https://angusjacobscreative.com/about-me daily 0.75 2021-04-27 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/60886db1698d4111a8551cce/1619553720834/image1.jpeg About Me https://angusjacobscreative.com/contact daily 0.75 2021-05-05 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6086fae76a3e4d2a05a1abaa/1619458803280/10826070514_308c71c504_o.jpg Contact https://angusjacobscreative.com/testimonials daily 0.75 2021-07-05 https://angusjacobscreative.com/home daily 1.0 2021-07-11 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/601068d1391ee9312d375bc9/1611689171267/0.jpg Past Shows https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/605525063e719350771d4201/1616192780618/new+name.png Past Shows https://angusjacobscreative.com/home/soho-cinders monthly 0.5 2021-04-11 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6057622d7ff8335e3a0beb24/1618138584358/48263827921_f51a562891_k.jpg Past Shows - Soho Cinders - Soho Cinders is a witty, heartwarming musical twist on the classic fairytale. Scroll ↓ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/60605eebd0939c02bc1ef0c3/1618138584364/48248103921_0b1221fc91_k.jpg Past Shows - Soho Cinders Several years ago, my very good friend Ryan Macaulay introduced me to Soho Cinders and suggested it would be a good show for me to direct. He knows me very well, as I fell in love with it instantly - the catchy tunes, the witty one-liners and the modern twist on a well-known fairytale. Not done very often and right up my street. A modern twist on Cinderella, the story is about a same-sex love that blossoms regardless of background, and age and set against a political landscape - at the time the production went up we were in the throes of Brexit, so it was very relevant. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6060606222d03f07ff3f2745/1618138584370/48263896582_e0bd243164_k+%281%29.jpg Past Shows - Soho Cinders I had some unusual requests for the set designer - the amazing Andrew Laidlaw, and he rose to the challenge. One of the main locations in the show is a laundrette "Sit & Spin" and I wanted a washing machine that 'broke down' cascading bubbles out onto the stage, during Robbie's solo "They don't make glass slippers". I wanted a pair of sparkling/glass shoes to 'magically' appear from above in a perspex box, which he could then waltz with like Cinderella would have done in the ballroom - both and more were achieved. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/606060799c3c7737d9c624d9/1618138584377/48248079051_8060ea144b_k.jpg Past Shows - Soho Cinders I am immensely proud of the production and the fun we had doing it - It will always have a special place in my heart! “A hearty and sincere production, it’s a more complex story than the traditional fairy-tale from which it is adapted, but it’s a lively and engaging one at that.” Soho Cinders, 2019, London Theatre 1 All Photography by David Ovenden https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6060604dae48e22cb3ca1a7d/1618138584367/48248090186_fb8ab09e00_k.jpg Past Shows - Soho Cinders I wanted the show to be character-driven, and to tug on the heartstrings. We worked hard on that in rehearsals and it paid off - love is love and will conquer all! I was very keen that this shouldn't be a pantomime but I wanted the 'heightened' characters such as Dana and Clodagh (the ugly sisters) to be just that - over the top but real. The sort of realism we saw when Ryan and I spent a day on Old Compton Street watching the world go by, gathering inspiration and observing the myriad of characters who frequent that melting pot of ethnicities, religions and sexual orientations - a meeting place for all. https://angusjacobscreative.com/home/priscilla-queen-of-the-desert monthly 0.5 2021-04-11 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072d68361a8284a2350a47d/1618141036308/unnamed.jpg Past Shows - Priscilla Queen of the Desert - Director Angus Jacobs and Choreographer Eloise Horton make the cast work hard and cover every inch of the stage in some really impressive dance numbers. Terry Eastham - London Theatre 1 Scroll ↓ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072d6f7a0665b10b456c3f3/1618141036316/unnamed-3.jpg Past Shows - Priscilla Queen of the Desert I felt honoured to be asked by the production team to direct Priscilla Queen of the Desert, though I have to be honest and admit that I had to give it some serious thought. Firstly, how on earth could you get the star of the show Priscilla (a bus) on the Bridewell stage? (the theatre only seats 134 audience members, and secondly, did I want to be in it? It didn't take me long to make the decision.... how could I turn down the challenge of directing such an amazing show. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072d7ad957bbe38450e33cc/1618141036323/unnamed-1.jpg Past Shows - Priscilla Queen of the Desert How did I approach the challenges? Well, taking inspiration from the show Made in Dagenham where a Ford car is represented in different parts, I thought the same could be applied to Priscilla (the Bus), and hidden on stage within the set it could pulled out by cast as part of the choreography when necessary. We also couldn't 'fly' the Diva's so by creating a platform at the back of the stage it created the illusion of them 'hovering' above and watching the action happening below them. