BWW Interviews: Priscilla's Costume Designer Tim Chappel

Priscilla Queen of the Desert begins its' 12 week pre-Broadway run on October 12th at The Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto.  The show is a smash hit success in Australia and the West End, and now Canada gets to "Journey to the Heart of Fabulous"!

BWW is thrilled to bring readers a special series of interviews and features with various members of the cast and crew as they work hard to get this show off the ground in Toronto.  First up is Academy Award Winning Costume Designer Tim Chappel, who took a few minutes to talk about Priscilla's amazing and award-winning costumes:

You did the costumes for the movie (for which you won an Academy Award) and every incarnation of Priscilla since. Are there any changes being made for the North American production?

I am blessed to have had the honour of dressing Her Royal Highness, Priscilla, for her adventures and in turn Sherpa each of her daughters as they prepare to take their turn on the throne as Queen. There are some significant changes that have been made for the North American production of Priscilla. She will undoubtedly be the most lavish of the lineage. The show opens with a new number, Felicia's introduction is also new and the book in general has been markedly improved.

When you originally started preparing Priscilla for the stage, what were some of the challenges in transferring from the film costumes to ones that would work on stage?

Film and Theatre are very different animals. The creative life of a costume on film is short. It only needs to look great until the end of the shoot. I made most of the costumes for the film and they were all hot glue, chicken wire and duct tape. I wouldn't even mention these items in polite company today.

Theatrical costumes have to be beautiful inside and out. They have hard lives and may be worn hundreds of times so they need to be practical. They have to love the actor too. You want your performer to feel as good as they look.

There is another odd difference between film and theatre. Sparkle. The brilliant way Swarovski coruscates doesn't translate well on film because it is flattened into a two dimensional image. You need the stereoscopic power of two eyes and a stage to really appreciate it. On film a cup sequin will give you more pizzazz than a diamond. So I have a whole new design element to explore that was useless to me before.

What types of unique challenges are presented when doing the costumes for a live show of this magnitude?

The North American Priscilla costumes were constructed in four countries by eighteen different workshops. Coordinating fittings was crucial and difficult with 326 costumes. We had 55 fittings yesterday alone.

Maintaining visual cohesion was also key. People think that it's all just big and splashy but we have very distinct delineations that must be adhered to in order to give each scene its own flavor.

The costumes in Priscilla are known for their lavish designs and gorgeous head-dresses, how do the actors initially respond? I would imagine it is a bit daunting thinking about dancing not only in heels, but with very heavy pieces on your head...

Introducing my performer to their costume is one of my favourite things even on more sober jobs. It is really satisfying to watch an actor step into costume and transform in front of you. The Priscilla costumes are uber transformative. You might become the Opera house, an emu or a waratah flower depending on your track.

Oddly enough wind resistance is more of an issue than weight. The giant pink feather Lido style headdresses present the greatest challenge even though it is one of the lightest pieces because when the dancers spin it wants to stay put.

Photo Credit Tristram Kenton

How many people are involved in making the costumes and then dressing the actors?

We have eleven in our costume production team, eight stitchers in the theatre making minor alternations, twelve dressers, an art finisher and a shoe maker. The costumes were built by eighteen workshops around the world with crazy tight deadlines. Fortunately everyone involved is as enthusiastic as they are talented and everything arrived on time and is gorgeous.

I hear that the quick-changes involved in the show are very impressive, how did you factor in the necessity for ease of changing into the costume design?

Cassie Hanlon designed very clever make-up quick changes. They really make theatre magic! As for my design process I have an idea of what I want to do. We time the change. We work out what we can under-dress. What stud, magnet or Velcro will hold it together and then build it. I started as a ladies cutter at Sydney Theatre Company so I know how something is going to work when I design it. It's important for me to not give away the next change. It's not a trick if you can see it coming.

Have you ever had any funny or note-worthy "wardrobe malfunctions" during a performance?

In Bob's kitchen Bernadette has just discovered that the man of her dreams is married to Cynthia, the ping pong shooter. Bob reminisces and we launch into the delicious Les Girls flashback sequence. One night as Young Bernadette swanned around the kitchen table her grand cape caught Cynthia, knocked her off her chair and then dragged her another 20ft before the wearer noticed. Cynthia got the giggles but besides that the actors didn't miss a beat. It was Wardrobe irony.

Do you have a favourite costume?

It changes every day. I think the Thong dress is the most iconic but the Gumbies suits are pretty cute.

I understand you once dressed your Oscar when it was on display at Australia's National Arts Gallery - where does it reside now?

My Mum has it displayed proudly with all my brothers' billiards trophies.

Photo Credit Tristram Kenton

When and Where?

Priscilla Queen of the Desert

The Princess of Wales Theatre

Performance Schedule:

Begins Oct 12th, 2010 for a 12 week pre-Broadway run.

Tuesday - Saturday at 8PM

Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 2PM

Tickets can be purchased online at www.mirvish.com or be phone at 416-872-1212 or 1-800-461-3333

For more information visit www.priscillathemusical.com.