EPT Costume Call
Call out for WW1 costumes
Edinburgh People’s Theatre are having to be as cunning as foxes made Professors of Cunning of Oxford University as they attempt to avoid going into battle au naturale.
The company is staging a production of of Blackadder Goes Forth in April, with a cast of well known characters including General “Insanity” Melchett and Gorgeous – or should that be Gormless – George.
Authentic looking WWI uniforms are required to complete preparations for the stage adaptation by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton of three episodes of the BBC TV series. It sees Captain Blackadder on the Western Front in 1917, twenty yards from a lot of heavily armed people who want to kill him.
His brother officer is a man whose family brain cell is gathering dust in a pawn shop in Dunstable; General Melchett and his ever loyal sidekick, Darling, are quaffing champagne at HQ; and Baldrick is in charge of cooking.
It could be worse – without authentic kit, Blackadder and his fellow soldiers face taking on the Germans armed only with the guava halves left over from the battle of Mboto Gorge – and we wouldn’t want that would we, Darling?
Director, Kirsty Boyle, wired Æ this plea from the trenches: “We are all having marvellous fun preparing to share our cunning plan with the huddled masses, even Baldrick is trying to improve his cooking skills!
Limited budget
“However, while we are hiring the main costumes, we still require some more uniforms for our soldier extras and as a registered charity amateur group with limited budget we are looking to the kindness of other companies to help us out in our hour of need.
“If anyone has any WWI uniforms that we could borrow for the production we would be most grateful – and indeed are already appreciative of Leith Theatre’s generosity in lending us the uniform’s they have.
“The cast and crew are putting an enormous effort into the big push and all we need now is the final piece of the jigsaw to help us over the top.”
Contact and listing
Anyone who has access to WW uniforms – or knows of a company which does, can contact Kirsty Boyle on kirstyboyle21@hotmail.co.uk
Blackadder Goes Forth
Church Hill Theatre, 33a Morningside Road, EH10 4DR
Wednesday 6 – Saturday 9 April 2016
Evenings Wed 6-Fri 8: 7.30pm.
Matinee Sat 9: 2.30pm.
Details and tickets: www.ept.org.uk
ENDS