Dorset Opera [2017 and 2018]
Le Comte Ory; Faust; La Bohème; Le Cid
Wardrobe Assistant
The Dorset Opera Festival is an annual event in which young and amateur singers (16+) are given an opportunity to take part in a residential summer school taught by industry professionals and work along-side internationally famous opera singers. At the end of two-weeks’ intensive vocal tuition two operas are performed, the 2017 operas being Gounod’s ‘Faust’ and Rossini’s ‘Le Comte Ory’ and the 2018 operas being ‘Le Cid’ and Puccini’s ‘La Bohème’
I worked in the wardrobe department both years (often 10-12-hour days) to help create an ensemble of costumes for a chorus of over 30 singers and 10 principals for each of the shows. I worked on a variety of costumes, cutting out pattern pieces, doing fittings and hand-finishing and embellishing and machine-sewing.
Once the live shows had begun, I acted as a dresser, helping in both the chorus and principal dressing rooms and back-stage during quick-changes. I also assisted with the maintenance and cleaning of the costumes and organising of the costumes for the get-out.