant decorative items to make the others. The colours would never work and they would look incredibly cheap so I used 5 euro from my budget to buy a fantastic chrome spray paint. (only then did I realise how fun spray painting is)

Spray painting is incredibly fun

My favourite of all the slightly ridiculous things was the windmill. The flower on the far left was originally one of those things you stand in your garden so that when the wind blows it flies around.

Tea and fag on hand for intense working

Now I had my biggest challenge… making these wearable. Not only wearable – danceable..

The first one I began making I used the lighter bits I had brought. I thought that this would allow me to start with something easier and learn more efficient ways of balancing. Here is one mid progress. I know, another awful photo. I WILL learn to record things properly.

Me giving the headdress a test-run

Once I had my first piece I fixed two extra flaps coming from the bowler hat to create more balance on the head. It was similar to a head band but made from stiffened fabric. This was so you could slide hair clips onto it and hold onto the head better. I designed them so that the clips would be facing the other way to the crocodile clips already fixed underneath the hat. 

Hat design to keep them on the head

We will create beauty

After weeks of pre-production preparation and panic we have finally arrived at the big day everybody is has been working their socks off for. Tonight at John Cabot University, an international university here in Rome, we will be performing our opening show of 'Nine'.

It's tense, exciting and nerve racking before a show. I can't speak for myself as an actor (god knows how terrified they must be!) however nerves do still creep up when you're up in that little magic tech box above the audience. A skill I have learnt here at the theatre is how to operate light and sound boards and so this has recently been my responsibility during the show - and I really enjoy it (AND get to see the show!)

Initially I would have expected to be backstage with the actors so that I could help them into their costumes and ensure that they are ready to go - however, with a role elsewhere this has meant I have instilled a confidence in them to dress themselves and help each other. I actually think this has worked out for the best. I'm not backstage fussing over them, perfecting every crease and ruffle and i'm sure it's as satisfying for me as it is to them when they come out looking fabulous.

Here's a sneak-peek photo of the Folies Bergere song from last nights dress rehearsal:

"We will create beauty"

A Costumista's Catalyst

I'm going to start with a little insight into my day today - because I believe it's been a catalyst for me starting up this blog.

Firstly a bit of background - I am currently working, among other things, as the costume designer for an upcoming performance of the musical "Nine". It's based on a Federico Fellini film favourite - 8 and a half. Fulfilling my role as the costumista, (costume designer) - do expect a big of Italian lingo slipped in here and there - I've been resourcing and fitting costumes and hand crafting head pieces for the Folies Begere number.

I spent the proportion of my day yesterday spray painting obscure faux flowers in a striking chrome colour and affixing them onto miniature bowler hats I managed to grab for a cheeky 1 euro each. I will include a more detailed post on these. My boss, an incredible lady who I could also dedicate a long ass post to, was actually rather delighted this morning when she saw them.

But the thing that really left me motivated this evening was how I surprised myself by taking on a leadership role stronger than I ever have. To sum it up: the lights we had for the show were not having a striking or professional impact on the stage. I was unsatisfied and drew up a light design for the show. With the help of two other students I instigated a swift re-working of the lights, directing and leading them to create the design I had drawn up.

I dare say, it felt pre-ty good taking charge and being assertive. A good skill to learn, and a good opportunity for me to practice it.

An Introduction...

Buonasera (Good Evening)

I would like to actually start by introducing my blog, and myself a little. I have been working in Rome as an intern now for.. let me see.. 7 months. (Wow). Living in another country lands you in experiences and situations you would never have expected for yourself - and it's really, really so interesting.

Alora, I want to share with you these adventures, escapades and general day to day happenings of my life here on this blog.

Expect some back dating - 7 months has gone by so there's a fair bit to catch up with...

Baci!

