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This is an early costume fitting for the younger men particulary the soldiers. The pattern is based on a medieval cut and the belt gathers in the coat to give a basic undergarment. This will later be dressed with a cape over the shoulder (seen here in yellow) For the soldiers it is intended to add red flashes to the arms and main body. It is also intended to add rivets to the chest area. The material is black, which will accentuate any colours we add to it. The material used is light weight, for the actors' comfort. Maggie has come up with an excellent idea for the boots which we will be trying out at a later stage.

This early fitting for Ophelia shows the use of a white satin gown over a blue dress. Two sleeves were made as an option, we chose the gathered sleeve on the right.

This is an early fitting for Reynaldo. With this we have used a green velvet with a gold braid. Notice how the texture gives the character an air of oppulance. Velvet has a lovely quality of creating contrasts of light and shade. These outer garments are much heavier and the actors have to learn to wear them and move in them. They are very different from our 21st Century clothes. The costume is also designed to add bulk to the character, it is important the actor stands out in front of the strong background of the Castle granite. This coat will later be dressed up with accessories.

Here Maggie has added a hat. Taken from the research material provided by Alison Le Ray, The material is stitched rather like a hood which is worn across the crown of the head, material then hangs down at the side. This gives the character a Chaucerian feel. These hats will later be stitched to hold their shape. The folds in the hat also create shade and light. From a practical perspective this will also shade the actor from the effects of the sun during the performance.

Maggie's idea for the boots is to use a mutton cloth wrapped around the leg and secured over the undershoe. This will be later dyed. I particularly like this idea as it gives a nice texture to the boot as well as avoiding using a real "modern style" boot which I think would be incongruous, with the rest of the costume.

Here we see the start of Polonius's coat, made from a darker green velvet. He will also have an undershift, gathered with a belt and a chain of office. I particularly like this material because of it's weight and the way the light plays on it.

This early fitting for Marcellus shows the powerful impact of the red and black livery of the Danish Court Soldiers. The shirt may go to black and more gold braiding will be applied to the chest.