Peter and the Starcatcher
Tailoring by
Janson Fangio
Rick Elice's script, although by design very open to interpretation, makes some very specific demands on the costumer, not the least of which is THE COAT - The coat that starts out on Lord Aster, the archetypal, patriarchal hero, but is commandeered by the pirate captain Black Stache, a villain's villain. It, therefore, must not only physically fit two different actors but also visually suit both a model Englishman adventurer as well as, and even help to define, a depraved, villainous, if not comical, swashbuckler.
The two actors cast in these roles were of a very similar size and build which enabled me to make the coat to fit the slightly larger actor and it still looked fine on the smaller. Luckier yet, the larger actor was the one playing Black Stache, who wears it longer throughout the play and is the bigger part. I hand drafted the pattern based on a body coat drafting system from the 1880s. I tailored much of this coat by hand. All padstitching of the lapels, chest shields and collar as well as much of the lining was done by hand. Please consider the results: process shots included |
In addition to making these clothes and managing the the rest of the build, I also designed the costumes for this show. Want to see more?
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In addition to THE COAT, I made most everything else in Black Stache's wardrobe i.e. The Shirt and Trousers. Incidentally I made the vest as well but actually a year prior for our production of "Mary Poppins" which you can see here. Originally made for "Mr. Banks," I had the buttons changed and some fancy facings added to the bottom to "Swashbuckle" it up a bit.
You may note all the pockets in the pants; they were put there to accommodate all the property gags within the show, most notably a straight razor that had to appear and disappear often. |