The sci-fi costumes of ‘We Will Rock You’ are rocking audiences
Costume designer Sarah Mercade talks about creating the futuristic fashion for the electrifying musical
You still have until Sunday to catch the reimagined production of “We Will Rock You” at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, Manila, and there are plenty of reasons to.
The iconic Ben Elton and Queen musical’s new multiyear international tour, directed and choreographed by Olivier Award nominee Nick Winston, kicked off in Manila and will soon be off to Singapore and New Zealand.
Over 20 million people have enjoyed this science fiction musical that is rooted in the timeless hits of Queen, a long list that includes “Under Pressure,” “We are the Champions,” “Radio Ga Ga” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Electric buzz
“We Will Rock You” tells the story of two revolutionaries on a quest to save rock ‘n’ roll in a postapocalyptic world. It’s a theater experience with the electric buzz of a rock concert.
The costumes, of course, play a huge part in transporting audiences into the future, and this production features great new looks by costume designer Sarah Mercade.
Mercade enjoyed the challenge of creating sci-fi looks. “I love that there’s multiple distinct worlds in ‘We Will Rock You,’ all of which have their own unique characters and costume design requirements.”
Mercade worked with Martin in creating what she calls “a visual language for the costumes.”
She did a lot of research, liaised with set designer Tom Rogers, and created mood boards before beginning the sketches for each costume, which you can see on this page.
Then she worked with cos
tume supervisor Megan Rarity in overseeing the actual creation of the costumes. This meant meeting with makers, picking fabrics and deciding on accessories and shoes.
Mercade had the task of designing the costumes in the UK, even before she could meet the show’s cast who are from South Africa. “It’s been a unique challenge, as usually I like to respond to the performers in person. But together we found a really effective way of working around the distance.”
Leather bodice
Her favorite piece from the show? “Probably Scaramouche’s leather bodice. When I first saw it, I was so thrilled. The molded leather work created by our maker is just beautiful.”
Creating clothes for the stage means making sure they don’t just look good but that
they can move just as well—a marriage of form and function.
“During rehearsals, we will have fittings with the performers, and make any necessary adjustments to the costumes to ensure they work practically as well as coherently within the design, and suit each individual performer. Tech week is when things get really exciting, as it’s the first time we see all the design and technical elements together on stage, a final chance to check and adjust the design and practical elements before opening the show.” INQ
“We Will Rock You” is produced by Selladoor Worldwide, GMG Productions, Carlos Candal, Gavin Kalin Productions, Limelight Productions and ShowTime Management South Africa. Tickets are available through ticketworld.com.ph; tel. 88919999.