Notes from Costume and Design for Physical Theatre

Costume and Design for Devised and Physical Theatre by Tina Bicat 

• The weight of an overcoat or jacket can be reduced by removing fabrics that don't show. Looks the same to the audience.
•  Allow extra centimetres for movement such as touching toes, flexing arm or leg muscles.
• Measurements to consider:- nape to ground both straight and arched legs; waist to ankle both straight and bent; across the shoulders relaxed and the arms crossed in front; waist to ankle both knee straight and bent; inside leg seam with raised leg; underarm with the arm over the head.
• Cut trousers extra high for dance to allow for the costume to move with the body.
• Make sure that when cutting trousers that the bottom is wide enough to go over the calf and back again when the knee is bent.
• Use elastic loops or pants at on the bottom of tops to hold the top down when dancers move around too much.
• Use gussets on under arms and trousers to help with movement.
• Decoration stretch costumes:-  Wrap the actor in cling film in a standing or sitting position. Use short strips. Use tape to hold the cling film. Cut the "skin" carefully away in a zigzag motion. Tape the cut edges together again once it's off the body. Stuff it with newspaper or something. Put the stretch fabric on this then sew the decorations to the garment.