Tips From Costumes Without Drama
Costuming school productions has a different set of parameters to West End productions.
Children need to look great on stage but it is actually more important that costumes fit the children - child size, not adult size adapted.
When you have 165 children getting dressed and on stage together, you cannot have wardrobe malfunctions. Costumes for school children need to be easy to put on, take off and look great - each time. There are teachers and parents helping to dress the children, but for the most part the children need to be independent. The costumes need to be easy to put on and take off.
Costumes Without Drama attempts to send costumes to schools approximately two weeks before the show, to allow children to try on costumes a couple of times before the production. This helps them get used to the idiosyncrasies of their own costumes and be able to help their friends look great too.
Once the children have seen their costumes, there is always a huge spike in the quality of their rehearsals; they suddenly seem to ‘get’ what their role is, and it all becomes very exciting.
