Handing a tarantula to The Duke of Cambridge or winching Macbeth into costume is all in a day’s work for people working at 10 of this country’s best-loved institutions. Emma Hughes meets them
Alistair McArthur, head of costume at the Royal Shakespeare Company
‘So far, we’ve moved 3,000 pairs of shoes,’ says Alistair McArthur. ‘Then there’s the needles, the thread, all the equipment.’ He and his team are relocating from their ‘characterful’ quarters into temporary digs before their redeveloped workroom opens in 2020.He’s been with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) since 2002; before arriving in Stratford-upon-Avon, he was a costume supervisor, who made sure ‘the 2D designs could become a 3D reality’ at venues such as the National Theatre and the Royal Opera House —the perfect preparation for his current role where, at the start of each year, as many as four shows may be in rehearsal at once.
He and the show’s designers survey the 30,000 items in the RSC’s store, then decide what needs to be made, bought or hired. Often, they only have a few weeks to pull everything together. ‘Sometimes you need to cast it first,’ he points out.
Problem-solving is at the heart of his department’s work, from making multiples of costumes that get a pasting (some will be worn more than 100 times in a single run) to factoring in live-screened performances (‘it’s had a huge impact on the way we approach wigs’). Quick changes pose their own set of challenges. ‘We never use zips in costumes that will be worn for one, as that’s when they get stuck.’ What does he use instead? ‘Magnets,’ Mr McArthur smiles. ‘Really strong ones.’ The RSC’s ‘Macbeth’ is at Stratford-upon Avon, until January 19, 2019 (01789 403493; www.rsc.org.uk)
Jan Beccaloni, curator of Arachnida and Myriapoda at the Natural History Museum
Denne historien er fra June 13, 2018-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra June 13, 2018-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
