The dye room

Running time: 1.38mins

Film maker: Joanna Coates

Dyeing fabrics and printing on material of various kinds are two skills at the centre of work in the dye room. The dyers also do a lot of ‘breaking down', making costumes look as if they have been worn over an extended period of time.

Costume

The Costume Department at the National Theatre expands far beyond the main workroom where the ladies makers and gents tailors make costumes. There's also a Dye Shop, Wig Department and Costume Propmaker. Crucial to the process of putting on shows are the dressers and maintenance staff in the running wardrobes.

Costume realism and detail

Costumes look exactly like real clothes, even down to details that the audience can't see.
Dyeing and screen-printing on a dressing gown

The dye room is often called upon to replicate patterns on fabric by using techniques such as screen-printing.
Adding sleeves to a woman's jacket

Watch a seamstress expertly make and attach sleeves to the body of a jacket.
Buying costumes from vintage shops

Ashley Holtom talks about her role as Head Buyer for the costume department.
Skirt alterations

Alterations are made to a skirt after the first fitting.
Buying costumes on the high street

For a contemporary production design the Head Buyer will shop at high street stores.
The dye room

This is where fabrics are dyed, printed and distressed.
Costume for All's Well That Ends Well

Rae Smith talks about designing costumes for All's Well That Ends Well.
Soft props

Soft props range from bedding and curtains to dummies.
Costume Bibles

A ‘Costume Bible' records information about all the costumes from a particular production.
Breaking down costumes

In order for costumes to look realistic onstage, they often go to the dye room to be ‘broken down'.
Costume props

Costume props include items such as jewellery, armour or millinery.
Costume buying

The head buyer spends most of her time outside the office, tracking down items of clothing or accessories.
An Introduction to the Costume Department

An overview of the National Theatre's large and varied Costume Department.
Men's tailoring in the costume workshop

A look at the kind of fabrics used in period men's tailoring.
Drafting a pattern

Drafting a pattern for a jacket for the production of War Horse.
Costume design in She Stoops to Conquer

Costume Designer Mark Thompson talks about his designs for the 18th century costumes in Jamie Lloyd's production of She Stoops to Conquer.
The Making of Timon - Behind the scenes

Creatives from the production talk about the process of Making Timon of Athens for the National Theatre.
Dressing Emily

See Emily Taaffe dressed layer by layer for Nation.
Costume workflow from design through to fitting

The costume supervisor is the key liaison point between the costume workroom and the costume designer...
Division of labour in the costume workshop

Ladies makers, mens tailors and alteration hands make up the team in the costume workroom.

The dye room

Costume

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