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A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER

COSTUME DESIGNER

A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder is a musical comedy based on the 1907 Roy Horniman novel “Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal”. This charming toybox theatre-esque production at the Playhouse, was the musicals much anticipated Australian premier.

 

The main conceit of this musical is that the lead actor, Mitchell Butel, plays nine distinct characters within the story. This results in multiple lightning fast, side-of-stage, costume changes, often with no more than 20 seconds in which to occur. To facilitate these changes, all of Mitchell’s costumes had to be specially constructed with secret zips, poppers and Velcro, requiring a team of two dressers and a wig technician to execute each change.

 

Every member of the D’Ysquith family was treated in a unique colour, signifying their character and echoing the hand-coloured, black and white photographs of the Edwardian period. These highly detailed costumes were built with crisp starched collars and cuffs, layered with waistcoats, ties, stoles, crucifixes and flounces. These were designed to not only facilitate an instant, single step removal, but also needed to be constructed in a way in which the various components could be separated for ease of laundering. A combo of jacket, waistcoat, shirt and tie was actually engineered to be one single garment.

 

Likewise, the small ensemble cast had to be dressed to facilitate quick costume changes to create the multitude of supporting characters. Their base costume was in a palate of textured black white and grey, linking them to the illustrated paper theatre aesthetic of the set. A change of waistcoat, a bowtie switch, a button-on frilly yolk and the addition of a straw boater or felt bowler hat, helped the speedy transition of these various roles.

 

Director

Roger Hodgeman

Musical Director

Kellie Dickerson

Choreography

Dana Jolly

Lighting

Matt Scott

Set

Christina Smith

Production Photography

Jeff Busby

A-Gentlemans-Guide-to-Love-Murder - Cost

PRODUCTION PHOTOGRAPHY

BEHIND THE SEAMS

ILLUSTRATIONS

PRODUCTION CREDITS

A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Book and Lyrics by Robert L. Freedman 

Music and lyrics by Steven Lutvak

Based on the 1907 novel Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal by Roy Horniman

 

Australian Premier

The Playhouse Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne

The Production Company 2018

 

Director 

ROGER HODGMAN 

 

Musical Director

KELLIE DICKERSON 

 

Choreographer

DANA JOLLY 

 

Costume Designer

ISAAC LUMMIS 

 

Set Designer

CHRISTINA SMITH 

 

Lighting Designer 

MATT SCOTT 

 

Sound Design
PETER GRUBB, KELVIN GEDYE and JOHN SCANDRETT – SYSTEM SOUND

 

THE PRODUCTION COMPANY ORCHESTRA

 

Cast

MITCHELL BUTEL

CHRIS RYAN

NANCYE HAYES

ALINTA CHIDZEY

GENEVIEVE KINGSFORD

ANNIE AITKEN

JOHANNA ALLEN

MATT HEYWARD

PAUL HUGHES

JENNIFER PEERS

MATTHEW PREDNY

DREW WESTON

Producton Credits
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