Richard II Video Production Diary 6: Breastplates, Crowns, Shirts And Hats With The Costume Department

The latest video production diary from the Royal Shakespeare Company visits the Costume Department where Alistair McArthur, the Head of Costume, shows the process of making costumes for Richard II.

Alistair explains the process, from first measurements to discussions with designers, to the first stitching and fitting then alterations and the final transfer across to Wardrobe. There's a first glimpse at some of the costumes - breastplates and armour for Bolingbroke and Mowbray and one of the crowns that David Tennant will be wearing as King Richard. Even in the closing days before the production opens, changes are still being made to characters and roles, meaning that the Costume Department are still working flat out

"They're quite frantic at the moment," concludes Alistair, "But it's all looking good and it's looking on schedule. Just."

Watch the video here:

Richard II will open at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon on 10th October 2013 and will run until 16th November 2013. It will then transfer to the Barbican Theatre in London from December 9th 2013 until 25th January 2014. The production is directed by Gregory Doran and stars David Tennant as King Richard and Nigel Lindsay as Bolingbroke.

The play will be filmed and streamed live into UK cinemas on Wednesday 13th November, and then into cinemas in locations worldwide in broadcasts running until February 2014. Find out more on the RSC Onscreen site

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