The detailed and thrilling tour of the Royal Opera House – an absolute highlight of the day – began with our group gathered on Level 5, waiting with anticipation to enter the world backstage. Guarding the entrance were two iconic costumes: the tunic and mask worn by Rudolf Nureyev as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, and Margot Fonteyn’s beautiful Juliet costume from the same scene. These legendary outfits, like proud pillars of an ancient world, marked our passage into the hidden universe beyond the curtain. It was like entering a whole other world, and quite fittingly, we became the Alice characters of the story, as seen in the Royal Ballet’s recent production, exploring a world of wonder.
As the tour continued, it became evident that for an individual wishing to work in this department, the opportunities are almost as abundant as the design possibilities; roles range from managers and supervisors to designers and dress makers.
The Stockroom: A Palette of Possibilities
The stockroom, our first stop, is home to an array of colours, patterns, materials, and fabrics. Everything was labelled and organised neatly, yet the raw materials spoke of an undecided faith, still full of opportunity and ready to be used for creative plans. Our tour guide explained how the Royal Opera House works, unique in so many ways, as a repertoire house, constantly focusing on reviving pieces as well as tending to new talents and creating brand new pieces.
The Pattern Room: Creativity in the Round
Our next stop – the pattern room – is framed in a beautiful circle, inspiring the department right away. When thinking about a costume that is to be made, and looking for different fabrics, most designers bring in materials from Europe. There were as many fabrics in that room as pages in a library. In the middle, a poster promoted the Theatre Green book – an ever-growing sustainability guide, urging the new generation, and our audience, to think of new ways to approach our future.
Workrooms: Where Magic Takes Shape
Passing the office, our group entered the workroom where the ladies’ costumes were being made. Amongst the workstations and mannequins in the room, the walls were decorated with beautiful tutus, old production posters and fabrics of all sorts. We had the chance to talk to the inspiring staff in all of the rooms we visited – an experience truly unique, and one I encourage to everyone who has the chance to visit TheatreCraft next year!
The gentlemen’s workroom was just as fascinating, our group listened with eager ears as the makers spoke about the work they were doing: squirrelling away on both ballet and opera costumes for various locations. For instance, Daniella was working on a costume that will first appear in Paris, and then later return to the Opera. Internationality, not in the fabrics, but in the nature of the costumes being made was evident from the first moment – and represented the complexity of the organisation involved.
The Dye Workshop: A Wizard’s Lab
With a last glimpse of the sewing machines in the workroom, we went onto the dye workshop, a place resembling a wizard’s workshop, creating magic with colours, natural fibres and synthetics. The intricate work involved was perfectly exemplified by two costumes of Frankenstein’s: a wound sewn into the dress with different shades, making it eerily realistic and then the same wound but now open – a sight just as theatrical up-close as on stage!
Accessories & Headpieces: Tiny Details, Huge Impact
As we went to explore the diverse headpieces – from tiaras to elegant hats – and an array of accessories including necklaces and bracelets, I quickly found my favourite: a gold tiara worn in the ballet Coppélia. Though my favourite piece was found – my favourite room came after: the Pointe Shoes Room, Although to most, I’m sure other rooms full of sparkle were more memorable, for me – as a daughter of a dancer – I could have spent a whole day marvelling at the narrow room holding one of the most important tools for ballet dancers.
As our tour came to an end, our tour guide talked of the art of a quick change, finding what works the best on stage for each individual – and most importantly, how experience of any kind – volunteering, professional, school-based, or a project led by one person – is the most significant aspect when looking for a career in the arts. As long as one takes their work as seriously as if it would go on stage in the Opera, it one day just might.
By Nora Saghi, 2024