Garsington over,.. and the last time in those beautiful grounds,..I think I actually had genuine emotions when Pippa, Melissa and I finally drove away.
It was a great season, we were very challenged with some of the looks we had to come up with,…but in the end the full-on-ness of Armedia was ( working solidly from 3:30- 9:00) something we really looked forward too,.. and the good humour of the chorus, made it fun.
Garsington in full swing,… a great summer, and we are stuck in the wine cellar, again !.
I am really lucky working with Pippa Woods and Melissa Van Tongeren, who create wonderful work and at the same time put up with my mood swings as we try and work our way through the operas,… Figaro looks wonderful, Robert is such a detailed designer,…sadly John Cox has said ( perhaps his arm can be twisted) this will be his final show for Garsington, – we have to introduce another director to Robert, someone with his talent can’t be lost to the States for good.
Well this is bits of all things,… have still been working on Harry Potter, and am doing fittings for the Garsington season,.. as well as trying to make some wigs for just a general period look.
After making some for Jenny Shircore for Young Victoria, I thought a few of those hard front tie backs would be good to have in stock,.. and lo and behold, I start and then get the designs for Figaro e mailed to me,.. how many tie backs do you want ?,.. I just happen to have some !
April saw me creating a load of hair pieces for the Crazy Horse night club in Paris,…Angela Cobbin has just asked for some more things for the American production of Mary Poppins and Karin Dawson has asked for some things for a television production of the Nativity she is doing for the BBC,…Garsington is just around the corner,… three operas… a gloriously traditional production of Figaro by Robert Perdziola, for Armida Ashley Martin Davis is creating a whole new look, Japan meets Thierry Mugler, and a very earth bound Midsummer Nights Dream for Francis O’Conner.
In March I fulfilled a personal ambition and have been working on Harry Potter – witches and wizards at the Ministry of Magic,…that is on going, which is great, pays the bills and gives me time to do the other stuff including a number of hair pieces for a new television mini-series.
February saw me off to create hairstyles on a huge Disney film, John Carter of Mars, very creative work designed by Kevin Alexander supervised by Zoe Brown. A sci-fi look with a vague retro feeling, based on Edgar Rice Buroughs 1920’s books. Interesting work but I can’t show you pictures yet as I would get shot by Disney!
It’s been a bit chaotic since the beginning of the year, but as usual never dull.
I was coming back from New Zealand, via LA, when I got a text “Come home, we have work ” – it was once again working for Jenny Shircore, I was asked to work on the film as well as making hair pieces, plaits, false fronts etc, for Bel Ami.
Well the play is finished,..what a trip, I havn’t run a show for a while,. but that was an interesting one to do. Complicite are an inspiring company to work for and the show got great reviews, and after a slow start ended up selling out !. Simon Annand came and photographed it all for his next book and as part of an exhibition at the V&A, Miriam Margolyes asked me to do her her make-up and hair for several public appearance and a photo shoot, and Tom Hickey has asked me to be involved in his next production at the Gate in Ireland and there may even be another job out of it,.. watch this space.
I have just finished working on the feature film ‘Clash of the Titans’ and now I am back in the West End actually running a show for Complicite. Originally I was asked to design the hair and make up for their production of ‘Endgame’ at the Duchess Theatre. However, one thing lead to another and it was decided they needed someone to come and do it for them!