

































AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies

114

TRANSFORMING THE ACTOR THROUGH COSTUMING: THE 
DESIGN PROCESS IN STAGE PRODUCTION 

 

Monsuru Oladotun Olajide 
Olaajiddemonsuru68@yahoo.com 

 
and 

 
Stellamaris Osazuwa 
stellyosass@gmail.com 

Department of Performing Arts & Film Studies 

Lead City University, Ibadan 

Abstract 

Costume helps to define the style in a stage production, demonstrate 
relationships among actors, reveal the essence of actors, set the social 
and cultural environment and tell the story. Other significance of 
costume in a performance includes specifying the actors’ social and
professional roles, establishing time and place and meeting the 
practical needs of production. To achieve these, the costumier 
engages in research, brainstorming with the director and the other 
production crew. This is then followed with the sourcing of materials 
and building of the costumes. As tasking as these stages are, 
documenting costume design process in play productions could be 
more engaged. This work was then inspired to itemize and record the 
process of conceptualizing and realizing the costume of “Idia” as a 
stage production. 

The researchers used majorly participant observation for the research 
work. The report of the production process and pictures served as 
data with which the work was carried out. This study recorded the 
process of conceptualizing and realizing the costume of ‘Idia’ as a
stage production. It was the convocation play of the Department of 
Performing Arts and Film studies, Lead City University Ibadan for 
the year 2018.  

Findings revealed that for a stage play such as ‘idia, the sketching 
beforehand helped note the considerations for time in –between 
scenes. The sketching helped note costume changes that needed to be 
performed quickly and also aided in the process of sewing. Also, the 
materials used for the ‘idia’ production were not very appropriate to
the picture of the play but close substitutes were used. The play tells 



Monsuru Oladotun Olajide & Stellamaris Osazuw - Transforming the actor through…

115

about the Benin kingdom, and each actor was costumed to portray 
the character given according to the play. Costumes and accessories 
worn by actors were not the ideal materials, based on the low fund 
that was allocated to costume. Therefore, some of the materials 
gotten were the replacement of the ideal materials.  

The work then recommends that costumer should be able to work 
with the available fund allocated especially in an academic 
production. Also, he or she should have a backup plan in sourcing for 
production materials. 

Introduction 

Theatre is a collaborative art form that uses live performers, typically 
actors or actresses to present the experience of a real or imagined event 
before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers 
communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of 
gesture, speech, song, music, and dance. Elements of art, such as painted 
scenery and stagecraft such as lighting are used to enhance the physicality, 
presence and immediacy of the experience. The specific place of the 
performance is also named by the word theatre as derived from the 
Ancient Greek “théatron” which means a place for viewing. Modern
western theatre comes in large measures; from the theatre of ancient 
Greece, from which it borrows technical terminology, classification into 
genres and many of its themes, stock characters and plot elements. Modern 
theatre includes performances of plays and musical theatre. There are 
several aspects of dramatic theatre expression such as acting, costumes 
and staging, design make-up, directing, choreography, light design, music 
and dance. Among all of these arts, costume and make-up are known in 
drama as the most personal aspects of the visual arts in the theatre because 
clothes are worn by actors on stage, likewise make-up and other 
accessories like bracelets, mask, hairstyle and other body properties are 
used by actors during performances. Costume and make-up play important 
roles in play production because they add value to the play in terms of 
colour, shape and texture. The presence of costume and the use of make-
up must be felt just as costume and make-up used in the theatre are 
different from our everyday dresses. 

Costuming could mean habit and particularly the manner of dress and 
clothing worn at different period by different people. Costume is the 
distinctive style of dress of an individual or group that reflects their class, 
gender, profession, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch. The term also 



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies

116

was traditionally used to describe typical appropriate clothing for certain 
activities, such as riding costume, swimming costume, dance costume and 
evening costume. Appropriate and acceptable costume is subject to 
changes in fashion and local cultural norms. Costume often refers to a 
particular style of clothing worn to portray the wearer as a character or 
type of character at a social event in a theatrical performance on the stage 
or in film or television. In combination with other aspects of stagecraft, 
theatrical costumes can help actors portray characters and their contexts 
as well as communicate information about the historical period, 
geographic location and time of day, season or weather of the theatrical 
performance. Costume is referred to as an actor’s second skin. However,
dressing in character is no trivial matter, for costumes differ from 
everyday clothes (Tanner 193). 

