Quick changes their specialty

Actor Nick Dunbar displays some of the 72 costumes in the 100-minute show The Hound of the Baskervilles at the Fortune Theatre. PHOTOS: STEPHEN JAQUIERY
Actor Nick Dunbar displays some of the 72 costumes in the 100-minute show The Hound of the Baskervilles at the Fortune Theatre. PHOTOS: STEPHEN JAQUIERY
Dunedin production has a pit crew of dressers making split-second costume changes.

The Hound of the Baskervilles stage manager and dresser George Wallace said the Fortune Theatre production had 72 costume changes during the 100-minute show.

''A lot of our costume changes are under 10 seconds.''

The quickest change took about three seconds, making the dressers like a pit crew, he said.

''The actors run past, we chuck the costumes on and they run back off.''

An average production had fewer than 20 costume changes, he said.

During the production, he and dresser Jordan Dickson stood backstage behind a blanket with racks of costumes.

The dressers hold the costume up ready for the actors - Patrick Davies, Nick Dunbar and Simon Leary - as they leave the stage.

To make the changes as quick as possible, the dressers have props within reach, such as hats on their heads, or pipes in their mouths.

During the preview performance, an actor went on stage in the wrong costume.

The actor was meant to be dressed as a butler but went on dressed as the butler's wife.

''The actors covered it beautifully with a lot of silly improv.''

The Dunedin run began on August 8 and will finish on Saturday. The cast and crew will have Sunday off before they begin touring the production around Otago and Southland for a fortnight.

''Then we'll have a good sleep.''

shawn.mcavinue@odt.co.nz

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement