For the 2025 AUB Theatre Production’s touring schools production of A Christmas Carol, I worked as the Costume Designer. Over the course of five and a half weeks, I collaborated with a Costume Design Assistant and two Costume Supervisors to source costumes from AUB’s costume store. This was supplemented with several newly made items, primarily capes and necktie stocks, to complete the overall look of the production.
The concept behind my design was to present the cast as a band of carol singers who narrate a Christmas story in order to persuade Scrooge to recognise the error of his ways. The costumes featured rich jewel tones and Victorian-inspired garments that captured the essence of the period while allowing for a more relaxed and interpretive approach rather than strict historical accuracy. In my final assessment, I was commended for my flexibility, effective time management, and the strength of my colour palettes.
Scrooge’s costume was designed around a stark black-and-white colour palette to reflect the bleakness of the life and world he has created for himself. He was dressed as the archetypal Victorian gentleman, complete with a top hat, cane, and gloves. However, the use of entirely black garments emphasised that while he is concerned with projecting wealth and status, there is no sense of joy or warmth expressed through colour.
Bob Cratchit’s costume was centred on muted grey tones for his business attire, reflecting his role working for Scrooge. To introduce a subtle festive element appropriate to the December setting, he wore a burgundy scarf. He also wore a baker boy hat, a style more commonly associated with the later Victorian period. This choice was intentional, as the baker boy hats were used to visually unify the male members of the Cratchit family and reinforce their identity as a cohesive family unit.
Fred was given the most festive costume in the production, reflecting his role as the antithesis of his uncle, Scrooge. To emphasise his cheerful and celebratory character, I added a removable red velvet ribbon to his hat to enhance its jovial quality. He was also dressed in a forest green frock coat paired with a burgundy stock, placing him firmly within a festive red and green colour palette. To complete the look, I added a sprig of red holly to his lapel, reinforcing the Christmas theme and highlighting his warm, spirited nature.
For Marley, the challenge was to create a convincing ghostly appearance while accommodating a quick costume change. To achieve this, we used an oversized shirt that could billow and move with the actor, creating a more ethereal and ghost-like quality. Additional accessories, including chains and a bandage, were incorporated to complete the look. These elements also helped to subtly restrict the actor’s movement, reinforcing the impression of a spirit “bound by the chains of life.”
Scrooge spends the majority of the play in his nightgown; however, the costume needed to be adapted to function over his original trousers due to the limited time available for full costume changes. To facilitate this transition, the collar and tie were removed and the shoes were replaced with socks to create a more relaxed, night-time appearance. Additional white fabric was added to the hem of the dressing gown to conceal the trousers underneath, maintaining the visual integrity of the costume. A matching nightcap was included as a final finishing touch to complete the look.
Fezziwig’s Ball was set in the past and stylistically inspired by the Regency era. To reflect this, Belle was dressed in a Regency-style gown, while Fezziwig wore breeches appropriate to the period. The male performers removed their jackets during the scene to create a more informal and celebratory atmosphere.
Belle’s dress was chosen in a soft rose-pink tone to evoke a “rose-tinted” view of the past, reinforcing the nostalgic quality of the memory. Burgundy ribbon was added to introduce a subtle festive element. Fezziwig wore a pastel-striped waistcoat paired with blue breeches, contributing to the sense of faded nostalgia and warmth within the scene.
Due to time constraints between scenes, some of the other actors were unable to complete full costume changes. Instead, they adopted key costume elements that defined their characters, allowing them to suggest the new roles while maintaining the flow of the performance.
One of my favourite costumes to design was for the Ghost of Christmas Present. The costume developed into a particularly joyful and vibrant look, largely inspired by the items available in the costume store that I was able to assemble. I selected a large green cape trimmed with gold fur and paired it with a bright red and gold waistcoat, along with a gold stock. Together, these elements created an intentionally extravagant and lively costume that suited the larger-than-life presence of the character.
My Costume Design Assistant, Elizabeth Rowntree, also played an important role in realising this look by creating the holly head wreath I had designed. She carefully painted into the leaves to add depth and dimension, and applied gold spray to ensure the wreath shimmered and stood out effectively under the stage lighting.
For the Cratchit family, I costumed the women in bonnet hats and shawls to emphasise their status as working women while also suggesting the need to keep warm. These elements helped communicate both their social position and the modest conditions in which they live.
For the Cratchit children, I deliberately chose not to include jackets, instead dressing them in waistcoats. This decision created a visual distinction between the children and the fully grown adults, who wore coats, reinforcing their youth while maintaining a cohesive Victorian-inspired aesthetic for the family.
The scene in which the undertaker and Scrooge’s maids attempt to sell their stolen goods to Old Joe was one of my favourite moments in the production, as it provided a comical and much-needed lighthearted break within the narrative. For Old Joe, I selected a worn waistcoat and paired it with tatty gloves and a stock to give him the appearance of a shrewd wheeler-dealer. I also added small spectacles, which he used when scrutinising the brooch that Mrs White attempts to sell him, helping to enhance the character’s personality and the humour of the scene.
Mrs Dilber and Mrs White were costumed with aprons, shawls, and mob caps to clearly establish them as maids. For the undertaker, I added a ribbon to the back of his hat to further suggest his profession and subtly distinguish him from the other characters in the scene.
To convey the Cratchits’ period of mourning, their scarves and shawls were changed from warm, festive colours to black, visually reflecting their grief. Following Scrooge’s transformation and change of heart, his costume was updated to reflect his renewed generosity and warmth: he wore a tartan scarf and received a holly corsage from the charity woman, symbolising both the festive season and his restored connection to the community.
The team of everyone who worked on A Christmas Carol, including the director, stage management, sound, costume, set and props!
