BY ORDER OF THE PEAKY BLINDERS

A co-production between dance company Rambert and Birmingham Hippodrome, Peaky Blinders: The Redemption Of Thomas Shelby makes a welcome return to Birmingham this month. As well as boasting athletic dance and an eclectic soundtrack, the production showcases the skills of costume designer Richard Gellar. What’s On recently caught up with Richard to find out more about his creative approach...

How did you get into working in costume, Richard?

I’m originally from Liverpool, and everyone thinks that if you work in theatre costume, you love fashion. There are certain houses that I like, but that’s not how or why I got into costume. My original degree was in art history & theology, and I loved the clothes that were in portraits. I was more interested in that side of art than I was in anything else. After I’d completed my degree and travelled a bit, I knew that I needed to get a job, so I thought about what I was interested in. During this period, I was doing drag on the doors in Liverpool, where I made my own costumes because I could sew, and someone mentioned I should do a costume course. So I did a post-grad in costume design & management, where I learnt everything about the industry.

I started working at the Royal Exchange in Manchester as a tailor’s assistant, before going onto ‘dye and breaking down’, which is where you age a costume. I went on to do bits of design before supervising. I think I’ve now probably covered every job in this sector!

Overall, I love the creative process of making.

Did you have creative freedom with Peaky Blinders?

I like working with Rambert’s artistic director, Benoit Swan-Pouffer, because you can bounce ideas and nothing is too big. I tend to go to him with the biggest and brightest idea, so there’s room to bring it back collaboratively if needed.

A lot of the costumes have modern twists but give a nod to the characters and the era. I wanted to use a lot of beadwork and velvets for the women. When you put a dancer in a costume, you have to think about movement and adapt designs so that they’re fit for purpose. The suits are all 1920s cuts, but adapted slightly so that the dancers can move in them.

Where did you get inspiration for the costumes in the show?

I’ve created military looks before, so I know this area off by heart. Sometimes when I’m watching a film, I can place when the costume is wrong - either because of the era or if it doesn’t suit a person. I’m a bit of a stickler about everything being absolutely correct, whilst tweaking certain things because of it being presented in dance.

I haven’t created many costumes for the 1920s era before, but I like it because I love the glitz of the period. After World War One, glamour really started to come into its own. People started to be able to afford things and create their own styles.

What was the creative process like?

At the moment there’s a focus on fast fashion and being sustainable, so it was important to me to utilise a lot of costumes we already had in stock. When I first started designing, I pulled everything out of the costume store, including all the spare fabrics, to see what we had available.

We made a lot of blouses and underskirts from stock that we already had. There were whole sections where we utilised costumes that we had in the Rambert costume store. For example, the factory scene was fully created from costumes we pulled from pieces from the past.

Some of the costumes in the production came from the 1930s to 1950s. It’s quite beautiful to bring back pieces of history created by people who’ve worked at Rambert through the years - and from years when Marie Rambert was artistic director.

Back then, during the period of the industrialisation of England, we were amazing at creating fabrics. We had fabric mills that were making wools that are in line with all the Peaky suits. There’s only a few fabric mills that make wools in the UK, so I looked to England and Scotland to source materials and check our carbon footprint, including the heavy-duty tweed used for the dancers who play the characters of Polly and Ada.

Which costumes are you most proud of?

Grace’s green dress has been in my head for some time, so I was happy to be able to create it and use it in green velvet and jet black. As soon as I put that dress on dancer Nya, who plays Grace, I saw the way she moved in it, and she made the costume come to life. The dog costumes are a bit left-field, but I like them too. I thought about the sleek fur of powerful dogs like Dobermans. So I sought out brown leather, then added in chaps and brass buckles, alongside a steampunk jacket and the head masks to make them look scary and unique.

The TV series’ costumes are beautiful, and the whole show is a piece of art in its own right. I watched every single episode and loved it. I wanted to keep certain elements from each character, whilst at the same time making the designs stand alone too. I didn’t want to mimic anything in the series, but I did want to make it so that you could pick out the characters. With Polly, for example, I created pieces that were highly tailored garments and slightly androgynous With Tommy, I noticed he wore a lot of grey, so I wanted to make a note of that by using grey wool in Prince of Wales check. With Arthur, he usually wears a bow tie, so he wears one throughout. I wanted to stay true to the characters so that the audience could instantly recognise them from the television series.