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072d73fddcd1d74a7a43853/1618141036320/unnamed-2.jpg Past Shows - Priscilla Queen of the Desert Anyone who saw Priscilla Queen of the Desert in the West End knows that it is a huge show in all senses of the word, and bringing it to the Bridewell Theatre would be a challenge, and one I couldn't resist. With that in mind, I wanted to create a more intimate show, with a different look and feel. It's a story of friendship, love and achieving dreams and our strap line" A Journey to the heart of fabulous" was perfect, and I was adamant to draw out the heart of story and also not lose the hard-hitting incidents of abuse and homophobia. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072d85201a4c30c5bce5f9b/1618141036327/unnamed-4.jpg Past Shows - Priscilla Queen of the Desert - And then the costumes, we couldn't hire them in as they were too big so the only option was to design our own, and with a generous legacy, I started exploring and sketching ideas appropriate for drag queens, the story and the restrictions of the Bridewell. If you want to know more about my approach to the design and styling of the show, go 'behind the scenes’. All Photography by David Ovenden https://angusjacobscreative.com/home/grease monthly 0.5 2021-04-20 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/607f1b94db93c87855271499/1618942878251/Grease%2Bshow%2Bpage.jpg Past Shows - Grease - Directed and choreographed Angus Jacobs and with musical direction from Julie Dance, this first-class production had tons of energy and bubbly performances. Chris Horton - NODA 2015 Scroll ↓ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072e36f8ab3e46346281e88/1618142288779/Grease%2Bshow%2Bpage.jpg Past Shows - Grease - The set was bought in and brand new, and designed like a jukebox that opened out to show the various settings. This was new to me, and working on a stage much bigger than the Bridewell was a joy! I wanted to breathe new life into the choreography and was keen to avoid the standard "go greased lightning'" moves. However, that particular move is immortalised and expected so I included it once at the start of each chorus and then offered slight variations on the repeats, the rest of the choreography was created solely for BATS version of Grease. I thoroughly enjoyed working with BATS, and look forward to doing so again - fingers crossed for Chicago in 2022. (postponed from 2020!) All Photography by James Peer Photography https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072e0a10017b667b0d410ed/1618142288772/BATS%2B-%2BGrease%2BNov%2B2015_12.jpg Past Shows - Grease I was determined to cast the show as close to the playing age as possible, too many times have I seen Grease where the lead roles have been played by people just that little too old, I didn't want that and I also wanted to draw out the humour and the 'darker' storylines. The lead roles were all young, fresh and energetic just what I wanted and the character parts were fantastic too. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072e0563aeb4c2a726ebf33/1618142288769/BATS%2B-%2BGrease%2BNov%2B2015_13.jpg Past Shows - Grease Well originally it was going to be West Side Story, but unfortunately, the rights didn't come our way. However, another 'young person's’ musical was available and so we decided to do Grease. Hmm, how to do breathe new life into such an iconic and classic musical - especially when you are working with the society for the first time! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072e3b39542b97e73bbba3d/1618142288775/BATS%2B-%2BGrease%2BNov%2B2015_5.jpg Past Shows - Grease Then we lost our Miss Lynch due to work commitments - we searched around for an appropriate replacement and couldn't find one. Then I had a brainwave - why not cast Miss Lynch a la Edna Turnblad in Hairspray? A man playing a woman - and so we convinced the Assistant Director, the late Gary Myers to do it ... and he did and almost stole the show. Well in the High School Dance Off - I think he/she did! https://angusjacobscreative.com/home/too-darn-hot monthly 0.5 2021-04-11 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072e6578ba1797240cd8d46/1618144938402/5042316595_cb2bbc87bd_o.jpg Past Shows - Too Darn Hot - Think ‘La Dolce Vita’, Sophia Loren, torpedo bras and ‘wiggle’ skirts, Frank Sinatra, skinny suits and ties plus a touch of Italian jazz and of course the Vespa! Scroll ↓ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072e6830017b667b0d44a4d/1618144938412/5042317955_d1b748529b_o.jpg Past Shows - Too Darn Hot - When I was talking to a friend about this show as a concept, they challenged me to try and add a storyline purely through song. How could I not pick up the gauntlet? I invited the audience to follow the journey of naive Anna who on hearing about a film premiere happening in her city (Music to Watch Girls by, by Andy Williams), was determined to meet the director and become a star (Paparazzi by Lady Gaga). Along the way, she meets an array of people and experiences love, betrayal, desire and mystery (Vanity Kills, by The Codeine Velvet Club). Other songs included: That's Life (Michael Buble version), Mr Bojangles, and numerous songs from the musicals, "Arthur in the Afternoon" from And the World Goes Around, Man Wanted from Copacabana and Mama I'm a big now from Hairspray - amongst many others. