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The Three Musketeers - Constance Bonacieux

September 2010

Constance Bonacieux - played by Sarah Wood

Set in the 17th century, The Three Musketeers was a hilarious, sexy, swashbuckling play based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas, and I was asked to dress two of the female leads.

As the play's wardrobe co-ordinator had already decided where to go with this dress, it was much more straightforward than the costume of Milady. It was made from McCall's pattern 4548, which is essentially an early settler costume from the Victorian era, but it worked well for the character of Constance.

Constance was going to be portrayed as a very 'sweet' character, so the dress was made out of a vintage pink patterned fabric, with pink satin accents on the collar, sleeve cuffs and belt, and lace trim on the edge of the collar and cuffs. The wardrobe co-ordinator chose very well, as even without any costume fittings the dress fitted Sarah the actress perfectly, and it indeed did portray the sweetness and innocence of Constance very well.