‘Machinal’ - Conceptual (2024)

Playwright - Sophie Treadwell

Director - Patrick Connellan and Tara Turner

Costume Design - Nancy Tait

This was a conceptual costume design project for ‘Machinal’. The play is based on the real life story of Ruth Snyder who was executed for murdering her husband. In the play you follow the life of a young woman who feels suffocated by the repressive patriarchal society she lives in and her loveless marriage.

I decided to design the costumes like the main character was trapped in a 70’s sit com, using gaudy bright prints and colours to show how the young woman is overwhelmed and stifled. I wanted all the happy colours and smiley sit com acting to come across sinister, like sexist advertisements in the 50’s and 70’s. I wanted to set it closer to today instead of the 1920’s ,to show that all the issues addressed in the play are still vitally relevant.