Pip Leckenby talks about designing the costumes for the play. Read what she has to say about the process of selecting the right costume for the characters.

The director and I wanted the characters to look as much like the TV cartoon as possible. I then read the script, making notes as to which actor was playing which parts, and in which order they appear, how long they have to change into the next costume. This turns into a long list for shows like Horrid Henry. Then I found as much reference material as I could,  watching lots of the cartoons, reading the books and I was also given lots of images from Novel Entertainment. From all of these pictures I then collect together the ones that are right for each scene and character. With some of the costumes, like dogs and frogs, I did drawings myself as to what they will should look like on an actor.

Then the work starts in finding the right clothes to fit in with the designs. Henry's clothes look simple, baseball boots, jeans and a jumper. But you can't just buy any jumper, he wouldn't look right in red, so one has to be made in the right colours. Wigs have to be shaped and coloured for characters like Miss Battle-Axe and Moody Margaret, a tutu made for Miss Tutu. Because the actors need to be able to put the costumes on quickly this has to be taken into consideration all the time when shopping and making them. Some of the costumes will have to be worn over the top of others because the actors have very little time to get changed.

Then when the actors rehearse on stage for the first time I make sure that they all look right together under the lights and infront of the set.