'NINE: The Musical' Research and Boards

I have been busy working on Nine and still stoked for project as I will have a much more hands-on role and freedom with my work. We have a cast of 11 characters with 2-3 costume changes each which is a huge increase from the last shows I worked on. I think this will be a challenge as I am going to have to work a lot harder - and faster to ensure everyone is ready in time for the show. I want to push myself and really prove my talent in this show.

I began by doing my own research into the themes, I said a while ago that I was going to create boards and I followed through and did it. This is quite a personal achievement for me as I often come up with good ideas but don't always persevere and follow them through. This time I have. 

This production screams sexy, showgirl and avante garde Italian fashion

Basic costume board for the 'Overture' scene

We have girls of all sizes in the production - from extra large to extra small - which means I need to create costume that is adaptable size-wise and keep it sexy. The above board shows my first ideas which I followed up with a trip to the huge fabric store I know of from my first few weeks here in Rome, Fratelli Basetti Tessuti. It felt good to need something and know where I can get it from. It has taken me a while to learn the best places to buy stuff however now I feel confident shopping in Rome and not getting ripped off. Which, believe me, is a challenge in it's self!

In the store I was shown rolls of sequinned materials, some were a million miles away from our budget - I'm talking 80euro a metre here (and I expect some are even more expensive) - yet some were much more in budget. I collected samples to attach to my boards.

The more expensive fabrics... so damn.. pretty...

More sparkles... just cheaper! Hooray!

I am uncertain our small 200 euro budget will cover the sequinned fabric to make the skirts however I enjoyed following through with the process as it was good practice for me. I used research skills from my two years at Coventry and knew the importance of collecting samples and getting a feel for the fabrics. My images and information has all been referenced too - another thing I would never have got into the habit of doing if it was not for our projects on campus. I realise now how even the smallest tasks and skills are important. 

Being in a fabric store that large was actually quite overwhelming - in a positive way. There are rooms after rooms of rolls of fabric, all unique and some really spectacular. Although I am not doing a collection for my final year I definitely want to include the use of fabric in the installation I hope to create. I have always enjoyed working with fabric and I want to create pieces that do not require the precision and accuracy of pattern cutting and making. I have confidence that with practice I would be capable to do so, however I feel it would be more beneficial for me to use my best skills - which is creating from a more artistic perspective where projects are more adaptable and you are able to modify and fine-tune as you go along.

We create a programme for every show and it is really important for everyone involved. It not only informs the audience but commends the actors who take part and help them publicise themselves - which is what the theatre aims to do as a spring board.

Nine programme designed by me - Front and Back

Inside pages of the programme with bios and photographs

Problems you face as a 'Sound and Lightboard' Operator... (Plus a pretty fascinator I hand-crafted)

We have now finished the showings of Hedda Gabler. As light and sound board operator I was constantly on my toes waiting for cues and preparing the next piece of music, I enjoyed the feeling of working under pressure!

This was a bit of a challenge for me actually and although I knew was I was doing, I got really nervous beforehand. I think it is because you are so aware that one mistake could really affect the show.

We did have one issue with the lights during the show - I opened the first scene with lights and all was fine. Until the lights turned off for a few seconds, then back on. The director was looking at me very "what the hell?!"ish and whilst I pressed buttons there wasn't a fix I knew of. Once I realised the lights were not stopping this crazy behaviour I used my initiative and turned up the lights manually. This is something that I would only ever want to do in a pickle like this as it doesn't look smooth at all and you cannot predict how it will look. I tackled this problem the best I could, and ensured the next night to arrive even earlier to test the lighting.