Peaky Blinders: The Redemption Of Thomas Shelby runs at Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 23 - Saturday 27 May

Rock Of Ages

Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Tues 9 - Sat 13 May; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 23 - Sat 27 May

Cinema-goers who caught the 2012 movie version of Rock Of Ages, starring Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand and Catherine ZetaJones, will know exactly what to expect from this feelgood musical. For those who didn’t and therefore don’t, it focuses on the romance between a small-town girl and a big-city rocker, and is packed to its proverbial rafters with classic 1980s numbers. So if you’re someone for whom the decade of Glasnost, yuppies, Miami Vice and mullet

The King And I

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 30 May - Sat 3 June hair-dos took place against a soundtrack of pounding rock anthems, this is the show for you.

In 1862, Anna Leonowens, upon whose real-life experiences The King And I is based, was employed by King Mongkut of Siam to serve as governess to his 67 children. Anna wrote of her experiences in two books, The English Governess At The Siamese Court and The Romance Of The Harem. Published in the 1870s, the books became significant sources of information about Siam and its culture for Western readers.

The stage musical tells Anna’s story, showing the way in which she wins the trust of the barbaric but inquisitive King as she makes her presence felt in the royal court. Boasting spectacular sets, breathtaking costumes, all the splendour of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s memorable score and a royal palace’s-worth of awards, The King And I is a show that’s well worth catching.

Songs include We Built This City, Here I Go Again, I Want To Know What Love Is and The Final Countdown.

The show visits the Midlands as part of its farewell tour and stars Kevin Kennedy, best known from his days playing the character of Curly Watts in Coronation Street.

The Bodyguard

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 9 - Sat 13 May; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Mon 4 - Sat 30 December

This blockbusting West End musical is of course based on the similarly blockbusting 1990s Hollywood movie starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston.

When ex-secret service agent Frank Farmer is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker, sparks soon begin to fly between the pair. Each expects to hold the whip-hand in the relationship; neither expects to fall in love...

Featuring classic numbers One Moment In Time, I Wanna Dance With Somebody and the legendary I Will Always Love You, the show received mixed reviews from the critics when it opened in 2012, but has since proved to be a real winner with its audiences.

Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton stars as Rachel.

Hamnet

Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until Sat 17 June

Author Maggie

O’Farrell scored an unlikely hit when her 2020 novel, Hamnet, became an international bestseller.

Set in 1582, the story follows the lives of William Shakespeare (unnamed in the novel) and Anne (in the book, Agnes) Hathaway as they fall in love and start a family.

William moves to London to forge his career in the world of theatre while Agnes stays at home in Warwickshire to raise their three children. But then tragedy strikes, as their only son, 11-year-old Hamnet, succumbs to the bubonic plague.

This stage adaptation of O’Farrell’s novel is the first production to be mounted in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s newly restored Swan Theatre. RSC Acting Artistic Director Erica Whyman helms the show.

Theatre previews from around the region

Heathers The Musical

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 16 - Sat 20 May; Malvern Theatres, Tues 25 - Sat 29 July; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 19 - Sat 23 September

Although far from being an unqualified success with the critics, Heathers The Musical did great business in the West End. The show is equally likely to pack them in during its first-ever UK tour. Based on the cult 1989 movie starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, the story focuses on the character of Veronica Sawyer, a high school student who’s tired of being part of a feared and popular clique with three girls named Heather. Eager to opt out, she finds herself drawn to new student Jason ‘JD’ Dean, a rebellious young man with murder in mind...

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 23 - Sat 27 May; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 12Sat 16 September; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 26 - Sat 30 September

Neil Gaiman’s critically acclaimed novel is here given the National Theatre treatment. Described as a thrilling adventure of fantasy, myth and friendship, the story takes audiences on an epic journey to ‘a childhood once forgotten and the darkness that lurks at the very edge of it’.

When a man returns to the home in which he grew up and the pond where he used to play, he finds himself transported back to his 12th birthday. There, his remarkable friend, Lettie, claims that the pond is, in fact, an ocean - a place where everything is possible. But as they plunge into a magical world, they find themselves confronting ancient forces that threaten to destroy everything around them...

