Ubu Roi

Ubu Roi's, Mother Ubu:

by Angie Waller
Concept design and realisation:

by Dea Martini
Photography:

by Stalin Marimuthu
Movement direction:

by Peta Lily
Project leadership:

by Donatella Barbieri

for LCF:UAL

The costume is presented as large gown, the shape and silhouette of which evokes the grandiosity and power related to a queen’s figure, it has hidden holes and pockets, as she hides real character.

She pops up sleeves one by one, to tell us step by step about herself.

She does this in slow movement, because she is smart, she wants to be prepared, and preceded.

I have chosen these elements, because the hidden pockets reflect of the way she hides her real character, also these pockets serve as containers for “treasure” that she wants to possess. Finally, these extensions serve as the one of the focus points of the performance, during which, the performer pops up sleeves one by one, to introduce us step by step to Mother Ubu.

Further, Mother Ubu finds fake arms and hands inside those holes. I choose the element of arms and hand because, she is greedy, the real hands for her are not enough, as she wants more and more, she wants everything only for herself. I want the costume to have many hands, because the hands play an important function in body language and sign language. The hands concept materializes in the form of a glove. Hand gloves are used by criminals to hide fingerprints, so I want her to use these gloves, to wear and play through them, because she can’t leave traces. Also, she has a crown made by gloves, which can represent her status. The gloves than, slides in her face and her neck, as trying to squeeze and choke her. She is free to play with several hidden hands that she finds around her body, she can use them in different ways, even dancing with her arms and hands, hugging herself as she can’t love anyone else more than herself. She has gloves on her chest, which can be moved in different ways and combinations, representing hands that distract her on the movement or sometimes stroke her. The costume is big enough for her, that she can even hide inside, dipping into the costume or use the shape of the costume and her size in different ways.

The costume began to reflect another shape as hands are coming out of pockets. She is turning in something else, somehow like a spider (an ancient symbol of mystery, power and growth).

I have decided to use three colours for this costume, black, blue and red. The black for the general colour of the dress, blue for fake hands, and red for her real arms. Firstly, black because is a dark colour with many negative connotations, it reflects sophistication, drama, mystery, the end of a cycle, authority, power, evil, nervous, tense, secrecy

The blue because, represents confidence, strength, it is also a cold color, which can best describe her cold nature. And red is associated with passion, danger, courage, demand, aggression, energy, strength, attention, this is the reason way I chose the red to wear her real arms, because it’s her inner passion and aggression that makes all the movement. All these elements that describe Mother Ubu and her real character.