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072e6b0cd5e2035f1a70e6b/1618144938416/5042940122_1e5935ed74_o.jpg Past Shows - Too Darn Hot - With regards to the songs in the show I was keen to include "mash-ups" much like that popular TV Musical show Glee - in Too Darn Hot, successful collaborations included: Perhaps, Perhaps Perhaps into Sway (both by Doris Day), Dancing Dan into Me & My Shadow (both from the musical Fosse, and Well Did you Evah into The Rich Man's Frug)! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072e6cb61a8284a23516068/1618144938420/5042316423_ce5365a1f1_o.jpg Past Shows - Too Darn Hot - The set once again was static much like Red, Hot and Black but this time the surprise was the fact that the stairs would light up when people stepped on them - which was used to great effect in "If You Could See Me Now" from Sweet Charity. All Photography by Nick Chronnell https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072e66b1fa31b07e8b0e506/1618144938408/5042316877_09c6cc2658_o.jpg Past Shows - Too Darn Hot Too Darn Hot came about having watched the black and white movie classic La Dolce Vita, and me falling in love with the iconic Italian setting, and my fascination with the female fashion items of the period the 'torpedo' bra and the 'wiggle' skirt! So, I started doing some research - and swing was very popular and Robbie Williams amongst others had released some very successful albums, so much like Red Hot & Black I wanted to weave in modern pop which might easily fit within that period. I think I achieved my aim when an audience member asked me about one song in the show which they thought they recognised from when they were younger but couldn't place it was "The Promise by Girls Aloud". https://angusjacobscreative.com/home/hot-mikado monthly 0.5 2021-04-20 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/607f18b7db93c8785526b83a/1618942158435/11189164116_4ac65fde06_o.jpg Past Shows - Hot Mikado - East meets West head-on in this hilarious 1930’s-style update of a Gilbert and Sullivan favourite. Scroll ↓ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/607f18f894fa5105967fcc78/1618942215672/11086373103_1d555c6c6a_o.jpg Past Shows - Hot Mikado - I had a clear vision that I wanted to draw out the ban on flirting by setting the opening in a 'speakeasy', Nanki-Poo should be an 'outsider' - an awkwardly British Bertie Wooster type character, when everyone else was 'American' and I wanted to put a dance break in the middle of the 'Three Little Maids' . We approached the rights holders about adding a 'Pencil Full Of Lead' by Paulo Nutini at the start, and inserting the dance break and they agreed! Fabulous... we were up and running. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/607f18d57657094a28455992/1618942191450/11189121485_62d873ff5c_o.jpg Past Shows - Hot Mikado - This was the first book musical I chose to direct and choreograph, having built confidence from the previous cabarets. Why this show? Well, I loved the fact it had the word 'hot' in the title which carried on a theme but mainly it had catchy jazzy tunes adapted from the traditional G&S Mikado, a fun/comedic storyline and some great characters. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/607f19109988a237c78bcba7/1618942255002/11086262466_4f17f3fb28_o.jpg Past Shows - Hot Mikado - The next challenge was if we set the show in a 'speakeasy' how do we then transport the cast and audience to the 'magical' world of Titpu? Obvious! We insert rotating walls - on one side we created the walls of a speakeasy, and on the other we painted the representation of the famous blue and white Minton willow pattern ceramic design - which interestingly depicted a similar story to that of the Mikado At the end of the opening, the cast ran through' all at the same time, with a pagoda, cherry blossom tree and bridge all coming in at the same time et voila - immediately transported to another world. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/607f193e830b8d7259981445/1618942294257/11189121785_9f85ca87d1_o.jpg Past Shows - Hot Mikado - I'll never forget the first night the transformation came together perfectly and the audience all applauded. It still remains one of my proudest creative moments - but it would never have been possible without the amazing production team I had as revolving walls was not an easy task in the Bridewell Theatre! Photography by Michael Smith https://angusjacobscreative.com/home/kiki-club-back-to-berlin monthly 0.5 2021-04-11 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072f74ff741187a0ddd3a5a/1618147171568/Photo+23-09-2011%2C+21+41+48.jpg Past Shows - Kiki Club - Back to Berlin - We performed amongst the bistro guests, wanting to make it interactive and inclusive which made it exhilarating and scary all at the same time. Scroll ↓ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072f59cc7789b592e930875/1618146751739/Photo+23-09-2011%2C+21+35+24.jpg Past Shows - Kiki Club - Back to Berlin I was approached to provide the entertainment for a late-night pop-up bistro event who wanted to recreate the licentious sights and sounds of the Weimer Berlin cabaret scene, and hence The KiKi Club was created. