yes... China, specifically, Chongqing.
The job was...
- Design thirty costumes for seven performers in a 1940's style
- Interview two of the second years to costume supervise throughout
- Source and make the costumes for the performance
- Travel with performers to China and put on the show of Under Milk Wood
The Workforce ready for action
Ian Burgam (lecturer), Franchessca Dunn (2nd year/Costume Facilitator),
Kirsty Parsons (Me/3rd year/Costume Supervisor/Designer), Emma Highgate (lecturer),
Stephanie Sutton (2nd year/Costume Co-ordinator)
The design process had to be quick and effective reflecting the period and the costume restraints. Each performer required a basic costume which would be worn for all their characters and then extra costume accessories and clothing to make up each of the 30 characters. This made the design process complicated. I therefore decided to use visual references rather than draw each character displaying a change in accessories. To find some of my reference images I looked back into my family history to find family members from that period that I felt reflected characters from Under Milk Wood. To find others I looked at genuine photographs from that period I could get my hands on and also looked into Fran's family history, there also a very famous statute of Captain Cat, (arguable the main character in Under Milk Wood,) in the marina that I have used as a reference image.
Captain Cat Statue in Swansea Marina
I learnt a lot early on in the project about how to accommodate costumes quickly for free, or cheap. The hardest bit of this stage was trying to make the costumes fit the period, so mainly it was about adapting, and extreme organisation to keep within the timescale and budget!
To my surprise I was more organised than i thought possible and all of the costume was complete a week before to allow us to concentrate on the finer details. Then it was a hop on the plane to Hong Kong, followed by an excitable seven hour wait, then back on a plane to Chongqing!
16hours 35minutes and counting...
Upon arrival I was exhausted. We all were. There was dinner in the hotel followed by over excitement lying in bed providing an inability to sleep.
Chongqing
The first day everybody was anxious I discovered that we would be working with Chinese students which had been suggested but never was finalised. A new challenge was set. As a costume team we now had an additional five members and we had to teach them about costume, its use , purpose and what we did.
The new improved costume team raring to go
From right to left back row then front
Steph (Costume Co-ordinator), Rita (Chinese student), Fran (Costume Facilitator), Laura (Chinese Student), Wendy (Chinese student), Bowden (Chinese Student), Emma (Lecturer), Kirsty (Me/3rd year/Costume Supervisor/Designer), Angel (Chinese Student)
This is us all after putting on our first show together. It was different to anything than i had ever experienced! There was nowhere to keep the costumes or to get the performers dressed as well as doing their hair and makeup so it all happened in the same room. The Chinese students learnt how to do the hair and how to do checks before they went on to perform. The most amazing part of this day was that they were so greatful that we had let them take part and excited to be a part of a production. It was Interesting to see how eager the Chinese students were to learn and how they wanted to do the best they possible could at all times
The production went off without a hitch, of course, even though we only had two days to work in our new Chinese friends into the play. However it worked perfectly and a few Chinese students had never been able to be involved in a performance before and they were brilliant!
My Waldo and Mrs Beynon
Nathan (Welsh Performer) and Shirly (Chinese student)
Narrator and Mr Edwards
Arthur (Chinese Student) and Rachel (Welsh Performer)
Whilst in Chongqing we didn't have much opportunity to get out in to the city but we were lucky enough to visit the last ancient part of Chongqing which was a market.
This is more of how I had expected Chongqing to look. The market was fantastic! It was so crowded there that you had to walk in single file all the way through. We got to delight a a real cultural experience. There was a wakeup call though as we realised we were not in a regular tourist site in China! We were ushered into the equivalent of a cafe by the local owners who were trying to encourage us to buy the local delicacy of .Hot Pot. We were quickly pulled out by one of our Chinese friends, Laura. Who revealed to us that there was dogs blood in the traditional Hot Pot!
We were also lucky enough to get to visit a temple, which was beautiful. We thought that there would be more building of this nature rather than the tall flats.
We had a chance to walk round and explore the Temple but also had a chance to dress up! so obviously being a costume student advantage needed to be taken!
Fran (Costume Facilitator) and Kirsty (Me/3rd year/Costume Supervisor/Designer)
We were told by the lady who helped to dress us that I was the Empress, and Fran my Husband, the Emperor.
However despite all this fun we were having the main reason we were there was to do the costumes for Under Milk Wood so the work continued and before we knew it we were on the last performance with just the welsh students. While we were there time flew by and although we thought there would be more time to explore, I couldn't think of a better way we could have all spent our time, than with the Chinese students.
The last Performance
Right to left
Rachel Clee, Chloe Priestly, Taylor Davis, Nia Haywes and Rachel Tregembo
(All Welsh Performance Students)
Our time with the students was so educational and filled with culture but it finally came time to say good bye. I had developed such a bond with the Chinese students who i had the pleasure of working with it felt odd to be leaving them. Fran, Steph and I managed to get a few more hours with the Chinese students by arranging for us all to go ice skating.
Me, Laura and Steph
Final we did have to say our goodbyes, with many hugs and tears.
Me and Rita
Fran and Rita
We got on the bus after our long, hard, wonderful and eventful trip to Chongqing and I was greatful to be going home but sad to be leaving giving me with mixed emotions but I wouldnt trade this experience for anything!