The Card

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Sat 20 May - Sat 10 June

Claybody Theatre here revive their stage adaptation of Potteries-born author Arnold Bennett’s classic comic novel.

Set in a fictionalised Stoke-on-Trent known as The Five Towns, the story follows the fortunes of loveable rogue Denry Machin, a washerwoman’s son who refuses to allow his humble beginnings to thwart his ambition to live the high life.

Mister Shakespeare

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Sat 27 May

Michael Barry’s exploration of Shakespeare the man, the father, the actor and the entrepreneur finds the Stratford bard struggling to cope with life as he locks himself away in his rooms to avoid contagion. But even as his problems pile high, his genius burns bright. As the walls close in, Shakespeare gets to work - and the masterpieces that are King Lear, Antony & Cleopatra and Macbeth are born...

Unexpected Twist

Malvern Theatres, Tues 9 - Sat 13 May; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 16 - Sat 20 May

One-time Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen brings a retelling of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist to the Midlands.

Presented as a musical, Unexpected Twist combines the 1838 classic with a terrific tale of Michael’s very own.

The central character in his story is Shona, the new girl in school, whose class is studying Oliver Twist. Much like the raggedy hero of the Dickens classic, Shona is finding it hard to stay out of trouble. But when she’s given a new phone by a stranger, she begins to suspect there’s something unusual about the new boys she’s met...

Unexpected Twist is presented by The Children’s Theatre Partnership, whose previous shows have included adaptations of Animal Farm and The Jungle Book.

Make-up

Lichfield Garrick, Fri 12 May

For Christopher Laneghan, performing as his drag alter-ego Lady Christina has become a real, er, drag.

Stepping off the stage and leaving behind the glamour and the costumes, Christopher offers some poignant dressing-room reflections - not only about his own struggles in life but also around broader questions connected to the issue of identity and how people choose to define themselves...

Andy Moseley’s insightful monologue stars Moj Taylor, who, alongside Andy, has codirected the production.

Theatre previews from around the region

Theatre

Wuthering Heights

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Tues 16 - Thurs 18 May

When first published in 1847, Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights came as a shock to many of its readers, who found themselves somewhat horrified by the story’s stark depictions of mental and physical cruelty.

“Wuthering Heights is not a funny novel,” observes Giulia Innocenti, co-director of Inspector Sands, the theatre company here performing the show. ”It’s pretty bleak, but we’ll tell the story with humour because otherwise we’ll kill ourselves!

“Someone said we turn anxiety into an art form, and I thought that was the perfect way to sum us up. You’re laughing, and then you realise, actually, that’s really awkward...”

Annie

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Mon 8 - Sat 13 May

Jodie Prenger here takes on the coveted role of Miss Hannigan, as oft-touring musical Annie once again visits the Midlands this month.

A heart-warming rags-to-riches story of a little girl who finds herself transported from a New York orphanage to the luxurious world of a millionaire, the show features plenty of memorable songs, including It’s The Hard Knock Life, I Don’t Need Anything But You, Easy Street and the legendary Tomorrow.

Cymbeline

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon, until Sat 27 May

Blending reality with fantasy, Shakespeare’s rarely performed play tells the story of Imogen, the daughter of King Cymbeline of Britain, who marries the lowly Posthumus against her father’s wishes.

Angered by the union, Cymbeline banishes Posthumus, who, relocating to Italy, places a bet on the chastity of his wife, who has remained in Britain.

But when Posthumus is incorrectly informed that he has lost the wager, he is overcome with sexual jealousy and plots to have his spouse killed.

Learning that her life is in danger, Imogen flees to Wales, disguised as a boy... RSC Artistic Director Emeritus Gregory Doran helms a production that offers a compelling concoction of surprise and suspense.

Cardboard Citizens: Faun

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Fri 5 May

Not only 22, trans and queer, Ace is also unexpectedly growing fluffy ears and a tiny tail... This ‘celebration of queer community full of heart, youth and pan pipes’ is presented by Cardboard Citizens, an ensemble whose mission statement is to create ‘life-changing theatre’ with and for homeless people - a task which they’ve been pursuing with great zeal and considerable success for more than 30 years.