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072f6d061a8284a23522340/1618147096997/Photo+23-09-2011%2C+20+55+03.jpg Past Shows - Kiki Club - Back to Berlin - Inspiration came from Kander & Ebb's own Berlin based musical Cabaret, a couple of modern 'pop' songs such as Madonna's 'Hanky Panky' performed by a female dominatrix with a horse crop and two male dancers, who lost the 'seat' of their trousers to expose their bare buttocks, throw in a drag queen, and once again the Burlesque fan dance - this was a risque production in all senses of the word. We performed amongst the bistro guests, wanting to make it interactive and inclusive which made it exhilarating and scary all at the same time. We didn't know what to expect and that was the beauty and fun of it. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072f676f9e2152dd7132f67/1618146987508/Photo+23-09-2011%2C+20+52+16.jpg Past Shows - Kiki Club - Back to Berlin - My aim with this production was to keep it fresh, and organic and with that in mind I pulled together a group of friends who I knew would work hard, and not be phased by the unexpected as we wouldn't see the venue until the night of the performance, no dress or tech rehearsal - scary stuff! We had only six rehearsals - I didn't want it to be too polished (very unlike me), and by reducing the rehearsals I hoped to create the rawness from those 'underground' cabaret clubs at that time in history. https://angusjacobscreative.com/home/red-hot-and-black monthly 0.5 2021-04-11 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072f945957bbe38450fba45/1618147660932/5506160443_8c815d34fe_o.jpg Past Shows - Red Hot and Black - Red Hot & Black will be a vibrant and modern production to challenge anything else on the London Fringe. Seductive, sensual and sexily dressed all in black, with a classy but modern twist. Scroll ↓ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072f95ace2041659f1a9939/1618147685935/5506757846_ce462f1558_o.jpg Past Shows - Red Hot and Black - Red Hot & Black was an idea I had in my head for a long time. I didn't have the confidence to do a full-scale musical but wanted to do something. A show that lots of society members could be involved in, not driven by the restrictions characters in a musical can sometimes bring, plus I wanted to combine some of my most favourite things: tap, burlesque, fosse and integrating pop and musical theatre together. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072f96e0017b667b0d51ffb/1618147723878/5506758288_f5f7523fe4_o.jpg Past Shows - Red Hot and Black - Once I had the concept someone asked me - what's the theme? My response? it doesn't need one, however on reflection I thought about introducing an item of red in every number, whether it be in the title of the song 'Red Blooded Woman - by Kylie' or a pair of red ballet shoes, or an old-style camera on a tripod painted red. They say sex sells and Burlesque was incredibly popular at the time, and I wanted to introduce elements of that into the show - and what a better way than to include a 'fan dance' - where a talented performer protects her modesty with the use of large fans! The challenges were who would do that, and budget! One very talented, and brave friend was up for it and subsequently performed the 'fan dance' on numerous occasions! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072f9aecd5e2035f1a7f19c/1618147810650/5506758342_e4e599ec87_o.jpg Past Shows - Red Hot and Black - Another very close and supportive friends asked me one night what would elevate the show to another level and I said feather fans, and with that they gave me an incredibly generous donation to buy some, the introduction of 'late night' 10.00pm performances offered the opportunity to be a little more risque - and boom! Red Hot & Black was created. Keeping a static set, with levels, central stairs with an entrance at the top surrounded by lightbulbs and a grand piano on stage created a simple but effective visual - it went on to be a critical and financial success for Sedos - which I was immensely pleased with. All Photography by Nick Chronnell https://angusjacobscreative.com/home/victor-victoria monthly 0.5 2021-04-11 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6072fc9a8ba1797240ce87f5/1618148515730/15883864075_d0b964baa1_k.jpg Past Shows - Victor Victoria - We know we're in Paris, but is this person a he or a she? A man or a woman? What confusion... what fun! Scroll ↓ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/607f12011608ba3a002c3429/1618941214264/15858055096_78657b07dd_o.jpg Past Shows - Victor Victoria - Set in 'gay' Paree in 1934, I wanted to incorporate period touches throughout including the set, and costumes. I was also keen to have the iconic structure of the Eiffel Tower, visible at all times. But how to represent the hotel rooms, and numerous scene changes? Easy - we create two large half-circle raised structures on either side of the stage and put them on a pivot. When one side was visible to the audience, the backstage side was being frantically re-dressed by the stage crew. We represented the various hotel rooms with clever lighting and using the raised levels. