Sequins have been a constant throughout Vicky Gill’s life. The BAFTA-winning costume designer grew up surrounded by sewing and dance. That set her up well for her role as Strictly Come Dancing’s head costume maker and now for tackling the costumes for the new touring production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. “It’s a feel-good, joyful production,” says Gill. “I want to do it justice.”
What’s your earliest memory of Priscilla?
I saw the movie as I was coming out of fashion college. It was hot on everybody’s lips. My lecturer at college was a very flamboyant, extravagant guy. If you were walking behind him up the hill, you’d see him in a massive pair of white wings. I can take myself right back to that time and the excitement of the film and the fun it stands for, and how far we’ve come. People should be able to express themselves or present themselves in any way they want to.
What kind of clothes or costumes did you grow up around?
My mum, Emily, was a sample machinist, so she used to make the first garments before they went into production. Her skill was fantastic. She could turn her hand to most things, whether it was taking up curtains or making a jacket for someone or replacing someone’s zip. I used to get so excited about taking a trip to the local market, because there’d be lots of fabric stores and she would make me something wonderful from it. I would get a chance to say I’d like frills on my shoulder, or I’d like a big bow. I was a very lucky girl.
What designs were you most drawn to?
I loved dance as a kid. My parents divorced when I was seven, and I have two older brothers, so dance kind of became a little hub for me, an outlet. Through that, you would need a costume, so Mum would have me stand for hours on end while she was pinning and making me wonderful things. Within that, I was drawn to the performance and the sparkle and everything that went with it. But in my day to day life, I was a tomboy, and there wouldn’t be any sparkle on me at all. I think maybe I wanted to fit in with my brothers. As I’ve grown up. I don’t particularly wear anything sparkly myself, but I do love it. I love the escapism, the movement, the color. It all excites me, but I don’t need it for myself.
How has working on Strictly trained you for Priscilla?
I don’t like making people feel panicked. No good comes from being cross. We need to get the show on as calmly and as brilliantly as we possibly can. Other people are probably thinking, why isn’t she losing her mind? And there’s times where I probably feel it, but I try not to give it out, because I think it’s not helpful. It’s good preparation for working on a musical!
The 1994 movie has such iconic costumes. How much inspiration are you taking from the film?
The film is at the forefront of my thoughts, but we didn’t want to copy and paste garments. It’s a different time and they’re different people, but we want to take the essence of the story, the message and the characters. I’m trying to embody the character, and then observing the actor and their portrayal, and creating a wardrobe for that individual and their body. How do I feel that this person, this character, would wear their clothes, and what would they buy? So I think Nick Hayes as Adam would wear his jacket cropped through the chest with the nipple showing. His shorts would have a scoop so we see a bit of cheek.
Then when we move into the big costume moments for Nick, Kevin [Clifton] and Adèle [Anderson], for me it’s about their body shape and movement, especially where they’ve all got to have a similar costume. All of our actors are different and have different body shapes, and so I’m trying to find a design that I can manipulate so it’s the same visually, but where the workings of the garment have all the elements they need, you know, to make the leg look good, to make the waist look good. But it’s not just about what I want them to look like. It’s a team effort.
What is the trick to creating high performance costumes that can withstand being spun around hundreds of times a week?
I can design a pretty picture, but if it doesn’t function, it’s worthless. I always try to gather as much information as I can about the cast and choreography, and I try to imagine what these garments are going to do before I know what they’re going to do. So yes, I’m imagining how they’re going to move, and what their life expectancy is going to be, and that, in turn, helps me to design the costume. When you’re going into a quick change from one scene to the other, that’s where it can be tricky. So we’re thinking about how we can overlay garments and play with ideas to make it as simple as possible for the cast.
Obviously, with any project, no matter how big or small, budget’s always a consideration, and I always want to make the best of my budget. Otherwise I’m like, we could have had another wig, or another 10 packets of Swarovski crystals. I just want it to be great for everyone. It’s an ongoing puzzle, which is exciting in itself. I’ve been reviewing the designs so far and we’re up to about 80-odd for Act One. The producers will tell me that needs to come down, but I’ll keep sketching a little while longer!
What are you most looking forward to?
I want us all to get the most out of it. For every element, I want the audience to be absorbed in the fun and the color and the music. People need to leave the theater having had a really good time. Hopefully what my costumes bring in terms of movement, color, and character helps it to be even more playful.
Priscilla Queen of The Desert is on at the Norwich Theatre Royal from 30 Mar – 4 Apr. For more information, please call the Box Office on 01603 630 000 or visit norwichtheatre.org.
