WARDROBE MYSTERIES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1025, 28 October 1909, Page 17

WARDROBE MYSTERIES.

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH THE POLLARDS. To the ordinary theatre-goer who watches the production of a play, it is only the tout ensemble that troubles him at all. If the dressing and effects please his eye as a whole, that is all he cares for, and he doesn’t bother twopence how much careful piecing it takes to make an harmonious whole. But to one who is permitted a peep behind the scenes, a different aspect unfolds itself, as was revealed to a representative of this journal the other morning. Wending her way down to the lower regions of His Majesty’s Theatre, by the courtesy of Mr. Fred. Duval (the touring manager), the writer thought she had fallen upon a dressmaker’s establishment. No less than six sewing machines were in busy operation ’ under the hands of as many .skilful ■'manipulators, while numbers of the yi?diiard ‘girls were waiting their turn fitted- Soft silks, sheeny srititffe* rich velvet in all shades, filmy laces and Oriental braids, were in profuse abundance, ready to be converted,’ into handsome dresses. For .“Olivbtte” Was in course of rehearsal, ‘in vOW ( of ’lts 'production for the first time' ‘by the Pollards on Saturday. So '.everybody — seiripstresses, wardrobe mistress and girls—-had to bestir themselv.es. It r is no ligh r t. matter preparing for k -ribw play/as the “Review” representative .could see. First of all, Mr. pollard designs the dresses, and conveys his plans to the wardrobe mistress (Mrs. Aldous, the mother of those clever little dancers), and her capable assistant , (Miss McDonald). These ladies are entrusted ..with the work of buying-. “No easy matter, either,” they both remarked, “ but Mr. Pollard knows what he wants. He gives us.a free hand and lets us. use our own discrimination. We have had a very busy week, and it’s nothing but sewing and fitting now till Saturday. But every one of us, old and young, is handy with the needle.” The dresses for the principals are being made at Smith and Caughey’s. “They made most of the dresses . for ‘ Bong JBong,’ ” said Mrs. Aldous, “ and we can depend on them ■being just right.” TheAhird act in “ Olivette” largely brings in sailor boys and girls, the dresses for which are being made in Christchurch, the same lady having made the twenty pages’ suits' which were so much admired in “ Manola.” “ It’s funny to ) see them getting into their pages’ uni': forms,” said Mrs. Aldous. Half-a- 1 dozen or more, of them stand in a row and lace up ..each other’s coats. They / haven’t any time to waste,.you know.”/ The ladies of the wardrobe had just 1 completed their purchase of ten velvet dresses for court purposes in the first act, purple, old gold, tomato red// champagne, . and green, two of shade, which should look very strik-; ing and One dress that; was half-finished, was of crimson vep;. vet, semi-trained with front panels of white satin, pointed bodice’ arid high Medici collar. “ Olivette” calls for;

handsome costuming, and Mr. Pollard) is sparing neither trouble or expense to carry it but. The girls all get fitted for their own, particular dress, and their name is affixed to it. so that no time is wasted looking for their own, which means something when a whole group is attired alike. Clothes seemed to strike the writer like the proverbial Six Hundred. Clothes to the right and clothes to the left, hanging up everywhere in cosmopolitan array; the peasant’s dress side by side with the queen’s, the page’s fraternising with the courtier; quaker and ballet girl, soldier and sailor, from one end of the hemisphere to the other, all were waiting to run the gauptlet of the wardrobe ladies’ alert eye and niinble needle, for “The Isle of Bong Bong” was to be played the next evening, and all clothing was called out for inspection. Fresh lace to be sewn in, rents to be mended, and everything renewed to its pristine freshness. '‘Yes, there’s plenty to be done,” said Mrs. Aldous, as the representative expressed the opinion that there was more in it than met the eye, "it will take us all the sfternoofi’ pressing the .thipgs. But don’t, forget ;to..see, Everything ■will be quite new.”