‘Whodunnit’

‘Whodunnit’ is an Agatha Christie style play written by Anthony Shaffer and is being produced by The Old Gaolers in Buckingham during the 1^st week of November.

The story involves six strangers & a butler who have gathered for a black tie dinner in a wealthy lawyer's mansion during a thunderstorm.

 

The guests include an aged rear admiral, a bitchy aristocrat, a doddering archaeologist, and a dashing young cad. One of the guests is an oily Levantine who tells the others (each in private) that he has the goods to blackmail them.

 

Admiral Costumes are delighted to have provided costumes for this play set in the 1930’s and are pleased to publish the photos by kind permission of The Old Gaolers.

 

For more information on our 1930’s costumes for Agatha Christie style dramas, visit our website

http://www.admiralcostumes.co.uk/?page_id=824 

 

Theatrical Costumes, Vintage Wear and Fancy Dress

We are a professional theatrical costumier with an unrivalled collection of theatrical costumes and vintage wear with hard to find props and accessories that have been expertly collected over 20 years. Many amateur dramatic societies, professional theatre and TV production companies and events companies like to use us for their supply of quality, authentic looking costumes.

Our customers come to us for quality clothing in authentic fabrics. If they wish to dress up as the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh or Winston Churchill, they do not want to be wearing a flimsy piece of nylon and a plastic topper, they want real clothing and accessories so that they will look and feel the part.

We have a wonderful selection of tailcoats, frock coats, ball gowns and vintage style dresses and suits for all occasions, so give us a call on 019089 372504 or visit our website www.admiralcostumes.co.uk

For reproduction fancy dress costumes and accessories then please go to our website where a large range of fancy dress and party items can be securely purchased on-line. Orders can be delivered directly to your address or collected from store to save carriage charges.

 www.admiralcostumes.co.uk/shop

Our store in Newton Longville, Milton Keynes is open from 3-6 on Thursdays and          9 – 1pm on Friday and Saturday for viewings and collections. Other times are available by appointment.

 

 

 

Waistcoats

Waistcoats are one of those clothing items that have been worn since the 15^th century and are still popular today.

Waistcoats or ‘vests’, as they were called then, were introduced by Charles II in 1666 to his court and not wearing a waistcoat was quickly considered to be ‘undressed’.

The waistcoat has continued to be worn by everyone from peasants to kings, for not only extra warmth, but as an elaborate item of mens dress to demonstrate wealth.

Admiral Costumes offer a huge selection of waistcoats from many periods, from the simple jerkin of the tudor peasant through the fashion eras of the 20^th century to present day.

We have waistcoats suitable for pantomime, characters, wedding suits, butlers and ringmasters, in velvet, tweed, silk, brocade or paisley.

We have short waistcoats, long waistcoats, buttoned or collared, suitable for many period plays and dramas set in 20th century times.

Sets of sequinned waistcoats for shows like chorus line or cabaret are available for hire and waistcoats with pictures or loud patterns for character performances.

Barber shop or bespoke waistcoats can be made to order. For more information on hiring our waistcoats or placing an order, please call 01908 372504.

http://www.admiralcostumes.co.uk/?page_id=752

 

Business or busts

Through thick and thin,
They’ll wade right in,
Getting to grips with business acumen.
Together forever, exceedingly clever,
They take any sort of knock on the chin.

 Together they share entrepreneurial flair.

They handle costumes and props and customers with care.
Their wit and their charm does them no harm,
Only step on their toes if you dare.
 

So if you want a good time,

Contact the partners in crime,
Gladys and Ruby are still in their prime.
A pair you can trust – call them you must
The delectable duo – business or bust.

@admiralcostumes and @ruby’s_vintage

 

www.admiralcostumes.co.uk

 

 

‘Allo ‘Allo

Based on the hugely popular TV comedy series, the stage version of 'Allo 'Allo follows the adventures of René, the hapless café owner in war-torn occupied France, as he and his wife, Edith, struggle to keep for themselves a priceless portrait stolen by the Nazis and kept in their cellar.

