I went to see Come From Away in July 2019. I absolutely loved this show, as it told a really important side to 9/11, and was really cleverly done to portray the real lives of people who actually experienced it.
The costumes for the production were not the most visually exciting costumes I have ever seen, however they were very cleverly done. The cast was fairly small, meaning each actor played multiple roles, and switched between them constantly. Obviously, this left almost no time for costume changes, most of which were done onstage, therefore most of the costumes were based on a simple top and trousers, however with different jackets, hats and other accessories to show the different characters. Although I expected this to be quite confusing and interrupt the flow of the show at all, it was done in such a way that all the changes flowed seamlessly, and really showed the different characters without it being confusing. To me, this is a great example of really clever costuming, as it would’ve been really easy to create a huge, confusing mess onstage, and make the production almost unreadable, however it wasn’t at all.
Another key point was how well the costumes and the set flowed together. Both were very simple to really convey the story, and let this shine through as the most important part, instead of giving a really eye-catching, almost distracting visual. The muted colours of the set and costume really complimented each other, and created a really interesting look onstage that conveyed the underlying sadness of the story, and what it really would’ve felt like to be in that situation, whilst also allowing the actors to really tell the story without distraction.
Finally, the costumes clearly had some design influence from the period in which it was set, 2001, as some subtle differences from today's fashion really helped to cement it in that time period. Details such as the lower rise jeans, longer t-shirts and vests were styles that were a lot more present in the early 2000s, showing that the designer did consider the time period in their choices, setting it in the not too distant past, but past nonetheless.
Overall, I think the costumes for this production are some of the most successful costumes I have ever scene. They really help to tell the story, without interrupting the flow of the production, and also allowing the actors to really do their job and convey such a sensitive topic in the right light. They have also clearly been carefully considered by the designer to clearly differentiate different characters so that the audience is not confused, and to match the set and time period well. This production is also a great example of good collaboration between set and costume, as the two work seamlessly together to give a really unique look. Overall, I think this is one of the main reasons that the production has been as successful as it has been, as the story and vocals are not overpowered by a crazy set and costumes, and instead tells a really inspirational and beautiful story, that leaves the audience with something real.
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