Dressing for power

A story of deceit, entrapment, cunning, courage and fear and amazingly restrictive historical dress. Rebecca Fox discovers Mary Stuart has it all.

Not being able to dress themselves, move around freely or even breath normally is something two Dunedin woman are having to get used to.

Not because they are ill but because they are acting in the Globe's production of Friedrich Schiller's Mary Stuart, about the struggle for power between Elizabeth of England and Mary Queen of Scots.

While the play has been reworked by Dunedin historian and playwright Keith Scott, the costumes of the time have not.

Dunedin costume designer and Otago Daily Times columnist Charmian Smith grabbed the opportunity with both hands to create historically accurate costumes for the period drama.

The production is the brainchild of Scott, who has a background in German literature and memories of seeing the play performed at the Fortune Theatre in the late 1970s.

He and other German literature students had been called in to ''consult'' on the play.

''I was very impressed with it. I remember thinking it was a great play.''

So when it came time for the Globe to decide what it might, or whether it would, do something for Arts Festival Dunedin, it decided it needed to do something special, especially given the renovated facilities it now had at its disposal.

''We now have the space so we are able to do it. Scenes alternate between Mary in prison and Elizabeth in her palace but now we can use more of the stage, we have separate acting areas and can move quickly between palace and prison.

''It's exciting to see the Globe used as originally designed.''

Mary Stuart was chosen, although with some significant alternations to Friedrich Schiller's script by Scott.

Scott admits it was not easy to decide how far he should depart from the original script but realising he was creating for a 21st-century audience, not an 18th-century one helped.

''I decided to combine the two, a fusion of two times. It's not a historical pageant, it's more than that.''

One of the major changes he made was to have the two queens wearing period costume while the men wore modern day clothing.

''A lot of people said it wouldn't work but I think it works terrifically.''

It highlighted that the men surrounding the two women were policy makers, civil servants.

The modern clothing of the men highlights the differences in time but also its relevance to today, he says.

''It's a political thriller, a story about political ethics. Is the public good greater than personal freedom? How far can the State go to ensure the security of the State with compromising ethics?

''These are questions you could be asking right now; it's hugely relevant.''

As the original play was not that historically accurate, Scott has also tried to make it more so, in particular by Elizabeth using some of her own words from the time.

Transcripts from Mary's trial in 1586 also provided perfect lines for the play.

There have been recent adaptations of the play in Scotland, by Peter Oswald for a West End production in 2005, and in New Zealand in 2011, but for Scott, none sufficiently developed the

political elements of the play.

Scott also wanted to make the play more accessible, as the original one is five acts long. He immediately restructured it into eight ''episodic'' scenes, reducing the length of the play ''hugely''.

It focuses on the last six days in the life of Mary Queen of Scots. In the original, most of the first half concentrated on setting the scene with a lot of reported action.

''This worried me as many do not need to be told her story, just reminded.''

However, restructuring the play so much was a concern until Scott read a comment from a New York critic saying a production was good if you could be bothered coming back for the second half.

''So instead of repeating the past, the act is mostly Mary's trial for treason.''

Instead of much of the action happening off stage, as in the original version, Scott has brought those events on stage so the audience can see Mary's reaction to being found guilty of treason.

''It's an attempt to maximise the drama on stage rather than being told about it after the event.''

The costumes

Smith, who designed stage costumes before entering journalism, has spent about 500 to 600 hours designing and building the costumes.

She used portraits of the two women as starting points for the four costumes each for Mary and Elizabeth and two for Jane Kennedy, Mary's lady in waiting.

''This play is set in 1587, the year Mary was executed, so I've looked at portraits of Elizabeth, Mary and other noblewomen from around that period.

''Elizabeth and Mary's costumes are based on these portraits, specifically for Elizabeth, the Darnley and the Armada portraits, and for Mary a portrait by Hilliard.''

So that meant flat-fronted bodices that came out at the top creating a bustline quite different from today's ''push-up'' bras. The skirts are held out with either a ''farthingale'', which is a hooped skirt of the period, or a sausage-shaped pad known as a ''bum roll''.

However, they were not just replicas of historical costumes as they had to meet the needs of the play itself, the characters and the director's vision for it.

So the costume for the scene in which Elizabeth is flirting with the French ambassador and the mood is light and a little frivolous, the costume is bright, while in a later scene the mood is more sombre and the costume reflects this.

''I hope it reflects the mood in her court.''

The images of Elizabeth, especially, were also heavily jewelled so solutions needed to be found for that, as well.

There were also the ruffs, which required some research to find out how they were created, before finding a modern solution.

''I use organza and the secret trick is using fishing line at the edge.''

The bigger ruffs required an ''underproper'' to make them stand up and were boned and wired to ensure they last the distance.

As Elizabeth has to make a quick change in one scene it required a bit of planning.

''As you can imagine, you don't just slip on these costumes in a couple of minutes, so the costumes either side of the change have to be carefully designed so this can be accomplished.''

One of the biggest challenges of the endeavour has been creating the costumes on a restricted budget.

''I've become an expert op-shopper, rifling through bedspreads, curtains, duvet covers for suitable fabrics. The same goes for jewellery, which I pull apart and reassemble in the style of the period or sew on the costumes and headdresses.''

One of the biggest costs was the polyester boning needed to give the dresses structure.

It has also meant challenges for the actresses who wear the garments as they have to be laced into them.

It is the second time Terry MacTavish has played Elizabeth. The last version was a dance production.

''This is the real thing. It is wonderful to wear such authentic costumes.''

Smith's dedication to making the costumes accurate is ''unbelievable'', she said.

''It has a real period flavour.''

MacTavish spent 12 hours getting fitted for the four costumes, which also involve petticoats, stockings and wigs as well as the ''gigantic'' ruffs.

''Elizabeth was not trying to look pretty. She wanted to look imposing, formidable, one tough lady, so her dress was designed to intimidate.''

While the corset held her upper body firmly, her legs were free in the large skirts, enabling her to sweep around the stage.

''It's fantastic. I feel so powerful. I really feel potent which is a great blessing in a costume.''

The only issue has been trying to fit on her throne, which has arms on it, making it a difficult fit in skirts.

Helen Fearnley, who plays Mary Stuart, said it was a wonderful experience to wear the dresses.

''As an actor it is an exciting and rare opportunity to play with this standard of costuming. Being unable to dress and undress myself is a new experience.''

Having other women in charge of what she is wearing and how tight it is helped her get into the role.

''As a woman I have found it both physically and mentally engaging to have to adapt to the restrictions on my movement and breath.

''This aspect is visually reinforced in the production by the men being in modern [comfortable] dress.''

To see

Mary Stuart, is at the Globe Theatre, September 29 to October 8.