For a theatre lover, the rare chance to glimpse behind the scenes and delve beneath the surface of a production can be pure magic. We were thrilled, therefore, when this year’s Olivier Award Best Costume Design nominees agreed to let us reveal an often secretive part of the production process, their original sketches for their nominated designs.
Each of the exceptionally talented four nominees, Nicky Gillibrand, Soutra Gilmour, Rae Smith and Mark Thompson, proved their artistic credentials in not only the final garments that graced some of London’s most high-profile stages and wowed the Olivier Awards panellists, but also in their initial stunning and often strikingly delicate drawings.
From Thompson’s vivid and characterful drawings for Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and Gillibrand’s soft, watery sketches for The Wind In The Willows to Smith’s other worldly visions for The Light Princess and Gilmour’s elegant Merrily We Roll Along artwork created especially for the Olivier Awards, the varied collection demonstrates the eclecticism of the talent London theatre has to offer.
You’ll be able to find out who takes home the coveted award on Sunday evening, but if you’d like to experience the work of this year’s Best Costume Design nominees up close, don’t miss the chance to see their work on show in a celebratory window display at Bond Street’s iconic department store Fenwick.