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/607f10aeb1cd6624d049a984/1618940175714/15696354608_62d8b78ba6_o.jpg Past Shows - Victor Victoria - Sedos were in a dilemma, the rights of their scheduled show had been withdrawn and the director didn't have a backup so not only did they not have a show, but no director. I was on the committee at the time and therefore offered my services and had the choice of two shows: Anything Goes and Victor/Victoria. Considering the latter includes one of my all-time favourite show tunes "Le Jazz Hot" it was a no-brainer. There is much hilarity and humour in this show, plus moments that tug on the heartstrings and all of these elements meant I was determined to create an authentic production, drawing out those moments in equal measure which we worked hard with the cast to ensure we did just that. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/607f1121db93c8785525c393/1618940316561/15697849989_a899a4a7ac_o.jpg Past Shows - Victor Victoria - What I didn't do in making my choice, (and have subsequently learnt from the experience) was read the script! Although I knew the film well, I'd forgotten the farcical scene depicting different hotel rooms, on different floors and the significant number of locations - how could I make this work in the close confines of the Bridewell Theatre? https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/607f15282de74f5ce18d4a48/1618941243011/15264231683_10c2fa64ff_o.jpg Past Shows - Victor Victoria Victor/Victoria is a fascinating story and a real challenge for any actor - and we were incredibly fortunate to have a fabulous actress/singer/performer (Emma McAllister) step up to that challenge, hardly ever off the stage, in the role of a lifetime. Playing opposite her, the equally talented and charming (Alex Magliaro) meant the chemistry built and sizzled throughout the show - drawing out those poignant moments really well. I am tremendously proud of the production team, all the cast and crew of this production, it was not easy and was pulled off in a reduced timescale. Photography by Nick Fyson https://angusjacobscreative.com/behind-the-scenes daily 0.75 2021-05-02 https://angusjacobscreative.com/behind-the-scenes/rehearsals monthly 0.5 2021-03-14 https://angusjacobscreative.com/behind-the-scenes/costuming monthly 0.5 2021-04-20 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6086ff2e2f16d85113b9ad4b/1619459894068/liberine+1.jpg Behind the Scenes - Costuming Having worked with Anne-Marie on various shows, she asked me if I would be interested in styling her production of The Libertine. How could I refuse the following brief: A Vivienne Westwood-inspired pallet of punk rock meets 18th century opulent hedonism. I loved the challenge of this brief. I immediately had the idea of combining authentic period costumes; the frills and flounces, luxurious fabrics and deconstructed mini crinolines with DM’s leather chokers, bold stripes and zips which were common in punk rock styling. Making the ensemble mono-chrome with clashing patterns and textures was a contrast to the principles I very much wanted to enhance, which was in keeping with Anne-Marie’s approach to the production. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6086ff3e18ed3b7e353e6ff8/1619459912230/libertine+2.jpg Behind the Scenes - Costuming - Testimonial I loved working with Angus. He has an excellent eye for details and taking a general concept, asking the right questions and running with it. He was always open to adjustments and more importantly was flexible and creative when it was clear that initial ideas weren't quite matching up to the direction of the character as it developed during the process of rehearsals. He generated a sense of confidence that no matter what direction we went in that he could source and realize the vision. Hands down I'd work with him again. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/60870468c5a9724192dc4ec8/1619461235388/hot+mikado+2.jpg Behind the Scenes - Costuming The orchestration of Hot Mikado is up tempo and has swing at its heart. So, for the men the styling was influenced by the 1950’s ‘Rat Pack’ and for the women I wanted them to be sexy with ‘a nod’ to traditional Japanese influences. By putting Pencil Full Of Lead as the prequel to the show, torpedo bras and pearls were required for the women, which required a quick change into the land of Titipu so their costumes had to be an easy ‘throw over’. My version of Hot Mikado was heavy on the dance, so traditional kimonos would be too restrictive so as you can see from the sketch here for the Ladies of Japan, I shortened the length and had only one full sleeve to assist better partner work when dancing. