Marriage of Figaro

Here is the first revised drawing of my traditional Marriage of figaro. Still consumed with my undergroud one though!

underground opera

As I have started to design 'The Marriage of Figaro' , the creative juices have just rolled out, and I came up with the idea of an opera set on an underground station. We have a great book in our local bookshop of all the closed underground station which aren't used anymore; they are filled with beautiful 30's styling.

Tis photo is from the London Underground History website, which has the most fatastic pictures and facts about disused stations. Churchill during the war used the down street station as a air-raid shelter and had a bath and boiler installed! I love the idea of the characters leaving and arriving on tube trains!

I just have to find a suitable opera that would benefit from this transposition. The problem could be 'Marriage' could be the girl that could benefit! Arrrggh! my current design is set in period and uses complicated interaction between the costume and lighting. Oooh, if only I could channel one idea! It is like the night Thomas and I wanted to do a whole opera in knitting but that is a whole new idea.........

Littlwe white horse.

We two ancient beloved adulators of the book ' The Little White Horse' by Elizabeth Goudge trotted off to watch the film interpretation of the' The Secret of Moonacre'. Aaaaaargh! Jane and I are mortified, Rosie was scared and Holly blinded by the actor who plays 'Robin' she is now sighing through dinner time, 'loveblind'! This is a tragic grotesque mutilation of a wonderful story. They have missed the English tradition in the story and failed to appreciate the everyday magic that runs through the tale. Magic does not have to be mystical; it can be just about how we percieved what we believe or see.

The costumes had a beginnings of a good design and then somehow flipped out in to insane over loading of detail and colour ( believe me I am the last person to be called minamalist!!!!!) Did the Designer have a middle of the night panic that she wasn't innovative enough. The gang 'Noir' worked really nicely but the thing that really let it down was the God awful costume making.

Whats with the Japanese obi's on the back of the bustle dress!!!!!

I can't belive this new earmuff fashion won't take off! It's so FUN!!!!

first blog entry

Wow! this is really new to me and I haven't a clue but I guess I have got learn. I want to share my love of costume and opera on this site. I have promised my self to start designing costumes again and make some dolls to sell. I have finish my day working at a bookshop. I have been worshiping the book 500 dolls, I had no idea it excisted and what an art form. Some are so inspirational.