Christmas came early this year, as University of Northampton students helped bring festive favourite ‘Elf – The Musical’ to the stage, taking on professional hair and makeup roles for Northampton Musical Theatre Company’s (NMTC) latest production.
A team of ten students* studying Hair, Makeup and Prosthetics for Stage and Screen gained valuable industry experience working behind the scenes at Royal & Derngate from Wednesday 28 – Saturday 31 October, supporting performers and collaborating with theatre professionals throughout the production.
Leading the team was student Jessica Ian, who took on the role of Lead Hair and Makeup Designer for the first time. Working alongside two supervisors, Lucia Maule and Aspen Haseldine, Jessica led seven fellow hair and makeup artists, designing looks for the show’s characters and overseeing their delivery across seven performances during the week, including a dress rehearsal.
The team was responsible for creating and maintaining the performers’ looks, from stage makeup and hairstyling to providing touch-ups throughout the live shows.
Lead Hair and Makeup Designer, Jessica Ian, said: “I have previously worked in theatre, but this was my first time ever leading a team. I designed looks for each character by watching rehearsals, meeting the cast and crew, and taking inspiration from the original film.
“I am so pleased with how the team worked together, and we received excellent feedback from the company.
“One of the highlights for me was the ‘family’ feel that theatre has. Everyone is involved and shares that like-minded creative mindset. After working on so many shows over the course of the week, we really became part of that team, which was the biggest highlight for me.”
Course Leader and Senior Lecturer in Hair, Make-up and Prosthetics for Stage and Screen, Laura Stonys, praised the students’ professionalism and the value of the ongoing relationship with NMTC.
She said: “Opportunities like this are invaluable for our students, allowing them to put their creative skills into practice in a professional environment while developing the employability skills that are so important when entering the industry.
“Working on a live production gives students the opportunity to develop their communication, teamwork, organisation and adaptability, while experiencing the realities of working to the demands of a theatre production.
“We are incredibly proud of how professionally the students approached this opportunity, and the fantastic feedback from Northampton Musical Theatre Company is testament to their hard work. We are also very grateful to NMTC for continuing to work with us and providing our students with these valuable opportunities to gain real-world experience.”
The collaboration is the latest in a series of professional theatre productions supported by University of Northampton students – following in the footsteps of collaborative stage projects such as Footloose, Jesus Christ Superstar, Shrek, and The Addams Family – which provide valuable opportunities to develop their skills, build industry connections and gain experience that will support their future careers.
Find out more about studying BA (Hons) Hair, Make-up and Prosthetics for Stage and Screen.
*The student team included:
- Lead Hair and Makeup Designer: Jessica Ian
- Hair and Makeup Supervisors: Aspen Haseldine and Lucia Maule
- Hair and Makeup Artists: Rhianna Auguste-Lyons, Lara Brown, Ella Charles, Noorah Jabin Chowdhury, Seb Earwicker, Nic Guarino and Larna Parsons.