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QMU’s Costume Showcase 2017 to be staged at Edinburgh’s Summerhall

Posted: 8th May 2017

Costume17 2Queen Margaret University’s annual Costume Showcase is to take centre stage at one of Edinburgh’s most distinguished and unusual arts settings – the Dissection Room at Summerhall, Edinburgh.

For one day only, a stunning array of performance costumes will be central to the University’s theatrical runway show which celebrates work created by QMU’s Costume Design & Construction students.

Join us on May 19th for the main theatrical showcase event which is accompanied by exhibitions displaying work from across the BA (Hons) Costume Design & Construction programme.

2017’s event will exhibit an eclectic mix of designs developed for characters across the spectrum of the world of performing arts and the audience can expect to be dazzled by an amazing array of styles!

Party on down to the Día de los Muertos graveyard celebrations with Frida Kahlo and her band of skeleton revellers. Be entertained by The Great Lafayette and his troupe of artistes featuring Miss Marie Lloyd and many more in our grand finale tribute to turn of the century British Variety Theatre.

Red Riding Hood and her friends from the Howden Park Pantomime (Livingston) will join in the fun alongside characters designed to appear in productions created by the QMU/Napier Joint BA (Hons) Acting For Stage and Screen. These include Lady Bracknell, Gwendolyn and Cecily from Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest and The Angel of Death as seen in Tony Kushner’s Angels in America.

QMU’s Costume Design and Construction students will also show their individual projects: an exquisite romantic ballet tutu and a filigree 19 h century fancy dress share the stage with Mary Queen of Scots and the Marquise de Merteil (Dangerous Liaisons), Mack the Knife and Polly Peachum from The Beggar’s Opera will swagger across the stage in 12 different interpretations.

The live show will be paired with a fascinating exhibition of the practical craft – the design, stitching and styling that lie behind the characters appearing on the stage. Guests are invited to meet the students and see, close up, some of the costumes from the show. Also launching this year, at the heart of the exhibition, will be the individual ‘Grad Show’ – presentations of work by our nine graduating fourth year students who are preparing to enter the industry.

Sarah Paulley, Lecturer in Costume Design and Construction at Queen Margaret University, said: “We are proud of our students’ talent and skill in creating memorable costumes and look forward to showcasing their work, this year at Summerhall. We are also pleased that our Grad Show forms our contribution to QMU’s wider ‘Platform 4’ event.”

Dr Richard Butt, Deputy Principal of Queen Margaret University, explained: “For the first time, we have created a larger scale event ‘Platform 4’ which showcases the work of students from across our creative industries courses in Costume Design and Construction, Drama and Performance, Film & Media , and Art and Music therapy. Not only will we have our much loved Costume Showcase, audiences can expect photography, art work, ensemble performances, new writing, contemporary solo and duo pieces as well as community pieces, all of which celebrate the best creative work of our graduating students.”

Costume Showcase 2017 – 19th May only – matinee performance 3pm, evening performance starts at 7pm followed by the exhibition which will remain open until 9pm.

Costume Showcase tickets: £13 (£10 student/concessions) at Eventbrite.

Platform 4 FREE Exhibitions and Performances – Thursday 18th May open 12pm – 5pm and Friday 19th May open 12pm – 9pm.

Location: Summerhall, Summerhall Place, Edinburgh, EH9 1PL

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