Costume and appearance — Drama, 7–10 years
Clothes and appearance give the audience quick clues about a character, place or time. Drama, 7–10 years.
Clothes tell part of the story
A costume is what a performer wears to help create a character and the world of the play. A bright coat, a firefighter’s helmet or an old-fashioned hat can tell us something before the character speaks. It is not a disguise by itself; the actor’s choices complete the picture.
Why appearance helps
The audience may meet several characters quickly and may not know the story yet. A costume gives useful information at a glance, especially when there is little time for explanation. It solves the problem of making a character recognisable, while still leaving room for the actor to show who that person is.
Building a character’s look
Suppose Maya plays a careful gardener. She chooses sturdy shoes, gloves and a sun hat, then carries a small watering can. Before speaking, she checks the leaves, wipes her shoes and walks carefully around the plants. The clothes suggest her job, while her actions show that she takes it seriously.
A costume is not a shortcut
A reasonable mistake is to think a costume can do all the acting. A tall hat may suggest a magician, but it cannot show whether the magician is kind, worried or dishonest. Use the clothes as a clue, then make the character clear through voice, movement and choices.
Appearance in the wider world
Costume designers work in theatre, film, television and dance. Uniforms in real life also tell us about a person’s role, such as a nurse, pilot or sports referee. They do not tell us everything about that person, so we should treat appearance as information, not as a complete judgement.
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