Should a witch always wear black?

There is that moment when you seem to automatically know what a costume needs to look like.  I did it twice in Robin Hood, one was the Sheriff (I was stuck with Alan Rickman in my head and nothing else would do) and the other was Will Scarlett which turned out just as I imagined it with pleather shoulder armour instead of the real thing!

But there are some characters that you just can’t do that with year after year or it gets stale.  Take, for instance, a witch.  We all know that a witch wears a black robe and, of course, what a witch’s hat looks like!  But for pantomime we need to move on from the traditional look and use our imaginations or we will be accused of being downright boring.

We can go down the simple route of adding some trim in a different colour, red works brilliantly as it stands out so well alongside the black.  I remember being told many years ago that photographers will often put a piece of red into a frame as it brings all the other colours out.  Look at this well known scene from Schindler’s List and you will see what I mean.

Other colours that work well with a witch are purple and green (Professor McGonagall is a brilliant case in point); there is also that great bling element of a bit of sparkle with gold or silver.  I have also noticed that although plain black may seem boring on stage, different black fabrics, such as embossed velvets or jacquard prints, add a different dimension so don't be afraid to mix them up a bit.

You can also add interest with shapes in your costume.  Big collars, flowing sleeves, sharp shoulders or  contrasting layers will all add to the look.

Talking of witches, I have finished the robe element of Minerva’s gown and hope to set to those sleeves tomorrow.  I will have to go with the seam method so will attempt to show you how I go about it tomorrow and whether or not it works!