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/6087047bb5df4d0fc9a9e384/1619461261111/hot+mikao1.jpg Behind the Scenes - Costuming Katisha is the key ‘villainess’ role in Hot Mikado, and I wanted her to be intimidating, dramatic and sexy. We cast the talented Liz Flint in the role who is 5’10 and I wanted to enhance her height with high heeled boots ,and traditional Japanese katsura (wig) and Kanzashi (embellishments) creating a hugely intimidating figure. With a tight fitting bodice and ‘swirling’ floor-length coat, embellished with dragon embroidery and lined in silver, with wire in the hem to emphasise the voluminosity of it just added to the drama. Adding a holster where she kept her whip just emphasised the danger in her character. This is probably one of the costumes I am most proud of, not only in design but in characterisation. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/608706edcee0233b95f85ff9/1619461881588/priscilla+1.jpg Behind the Scenes - Costuming This was probably the greatest costume challenge I’ve ever faced. Due to the restrictions of the Bridewell stage it wasn’t practical or economically viable to hire the touring production costumes eg. They were too big and too many of them. There was no alternative we would have to design our own!! - and so the research started in earnest. Inspiration came from avant garde pop stars such as Katy Perry - known for her outlandish, fun and tongue in cheek costumes, and the script itself. Rather than the usual aliens for the production number ‘I will survive’ which is set in the Australian desert when Priscilla breaks down, I referenced things you might find there such as spiders, lizards and a cactus!! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/608707031601382331ddc766/1619462064015/prisclla+2.jpg Behind the Scenes - Costuming There is also an element of homophobia within the show and so to draw this out - I designed costumes around pineapples, bananas and a bunch of grapes! The grapes were actually balloons and in one scene Felicia wearing the pineapple pops one of Bernadette’s grapes in spite!! In case you were wondering why fruit - ‘fruit’ was historically a derogatory term used for gay men. Once the costumes were designed the next big question was who would make them? Luckily, I worked with the amazingly talented Jamie Attle and his team at Attle Costumiers Ltd in Weybridge www.attlecostumiers.com Not only did they recreate my vision to perfection, but they were also great fun to work with too - I couldn’t have been happier, as you can see from some of the images here. https://angusjacobscreative.com/behind-the-scenes/testimonials-and-reviews monthly 0.5 2021-04-20 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/607f35155d59974ec8ecf3d9/1618949429623/48263827921_fdff94a598_o.jpg Behind the Scenes - Reviews - A hearty and sincere production, it’s a more complex story than the traditional fairy-tale from which it is adapted, but it’s a lively and engaging one at that. Soho Cinders, 2019, London Theatre 1 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/607f34a53be63507d7d6be21/1618949429723/unnamed.jpg Behind the Scenes - Reviews - A quick exit-poll on the audience provided comments such as 'exuberant', 'brilliant', 'didn't want it to end' and 'you'll regret not seeing it.' My favourite has to be 'very pink and gay, but the best kind of gay.' Congratulations to Director / Costume Designer Angus Jacobs, Musical Director Ryan Macaulay and the whole creative team. It might not be as glittery or explosive as a big-budget West End version but it's just as fabulous. Priscilla Queen of the Desert, 2017, Sardines https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/607f357c01ad5b413226cdef/1618949600460/unnamed-3.jpg Behind the Scenes - Reviews - So, where to start with what is right with the show? Let’s go with costumes – Sequins and glitter ruled the day with the drag and Diva costumes sparkling under the lights. But it extended to more than the glamorous costumes, all of the others were perfect as well – particularly the various costumes of the nations used in the tourist scene, not to mention the rainbow cactus which, while I’m sure was really uncomfortable to perform in, looked great from my seat on the front row. Priscilla Queen of the Desert, 2017, London Theatre 1 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb01bce31dda92101d8d608/t/607f36271f49cf398fb7bf34/1618949692028/11189121485_62d873ff5c_o.jpg Behind the Scenes - Reviews - Sedos certainly takes the spirit of the piece and entertained the audience with a sizzling production and a great night out. From the opening number when the scantily clad ladies of Japan burst onto the stage to the grand finale the company combined set, costume, staging and lighting with some brilliant performances to provide an excellent night out… Hot Mikado, 2013, Sardines https://angusjacobscreative.com/behind-the-scenes/show-flyers monthly 0.5 2021-03-14