The LTM’s production of As You Like It dazzled audiences with its intricate Gothic-inspired costumes, designed by Margaret Rhoden under the guidance of artistic director Paul Methuen. Towering headdresses, richly brocaded gowns, and carefully tailored tunics brought the 14th- and 15th-century aesthetic to life, highlighting the elegance, humour, and character of both court and forest scenes. 

Published Sunday, September 19, 1995

Authentic costume for As You Like It  

To provide the essential richness for the costuming of As You Like It, the LTM’s current open-air production at 72 Hope Road, artistic director Paul Methuen and designer Margaret Rhoden drew inspiration from the late Gothic period, which reached its culmination in France and Burgundy during the 14th and 15th centuries.

It was during this period that Gothic costume attained its final phase of richness and splendour. The essential feature of Gothic design is, of course, the pointed arch. In costume, this Gothic form is expressed through the vertical lines of gowns, towering headdresses elongating the human frame, and long, pointed shoes that extended inches beyond the foot. The most eccentric of these had such long toes they were eventually attached to garters below the knee — such as worn by the magnificent courier, Le Beau (Tony Henry), in this production.

The effect of slender lines given by the costumes was enhanced by the peculiar posture that became fashionable. This took the form of the letter “S", with the head inclined forward, the upper body held back, and one hip thrust forward. This posture aided women in accommodating the tall headdresses created by the Gothic style — the favourite being a comical, steeple-shaped structure of metal brocade on velvet, from which veils of transparent material or starched linen fell.

Men’s hats, which had evolved from the hoods and capes of earlier times, were now worn with the face opening around the head, leaving the point of the hood to hang over one side. Several examples of this type were worn by couriers and other male characters in As You Like It.
In As You Like It, both Rosalind and Celia (played by Erica Needham and Stella O’Reilly) appear in court dresses of rich green brocade with long sweeping trains, deep-cut bodices, jewelled belts, and fur-trimmed necklines and cuffs. Rosalind’s hat is conical, with starched net covering the jewelled damask of which it is made, while Celia’s hat is heart-shaped in green brocade with gold trim, featuring a tiny gleaming cornet on her bound hair and a lime-green veil falling to her shoulders.

In the Forest of Arden, Rosalind, now Ganymede, to escape the wrath of her uncle Duke Frederick, sports a brown short tunic and a straight conical hat, reflecting young men’s attire of the period. Celia, living in the forest as a person of lower degree, wears a brown hooded cloak over her simple high-waisted dress of floral brocaded cotton. This style is echoed in the dresses of Audrey, a country wench (Tessa Dow), and Phebe, a shepherdess (Eileen Searle), enhanced with yellow panniers, orange lacings, and under-the-bosom belts.

All the younger men — Orlando, Oliver, court and forest lords, and even the pages — disport themselves in short belted tunics of the period, paired with gay-coloured hose, often “parti-colored”, in bright pink, gold brocade, and various greens for forest scenes. Touchstone, the court jester (Jimmy Barton), is “parti-coloured” throughout, alternating yellow and orange from shoes to hat, adorned with bells at the tips.

Exceptions include Sir Oliver Martext (Ranny Williams), representing the clergy, in black from head to foot with a touch of white at the neck, and the melancholic Jacques (Paul Methuen), who wears a black-and-white houppelande or over-gown with a green under-tunic showing at the neck and fur edging on both gown and black conical “sugar-loaf” hat.

Both Duke Frederick and the banished Duke in the forest wear long, flowing gowns of the period — the former in cloth of silver lined in flame, with a golden coronet, flame cap of maintenance, jewelled belt, and golden chain of office; the latter resplendent in dark green brocade high at the neck, showing a golden under-tunic with dark green hose and shoes.

The final performances of As You Like It take place this week at 72 Hope Road: Wednesday at 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.

For feedback: contact the Editorial Department at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com.