The Beekeeper Of Aleppo

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 23 - Sat 27 May; The Rep, Birmingham, Tues 13 - Sat 17 June

Nesrin Alrefaai’s stage adaptation of Christy Leftieri’s bestselling novel reflects on the connections that exist between friends, families and strangers.

The story follows the characters of beekeeper Nuri and artist Afra, a married couple enjoying a simple life in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo. But when war breaks out, the pair must flee for their lives. In so doing, they embark on a journey that sees them not only face the pain of their own unbearable loss but also the challenge of finding each other again.

The production is helmed by Olivier Award-winning director Miranda Cromwell.

Teechers Leavers ’22

Old Rep, Birmingham, Thurs 11 & Fri 12 May; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Mon 22 - Wed 24 May; Albany Theatre, Coventry, Sat 25 May

First performed way back in the mid-1980s, John Godber’s highly acclaimed comedy, Teechers, dealt with the sense of disillusionment evident in students at that time - and also in many of those who educated them.

This revised, updated version, set in a struggling academy the better part of 40 years later, boasts the same edgy humour as the original.

It also makes it clear that, although time has moved on, the country’s education system remains a source of upset and frustration for many of those whose lives are inextricably linked to it.

Around The World In 80 Days

Albany Theatre, Coventry, Tues 30 May - Sat 3 June

It’s easy to forget that not so long ago, travelling across the globe was a very difficult and long-winded undertaking. Jules Verne’s classic adventure story, Around The World In 80 Days - here adapted for the stage by Tilted Wig and York Theatre Royaloffers a fun-filled reminder of a time when exotic climes really were ‘a world away’. In keeping with Verne’s 1872 novel, this family-friendly production recounts the story of English gentleman Phileas Fogg’s attempt to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days on a wager of £20,000.

But this new adaptation is no straightforward retelling of Verne’s story; added into the theatrical mix is another tale - a true one this time - about trailblazing American journalist Nellie Bly, who, in 1889/90, completed a record-breaking trip around the world in just 72 days!

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Phileas!

Welsh National Opera: Blaze Of Glory!

Birmingham Hippodrome, Sat 6 May Welsh National Opera (WNO) this month premieres a new work created and set in South Wales. Telling the tale of a male voice choir’s determination to succeed against all the odds, Blaze Of Glory! pays tribute to the musical traditions and close-knit neighbourhoods of the Valleys.

Written by Emma Jenkins and directed by Caroline Clegg - the same team who created WNO’s Rhondda Rips It Up! - this new production turns the spotlight firmly on the region’s former mining communities.

“We wanted to look at the Welsh mining community and the tradition of the male voice choir,” says Caroline. “Not just from the men’s perspective but from the whole community’s point of view.

“The heart and soul of this piece is community, solidarity and friendship. It’s a real feelgood show, and that is definitely something to celebrate post-lockdown, whatever your background.”

Theatre

Wish You Were Dead

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tues 9 - Sat 13 May; Malvern Theatres, Mon 12 - Sat 17 June; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 20 - Sat 24 June

Bestselling crime writer Peter James has scored major successes on stage as well as in print, with adaptations of his novels having played to appreciative audiences at venues across the UK. This latest offering sees Detective Superintendent Roy Grace - the Brighton-based policeman who’s headed up murder investigations in a number of James’ most popular works - heading off on holiday with Senior Anatomical Pathology Technician Cleo Morey. It’s their first vacation together, and they’re very much looking forward to a few days away from the dark worlds of murder and the mortuary. But fate, it would seem, has other plans for them... Clive Mantle and George Rainsford star.

Sense & Sensibility

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Wed 10 & Thurs 11 May; Swan Theatre, Worcester, Thurs 18 May

Hotbuckle theatre company is the ensemble performing this Adrian Preater adaptation of Jane Austen’s popular novel. Regency-era sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are the main protagonists of the story, busily making their first forays into the excitingly decadent world of 18th-century high society, where the giddy excitement of love and the terrible pain of heartbreak await them...

The Polar Bear (Is Dead)

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Fri 12 May

“We’ve made a show about loss and being alone that’s ultimately full of hope,” explain Natalie Bellingham and Daniele Pennati, in talking about their latest production, The Polar Bear (Is Dead). “It talks about familiar things as a way of facing the massive thing that we know we should be doing something about but don’t - the climate crisis.”