Opera Makeup

Soizic Sidoit is the head of hair and makeup at the Montpellier National Opera.
Trained in the field, then in professional makeup at the Silvya Terrade school in Lyon, Soizic worked on a number of theatrical creations (the Comédie Française, the Rond-point Theater, the Odéon, etc.) and also on promos, adverts, short and feature length films, and television shoots.
Her first production at the Montpellier National Opera was in 2000: La Didone (F. Cavalli).

For the blue makeup, the challenge for Soizic Sidoit was to find the perfect shade to complement the color of the costumes and the performance lighting.
She suggested a number of blends to the costume designer.
Once the shade of blue had been chosen, Soizic Sidoit had to reproduce it on a large scale; enough to cover the face and arms of the 30 actors that would be on stage.

Soizic Sidoit then had to find the perfect texture and application method to perfectly complement the light tulle of the costumes, and the performers’ bald caps and hair.
To give the color a natural effect, she used an airbrush: a tool that delicately sprays makeup onto the skin without needing to use a brush or sponge.

For the main characters’ makeup, Soizic Sidoit spoke with the director and the costume designer, and suggested a few mockups (colored sketches).

Under the jester’s headpiece and makeup, the young Fantasio (portrayed by soprano Rihab Chaïeb, directed by Thomas Jolly) is unrecognizable and can pass for the king’s new jester.

Creating Don José’s wound (Robert Watson)

L’italiana in Algeri (2017)

To transform the tenor Bruno Taddia into Don Pasquale, the grumpy old man in Donizetti’s play, Soizic Sidoit suggested to director Valentin Schwarz that they use a gray in his beard to match the color of the animal sculpture props on-stage.

Wearing this hair and makeup, tenor Bruno Taddia (Don Pasquale) appeared significantly older.

Despite already being young, soprano Karah Son had to portray 15-year-old Cio-Cio San in Madame Butterfly.

Even in the whitest light, the anxious beauty of Cio-Cio San, unquestionably awaiting her American husband’s return, lights up the stage.

Mockup of Hippolyta’s makeup

The mezzo-soprano Polly Leech as Hippolyta

For the character of Titania, gray tones were chosen that were inspired by Chaplin’s universe.

The same for the character of Oberon...

and Puck.

Florie Valiquette and James Hall as Titania and Oberon.

Let's end this exhibition with the dreamy mood of Puck (Nicholas Bruder) in A Midsummer Night’s Dream