Masters Project Costume Design for Performance London College of Fashion
Autobiographical Haikus written as text messages during breast cancer treatment to my long-term partner as expressions of love, inspired this project. Similarly the lives of Heloise and Abelard had some parallels to this; love that is forcefully disrupted and intellectual love which is exchanged through writing.
12th century philosopher Abelard inveigled himself into his pupil Heloise’s affections. Their passionate relationship scandalized Parisian society when her uncle took revenge and had Abelard castrated. Abelard unmanned, became a monk also making Heloise take the veil. After 15 years of silence they recommenced writing to each other. This devised piece reflects her memories of constant passion. The fabrics used and design concept grow out of lingerie materials and traditional forms become inverted.
Performed at Sadlers Wells 2017 by Sadiq Ali,
directed by Peta Lily,
produced by Agnes Treplin
photo images Andie Scott
Special thanks to Max Richter for the gratis licence to use music from ’24 postcards in Full Colour’ .
The excursions of Mr Broucek to the moon and to the 15th Century
Opera by Leos Janacek
In this production Mr Broucek battles his sexuality through two dream worlds. To be staged at the Globe Theatre where Andrew Logan hosts his Alternative Miss World.
Act 1 Set on the streets of London 2016 in a scene reminiscent of Derek Jarman’s film Jubilee (disillusionment and antagonistic, fascistic). He tries to fit in with the drunk homeless artists, but they mock him: the sausages are an inuendo to his being gay. His low self esteem makes him wield petty power.
Act 2 Broucek drifts into drunken sleep and is transported to London’s gay club scene -1980’s. Andrew Logan’s Alternative Miss World and Leigh Bowery inspires the expressionistic mirrored costume. Andrew started the alternative Miss World in 1978 in a London devoid of colour. Broucek rejects his inclusion in this society, hiding to ‘eat his sausage’. The artists expell him for crudity and not ‘coming out’.
Act 3 Broucek wakes and drifts back to sleep finding himself in the anti-gay demonstrations – 1970’s, led by fascist punks. Led by the Councillor, the anti gay demonstrators discover that Broucek is gay and try to burn him. The heat from the fire scorches his costume revealing the names of so many famous gay artists, poets, musicians ….
Broucek wakes from his dream to resume his life constrained by an heterosexual world.
performer Chiara Zubiani
director Peta Lily
Producer Donatella Barbieri
Photography Magda Kuca
Alien Stilt Walker Mr Truman’s Laboratory 2015 – experiment in a quadruped stilt costume
