"We break down the costumes which can include creating stains from blood, sweat and bodily fluids"

Hometown
I am originally from a village between Gainsborough and Lincoln. I now live just outside Stratford upon Avon.

What do you do?
Head of dye department, Royal Shakespeare Company

What was your very first role in theatre?
My first professional job in theatre was as a freelance costume/ prop maker at the National Theatre in 1993. I did unpaid theatre design work from 1990 onwards.

What else have you done in theatre?
Freelance theatre designer and prop-maker
Dye technician at National Theatre
Part-time lecturer in theatre props design, Guildhall University
Prop-making tutor, Mountview
Senior dyer and part-time prop-maker, Royal Shakespeare Company

Have you got qualifications?
MA (a second, higher-level degree) in theatre design/ scenography
Post-graduate diploma in theatre arts
A degree in fine art
BTEC diploma in general art and design
A-levels and O-levels (what people did instead of GCSEs in the olden days)

Did you work in another industry before the theatre?
I was a self-employed sculptor which meant I also spent a lot of time working in pubs and shops!

How did you make the move to working in theatre?
I offered to help a couple of local amateur theatre companies to build and point their sets. Once I had some experience I applied to the Central School of Speech and Drama and was accepted onto their postgraduate theatre design course.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was in primary school I wanted to be a vet. By the time I had to choose my options for O-level I wanted to be a fashion designer. However, we were unable to study both needlework and art, so I opted for art.

What do you do all day?
The work follows a pattern from the day we begin working on a production until its first night. The first thing that happens is the meeting with the costume designer and supervisor to talk through the designs and to look at any costume drawings or reference they may have.

We then sample fabrics and colours and the designer chooses the ones they want. We may also have fabrics to print at this stage, so we will be preparing artwork and making up colour and print samples.

We then print or dye the lengths of fabric (in shows, usually for secondary characters, peasants etc). These fabrics are then passed on to the costume makers.

We then have a quiet period for a couple of weeks while the costumes are being made. However, as most of our productions overlap we are generally busy working on another show.

When the costumes are finished they will be returned to us for breaking down; that is gentle wear and tear through to distressing and painting to create stains from blood, sweat, bodily fluids, dirt, dust and all manner of disgusting effects.

This work will continue throughout the technical rehearsals and previews, when the impact of the lighting etc will be gauged and alterations made. Once the show has had its opening night we will either work on the understudy costumes or move on to the next show.

What’s the best thing about your job?
Working as part of a team, and with people who have a variety of skills and areas of interest. I enjoy the fact that each play presents a different set of challenges because they have a different director and designer. I love breaking down costumes, it’s like painting history into an inanimate object.

And the worst?
Not having enough time to do work properly because the costumes arrive late and we have to rush to get them finished

What’s your dream job in theatre?
I would like a job where I could also continue to make props and costume props, as it’s an area that I miss working in, but it would have to be in a well-equipped theatre and well paid! My dream for my retirement is to create a small puppet company and run workshops in schools and nurseries.

Got any wise words for someone who wants to be where you are now?
Get as much knowledge and experience as possible from as many areas as you can; you never know when a job making masks will lead to one dyeing 40 metres of fabric. Keep detailed technical notes. Some areas of dyeing, printing with Procion dyes for example, may not be required very often.