There are three. Three women in this story, three authors,
three actresses. As soon as I arrived on this project, I was introduced to the
characters of Charlotte Bronte, Virginia Woolf and Jean Rhys. Three women who
had connections with mental health and attitudes that were being described in
the piece.
I was familiar with Charlotte Bronte and her portrayal of
the mad woman in the attic in Jane Eyre. I was less familiar (and afraid of)
Virginia Woolf and knew nothing about Jean Rhys. I had a quick period of
research, speed reading through novels and films. I was amazed by Rhys’s Wide
Sargasso Sea and a depiction of mental illness which wasn’t dark and dour but
full of life, sensuality and expression. Each actor had already been given a
colour; yellow, red and blue for their personal props. To highlight this I
suggested everything else involved in the set was monochrome; whites, greys,
sterile, all colour coming from the creativity of the girls. We avoided black
in the set because it seemed too obvious and negative, the girls being
silhouetted against white instead.
Director Matt had said he really liked the idea of using
lace with the costumes. Lace depicting fragility and delicacy but also meaning
we could put bright clothing underneath monochrome lace and have the colour
poking through, as if the personality of the authors were trying to break
through. The costumes were tough because the girls had to be able to move in
them as well as showing the different characters. For Charlotte, the objective
Victorian, I found a long skirt and lace top, with a bow in yellow because all
the portraits of Miss Bronte have her wearing a bow on her dresses. Virginia
has a very Edwardian-looking white lace top and a red shawl, which she throws
off in frustration at the top of the show (ooooh symbolism!) Jean Rhys wears
trousers since she’s a 20th century women, she has loose lace tops
in blue and shimmering black, it’s very flowy, textured and less rigid then the
other two.
I’m really looking forward to the show going to the Brighton
Fringe and getting to join the gang in Edinburgh. All feedback we’ve had on the
set and costumes has been positive so I’m hoping people will continue to enjoy
what we’ve put together!
