Page to Stage: Cosi - Doug costume drawing

In Louis Nowra’s classic play the time is 1971, the setting is a Melbourne mental institution. The line between reality and illusion is explored through the behavior of patients, staff and the ‘normal’ world.

The design explored all these different realities. Doug, a pyromaniac, was played by Hayden Spencer in this 2003 joint La Boite Theatre / QPAC production directed by Adam Cook and designed by Dan Potra.

The costumes generally reflect the period of the play, and the different worlds of the characters, while the costumes for the opera within the play specifically reflected a hand-made occupational therapy aesthetic.