Plum Pie, Purple Monster

I designed the costumes for an immersive promenade theatre piece called Plum Pie, Purple Monster set in the Arboretum, Nottingham. It is based on a short story by Jen Campbell. The audience will be led round the park by the character Fern, who will introduce them to the other characters including Madame Honey (the group leader), Clover and Heath. They are all teenagers who have plant-based mutations that alienate them from society, for example Jasmine has green skin and Rose has a flower growing in her throat. Every year the children go to a summer camp where they are examined by scientists; however, this year their friend Lily has gone missing. The audience will help the characters look for Lily, sing songs in the bandstand and tell stories round a campfire. Eventually the audience will be encouraged to help the characters steal the seeds and cuttings that the scientists have taken from them and scatter them on the gardens, before escaping and taking back control of their lives. The story has themes of fairytales, anti-authority, otherness and magic; it has a fun, collaborative feel- its supposed to feel like you’ve been invited to join the summer camp for the first time and are exploring a new world.