The intimate theatre space at the L'Archiliuto in an early morning light set

My gadgets - sound board (left), light board (right)

My finished fascinator

Shot from the show - Hedda and Loevborg

We went out for the traditional cast meal after the final show which is Gaby's generous thank you treat to everyone. Hedda, the main character played by Alashiya had written 'suicide notes' to each of us in the form of limericks and we all wrote (on our paper table clothes) a limerick back. I used to really enjoy poetry when I was younger and it bought back how naturally rhyming comes to me! I have explored yet another form of the creative arts whilst out here. Here's my little limerick:

General Gabler he led them all,

With his face I portrayed on the wall,

His young daughter admired,

But her life soon expired

With that trigger she chose to pull

As I think I previously mentioned, Gaby, is also a professor at the John Cabot University here and as part of her curricular work she was given the task to mark and assess a 23 videos entered by Italian students as a competition. The videos were the students interpretations of 'the namesake' the novel on which the first show, Under the Overcoat was based on. We had to work to a criteria and pick out certain aspects of the videos and analyse them to see how well the students did in terms of originality, performance, creative direction and other marking criteria. As a student it was very interesting to have a go at switching the role to professor. I used knowledge from my own previous feedback sheets to understand the basic idea of how it worked, but it was good to have Gaby to show me also how it can be done.

I just applied and received my codice fiscale, an Italian document which allows me to work in the country. Using the Italian systems was definitely a new experience for me, and a challenge if you count waiting in line for 4 hours trying not to melt of boredom. After the LONG wait I have my document and to make the most of this piece of paper I have applied for a part time role at a company called NutKase. They design cases for laptops and tablets and they are looking for someone to work within their marketing team and branding. I have now updated my CV to include my English Theatre Of Rome information and I have to say, (pardon me to blow my own trumpet!) I think it is now looking pretty good. I have dabbled in a lot of the skills required for the job and it would be an incredible opportunity to get the part time position - it will broaden my knowledge on marketing and branding which would come in incredibly handy in my third year and also look great as further work experience. 

Being props master can be stressful - But fun! 'Under The Overcoat'

Last weekend was the final weekend of the show.

During the show my responsibility was to ensure the cast had their costume ready, were wearing it correctly, and that the props were all correct and present on the props table. This was really important because the table was on view to the audience and once the show begun, all the prop changes were done on the stage.

The props table that would be on display

This job I actually found rather stressful. After each show (and the rehearsals) the actors in their own rush would leave numerous clothes and props scattered everywhere. This meant Eve and I had to then gather them all up and tidy them or re-arrange them. This was using more of time then necessary and the question "Why is my..." really began to grate also. To solve this problem we addressed the actors and asked them to please take responsibility for their costume/prop once they had used it. We had to ask this several times and I can be quite a soft touch but learnt to stand my ground.

I mingled with the audience during the intermission, offering authentic Italian food to compliment the theme of the story and give the cast time to prepare for Act II. One night, I also got to see the rather hilarious sight of half of the audience members gasping for water after eating curry that was just too hot for them to handle. He he

During the show, I was the soundboard operator. This involved playing sound effects and music at just the right moments and fading them in/out effectively. I enjoyed this role, and when I had time peeked over Eve as she ran the light board. It was interesting to see how lighting can create a dramatic look on stage and add to the imagery, I wanted the opportunity to run the light board in the future and create some light design myself. It would be useful skill to be able to design lights, not only for in the theatre - but also during photography shoots and films.

Dramatic lighting effect creating during a 'Train Crash' scene

Eve and I in the tech box.. where the off-stage magic happens

After the show comes post-production which involved returning any props, dry cleaning and returning the beautiful saris and other garments lent by the Indian Embassy ladies. This I took upon myself and actually went into the Indian Embassy in Rome which I have to say is really a beautiful, beautiful building inside and out.

Next week we will begin work on pre-production for the upcoming show - Hedda Gabler. I am keen to start work on this as I will be involved from the very beginning, able to conduct my own research and create suitable costume for the characters. I felt that I did not quite have that with Under the Overcoat because I joined later.

I received positive feedback from both Theo and Gaby. Theo recognised that I am a hard worker however advised me that I need to be more confident when making decisions - If question myself, then other people will too. I found this feedback useful and will be more assertive when working with the next project. I feel like I will be more confident in doing so as I will have been present from the start.

