Les Liaisons Dangereuses - Design project (Year 2: Term 1)

So I am now back at uni and I have to say I really love it! Next week we will be starting our five week placement where I will be working in Bridal wear for the first two weeks then in Opera at the Royal College of Music for the final three. I am extremely excited and really looking forward to using all the skills I have been learning over the past year. I will be posting a bit more about this in a week or so.

I still haven't managed to post a bit about my design project from last term as I left my portfolio in London when I went home for Christmas. This has been my favourite design project to date. We were asked to design 3 characters for either the play or script 'Les Liasons Dangereuses' and realise one of the designs. This involves script breakdown, character analysis, accurate period research, coming up with a concept for the overall performance, thinking about set, lighting, hair and make up, then experimentation and designing for the characters. From this work we had to summarise all of our ideas to 10 A2 pages to present along with our realised costume on our actor.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses is a story of seduction, revenge and love set in the 18th Century. The main character, the Marquise de Merteuil, makes it her mission to control her previous lover, Vicomte de Valmont, persuading him to seduce other women to get revenge on another previous lover. I decided to set the play in 1760-70s and use the idea that Merteuil is controlling Valmont as a concept, focussing on the quote "It's beyond my control" (Valmont, page 91).

My concept was that Valmont is schizophrenic and Merteuil is a figment of his imagination. This idea would be mainly presented through spotlighting towards the end of the play when Valmont's condition is slowly being revealed. (eg. Merteuil would be spotlit when Valmont talks to her etc.). Additionally the audience would experience Valmont's condition and feel like they are part of the play. The theatre seating would have speakers in the headrests connected to Merteuil's microphone so it will make it seem like she is in their imagination and controlling them as well.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses concept ideas

I designed Merteuil's character (Act 2: Scene 16) in a way that would suggest she was a figment of Valmont's imagination. I would use the same fabrics for both costumes for which they both appear in the same scene. In order to give her an unreal characteristic I decided to cover her face with sheer net (lit with LEDs underneath, controlled by the lighting designer) to give a ghost like effect.

Marquise de Merteuil general research

Marquise de Merteuil - Scene 16

I also designed for Valmont in scene 10 where he reveals that he has gotten one of his lovers pregnant. Because Valmont's role in the story is predominately to seduce other women, I decided to look at feminine shapes such as the ovaries. I then developed a print design inspired by the ovaries and popular fabrics of the time such as brocade. I was also inspired by painters of the 18th Century such as William Hogarth and Francois Boucher in terms of colour palette and their seductive qualities.

Vicomte de Valmont colour palette and print design

Vicomte de Valmont - Scene 10

I then designed for Valmont in scene 16 using the same fabric choices as I had for Merteuil to reflect that she was a part of him and in his imagination. The washed out colour palette reflects that he is loosing his mind and there is no life left in him. I developed the idea of using ovaries on brocade and came up with an embellishment design for the frock coat which I realised as my final make. (see here)

Vicomte de Valmont embellishment experimentation

Vicomte de Valmont - Scene 16

Victomte de Valmont realised costume - Scene 16
Designed and made by Bryony Hamer
Modelled by Harry Allen
See more on my final costume here