In between costume fittings, we checked in with our very own Tina Ball, the costume designer for Beauty and the Beast. Tina has ran the Artz costume department for many years now and has been responsible for crafting iconic looks from some of your favourite Artz Shows. Check out what she had to say about her Artz Journey.
Hey Tina, thanks for taking the time to chat. So then, let’s start at the beginning. How did you get involved in costuming at the Artz Centre?
I used to work with Christine Ashton (our other Artz Centre seamstress and costume master). Christine realised that my son Adam was a student at the Centre and it snowballed from there. Once she realised I was the mum of one of the kids she would ask “could you just so this” tasking me with odd jobs here and there. But I’d never costumed before being here. I did about two years sewing a long time ago and hated virtually every minute of it.
Wow, I guess you’ve come a long way from odd jobs here and there. You’ve made a ton of costumes for Artz productions. Of all of the pieces you’ve made which has been your favourite?
Mr Bumble, played by Jamie. I don’t know why but it just looked brilliant on him. But I’ve also just done Ben and Isobel as Lumiere and I love that. I also loved making the Mad Hatter costume with Finley and Kiera as Mad Hatter. They’re probably my favourite ones.
I can see why, they were all absolutely fantastic. For those of us who have no clue about costume making then, what is the process for costuming a show like, from start to finish?
Right. I get a cast list, and go “oh crap”. Usually I’ve never watched the show before so I’ll go on YouTube and take some time toread the script. Then no word of a lie… I stand there for about 4 days and go “what am I doing… how do I make a human wardrobe”. And I’ll look at loads of images, maybe settle on three strong visuals. I’ll look at inspiration and I’ll go “I can do better than that” or “I can’t go that far” and I’ll meet in the middle. I basically tick them off one by one. Sometimes I can be finished around the Thursday before the show, sometimes I’m working right up to it. I came into Beauty and the Beast thinking I was just doing some alterations, since the show had been done before. Then it sort of grew and grew. So basically it’s looking at a lot of pictures, standing there for no word of a lie about 4 days thinking we’re do I start and then actually making a start. That is basically it.
It sounds like quite the process. But it never stops you from coming back and making more, why do you enjoy costuming here?
I like seeing the kids faces. I like seeing the costume on them and going “that’s pretty good”. I was saying to mark the other day, costumes like the Madame De La Grande Bouche in Beauty and The Beast had me swearing a lot! When I know it’s finished and I can see it, it’s like “oh that is good” there’s a satisfaction of knowing. Going from not knowing what to do, too doing it, too knowing what I’ve accomplished. I can see the photographs that come out and say: “I did that”.
So then… what would be your dream show?
Hamilton probably! You see I don’t watch Disney films, with my son Adam growing up it was always Transformers and Spider-Man. So I’d never seen Beauty and the Beast, never seen Aladdin, never seen The Little Mermaid. Before working on these shows I’d never watched any of these. Instead I’ve had to google them, use YouTube, go watch snippets. So maybe Hamilton because I like the style of dresses in the show and when I made a Hamilton costume for Adam I really enjoyed that.
If theres anyone in the audience this week who may want to try making costumes or would maybe like to learn but doesn’t know where to start, what would your piece of advice be?
YouTube! Honest to god! YouTube is a lifesaver. Christine was sewing from 15 years old. I started it in Highschool and was told “you’re far too slow to sew, you’ll never finish the exam”. So basically if you’re gonna start, get yourself a basic sewing machine, learn how to sew a straight line and just start really simple. It is doable! People say they can’t sew, they can but it just takes a lot of practice. I still hate doing button holes. I still can’t stand doing them. But just start off doing simple things and your confidence will grow.
What does the term Artz family mean to you?
What does it mean to me… it means coming into a place knowing everyone’s got the same goal. Everyone is rooting for the kids. All the mums and the dads are all in it for the same thing, we are all in it for the kids. Whether it is costumes or front of house. All of us come in and do our bit to help. Like a jigsaw I suppose. That may sound cheesy but it is the only way I can think of it. we’re all a jigsaw and put us all together and we all make one whole family.
I couldn’t agree more! So then Tina, Which has been the most challenging show to design costume for?
This one! The teacup, the clock, at least the teapot wasn’t too bad. But the wardrobe was a nightmare. Like I say I’m challenging myself to do more and more and more. Sometimes Mark will say “oh the next one is really easy” and I say I don’t want easy now. After going to hard I don’t want to go back three steps and to do something easy. So yeah I make things hard for myself!
The hard work definitely pays off. The costumes for the show look incredible. Finally, when it comes to working in the wardrobe department, in what way do you think costumes impact a show?
It looks a bit boring without them doesn’t it… haha. But really, If the kid has got a good costume and it is been thought through and you can see they like it, I think it lifts them up. If you just go “here have that” I don’t think they feel as special. The acting is one part, so is the lighting, the sound, the stage and then there’s costume as well. So its like I say again… all together if one thing is rubbish then it lets everything else down. If the costumes are good… and so is the lighting, the acting, the sound then everything works together to make a great show.
Well thanks Tina, it has been absolutely great catching up with you, and I’ll see you in a few weeks at Beauty and the Beast.