Theodora, the cast, and I before the final show

An insight of working with a small theatre company

This week I began working on the upcoming play 'Under The Overcoat'. On Sunday evening I went to the choreography rehearsals and met the director, Theodora Voutsa, daughter of Kostas Voutsa - a Greek actor, director and writer.

My job title for this show would Prop and Costume Assistant. I gathered all the information regarding props and costume that I would need to do my work from Theo - this was the first time I think I had ever taken a notepad somewhere and actually used it. Turns out they are indeed, very, useful thing to carry around. 

I also met Gaby's other intern, Eve and we cracked on right away delegating between us which props we would resource separately and which we could shop/hunt for together. This plan was important to make sure everything would be done on time. 

Within the English Theatre of Rome we work with a very small budget. This taught me about the finances when working with a small independent company. I feel that my personal skills in being frugal and logical when it comes to money could really be utilized within the theatre. 

As design assistant I took the opportunity to contribute my visual ideas for the performance such as the set design and also took on the role of creating some of the more complex costume pieces - In this case the traditional Bengali head-pieces for the bride and groom.

Please read a more recent post on this here: Bengali Head Pieces

This week opened my eyes to realise that I am a good problem solver and logical thinker. There were occasions where a particular strategy or idea was suggested and I voiced my opinion on how it could be done with more ease and efficiency - I was credited with good feedback from that.

I am self-teaching myself some basic Italian and I have arranged with to meet a friend of Gaby's each week and have an hour of language exchange. The idea is we both bring a text book and set each other some 'homework'. Our first lesson really helped my pronunciation and also his language skills too. To aid my learning I have began to create illustrated pages with common Italian phrases and words. As a visual worker, I think this will help me memorise words more easily.

Over the weekend we were really busy which was good for me as I work well under pressure. Eve and I resourced most of the props and transported them to the University where we would be holding the show and rehearsals.

Watching the rehearsal taught me a little about how theatre works from the acting side of it, which is new to me. I was interested to learn and see more. Theo held an exercise to draw out sadness in the class and show how this method can be used to portray convincing sad-acting. She had everyone, myself included, think of a nearest and dearest person who is currently alive - and imagine them dead. Then we wrote a list of things we wished we could have done with them. It was honestly heart-wrenching, it reduced half the group to tears. I actually thought this was really interesting, the point of it was to show how if you are convincing, the audience can relate to the character and are instantly more involved and it makes for a realistic show.

I started to realise how important communication is within work. I found I could sometimes be a quite solitary worker, not informing others of my progress or keeping them up to date with where I am with my work. I learnt that this was not always the best way to go and that sharing your progress can not only ease the worry of others but also allow people to offer me help if needed. Basically it can be a lot easier for me and others if I do so.

Another duty of mine was to take the reservations. I had learnt already how to work with the database and I am polite by nature, so sending lovely emails back to the customers was a fairly easy task. 

We met met the wives of the Indian Embassy employees and they taught us about the traditional clothing worn for Bengali weddings, which fabrics would be used and which colours were popular too. They bought in their own garments (which were incredibly beautiful, one was even her old wedding sari!) and offered to lend us their own clothing and jewellery to use in the show, I arranged to meet them later in the week.

Some of the stunning gold jewellery brought by the ladies of Embassy

If could compare this experience to project research like we do on our modules at university, this would be the best source of primary research. Learning first hand from traditional Indian women was so fascinating, and indisputably accurate - unlike some information you can find on the web. This really showed me how vital primary research can be and I will use as much as I can in the future. 

Monika demonstrating how to correctly wear a sari

After showing I could work well, Theo and Gaby decided to up my role and hand me the full responsibility of costume and props. I started to study the characters, think about their personalities and show I could reflect that in their clothing. I found this process similar to the work I did creating customer boards and designing clothes for that market during my second year at University.

By this point I had also moved into my new apartment with Michele my new house-mate, an older Italian man who was renting a room for a good price in exchange for the lodger (me) dog sitting 2-3 days a week. I was settling in and learning my way around. 

New canine companion, Chira