Working closely with my director, we were struck by the notion of ritual and honour present in Julius Caesar, and linked this with Japanese culture. We soon found a perfect parallel of Caesar's reign and betrayal in the Japanese shogun era, unnervingly at the same time as Julius Caesar was written. The production soon became a reflection of this coincidence: an all-encompassing Japanese interpretation of Julius Caesar, complete with traditional music. In my design I was inspired by origami and the simple but energised shapes of Japanese architecture, so I created two walkway structures that met in the middle; with a rough Roman stone path meeting sleek Japanese wood floor. I translated this into my costume designs by extending the Roman toga and adding a Japanese style to it: creating the kimoga. This succeeded in creating more of a fusion between the two cultures by drawing on their similarities.
Initial sketch model | Adapted white card model |
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Finished model | Finished model |
Finished model | Finished model |
Storyboard moment | Caesar and Calpurnia costumes |
Brutus & Portia costume designs | The conspirators costume group |