René is hiding two British airmen and is endeavouring, with the help of the Resistance, to repatriate them. At the same time, everyone is trying to get their hands on the valuable painting of the Fallen Madonna by Van Clomp.

All plans are turned upside down when it is announced that Adolf Hitler and Field Marshall Hermann Goering intend to visit their small village of Nouvien in war-torn France, which leads to several of the characters attempting to impersonate either Hitler or Goering in a last-ditch attempt to get their hands on the so-called valuable work of art with the aim of selling it after the war.

The comedy play has all the characters of the TV version; Rene the café owner, Edith his wife and Yvette the maid.

Admiral Costumes have a good selection of costumes for this show, with German uniforms and trenchcoats in grey and khaki jackets and trousers, for Gruber and General Von Schmelling, gendarme costumes, british airman jackets with helmet and goggles, and outfits for the main characters.

 We are delighted to be providing costumes for the Nemesis Theatre Group in Flitwick who will be producing this excellent play next month.

For more information visit www.admiralcostumes.co.uk

Sex Sells

I’ve had it on good authority – sex sells.

No doubt it’s true. All those gorgeous models draped over cars, dabbing perfume behind their ears and seductively eating chocolate must be doing it for good reason.

I have business friends who have been persuaded to step outside their personal comfort zone to produce promotional material that has left them, quite frankly, 50 shades of red.

The marketers can’t all be wrong, so I’ve volunteered Gladys Costumier as our company sex symbol for Admiral Costumes.

Her name alone has a certain ‘Je ne sais quoi’, and she is more than happy to pose nude at the drop of a hat without complaint. She’s cheap and sassy, offers no opinion and will wear absolutely anything except trousers.

So if the following poster doesn’t make you want to pick up the phone and give us a call, then I don’t know what will.

www.admiralcostumes.co.uk

01908 372504

A show stopping September with Admiral Costumes

Firstly we were delighted to have been credited with providing the costumes for the 70’s Chic article in the August edition of Vintage Life Magazine and were mentioned once more on page four of the September issue.

Over 100 of our 1950’s clothing items went out to Milton Keynes Theatre for the Ambassadors production of Guys and Dolls. With a cast of 150, it was amazing to see so many of our vintage outfits on stage at any one time in the crowd scenes. From suits and dresses to overcoats and trilby’s, the costumes looked amazing against the superb stage set.

Another production of The Sound of Music saw 10 of our nun’s habits and 7 children’s sailor suits and play clothes, including the curtains and tie backs, head off to Tring for several performances of this popular show.

We were also delighted to have been able to provide specialist 1930’s style clothing for the most popular Agatha Christie play, ‘And Then There were None’ which is also the most read book after The Bible and The Koran.  The director’s attention to detail on the period clothing, ensures that this will be a truly authentic looking production, with double breasted dinner suits and elegant ladies day and evening attire.

I am always amazed at the diverse use of our costumes and this month we have seen our costumes not only worn in a wide variety of shows and plays, but at the Goodwood revival, Woburn gardens  display, an Edwardian dressage competition, a wedding on the island on Rutland Water, a barbers shop quintet and a palette and brushes used at a floral art competition. Not to mention four more nun’s habits that took part in a student’s final year film at a Buckinghamshire film school.

Coming up we have several more shows to look forward to; ‘Allo ‘Allo, Hi-De-Hi, The Gondoliers, Sherlock Holmes, Cabaret  and further productions of The Sound of Music.

Gladys Costumier, my faithful colleague and confidante can now be followed on twitter @gladyscostumier.  She likes to shed her own wit and wisdom on our daily lives at Admiral Costumes.

This week we have been nominated as shop of the week by ‘Love Little Shops’ an on line directory for small rural shops in the Buckinghamshire area and this weekend, we are off to a masked ball as characters from the Mask of Zorro (Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta Jones eat your heart out!).

For more detailed accounts of our September events, please check our blog: http://admiralcostumes.posterous.com/

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @admiralcostumes