In drama, costume sends signals similar to those used in everyday life to 
the audiences. In the theatre, costumes relay the information in 
performance with regards to status, sex, age, occupation, cultural or ethnic 
identities and many more. However, costume plays a primary role for the 
actor to impersonate a character. Costume cannot be seen in isolation, it 
has to be considered with the other technical aspects of the theatre to form 
a harmonious whole in any theatrical production. These four art (costume, 
make-up, scenery and light) must meet so as to convey the colour motif of 
the production at hand in order to avoid a bizarre spectacle on stage and 
this has to be done in relation to the concept of the director. In her words, 
Felner captures the costume design process thus: 

Costume designers are usually engaged after a project has been 
selected. Like the designers, they come to an understanding of the 
characters and their world through a close analysis of the text, 
discussions with the director and the rest of the production’s creative
team, and through research. They ask themselves what needs to be 
revealed about the characters through the costumes and what 
demands the dramatic action makes on the clothing the actors will 
wear (286). 

In other words, costume is very crucial in any theatrical performance be it 
on stage or screen because it plays an important role in character creation, 
visual aesthetic as well as practical elements in a production. Theatrical 
costume can illuminate the stage atmosphere and characters portrayed, 
while the basic elements of theatre are nothing more than the actors and 
the scripts. Most theatre productions are not complete without the addition 
of costume. Good costume gives the audience key information about a 



Monsuru Oladotun Olajide & Stellamaris Osazuw - Transforming the actor through…

117

character at first sight. For example, if a character is a wealthy one, the 
costuming of that particular character may be reflected in form of 
expensive, neat and ironed cloth and expensive accessories coupled with 
a tidy hair and beards which enhance the story telling and the realism of 
play. Costumes also serve as a chief indicator of the time and place of a 
play. In most stage play, costume is the most visible and often deployed 
art. For dramatists who know the value of costume, they pay close 
attention to it even at the level of text. Capturing the premium that the 
father of modern drama; Henrik Ibsen placed on costume in driving home 
characters’ realization in his works, Ajami posits thus: 

In his plays, Ibsen gives us detailed description of the appearance of 
characters and their costumes. He visualizes and gives life to the 
written persona by describing their looks and way of clothing. 
Moreover, Ibsen illustrates his characters by his comments about 
their apparel and characterizes them visually. In Ibsen’s dramas, the
characters interiority and beliefs are reflected by their external 
appearance hence costumes have a significance role in projecting a 
character’s personality. In his dramaturgy, Ibsen also uses costume
to illustrate symbols and metaphors. Therefore, costumes not only 
signify characters’ moods, identities and social positions, but also
they have wider meanings (11). 

Theatre is seen as the most complex of all the arts, since in a single 
production many other arts are utilized. The playwright, the director, the 
actor, the scene designer, the costumer, the make-up artist, the 
choreographer and so on are all part of a production. This complexity 
therefore has led many to refer to theatre as a mixed art, because it is a 
combination of the written words of a literary artist, visual background of 
the scene designer and painter, the speech and movements of an actor and 
so on. Costume, however, ought to perform some distinct functions such 
as establishing the style of the production, indicating the nature of 
individual characters or groups in a film or stage production, as well as 
their occupations, personalities and status. Costume must also indicate the 
historical period of the production and the locale in which it occurs and so 
on. Costume conveys the relevance of individual characters where 
necessary. Furthermore, costume should be expressive of the 
psychological nature of its wearer (actor or actress) by trying to project 
the truth about him or her. The character, through his costume and make-
up shows the difference between his or her usual self and the role he or 
she is playing. The costumier should therefore strive to establish a 



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies

118

comprehensible relationship between the actor and the audience through 
costume since the audience first feed their eyes on characters physical 
appearance before they are heard. 

The Essence of Costume in a Production 

Sanders, succinctly captures the essence of costume in a production to an 
actor and how it helps the audience’s understanding of a performance thus: 

From the time an actor first enters the stage the audience should be 
able to tell quite a lot about their character, even before they speak. 
The actor themselves, through posture, stance, gait, and general 
demeanor can communicate much, but their costume, much like our 
own clothes, establishes a lot of what the audience infers about that 
person at first glance… Costume design is the artful creation of
wardrobe that tells the stories of the play’s characters. Good costume
design accomplishes the looks required by the production while 
preserving the comfort and flexibility of the performers and 
addresses wardrobe maintenance concerns for the run of the 
production. It is an art that relies on knowledge of period detail, fabric 
construction, tailoring, and costume craft (59). 

Good costume will give the audience key information about a character at 
first sight. For example, if a character is in a depressive state, the 
costuming may reflect this in the form of unkempt, dirty and wrinkled 
clothing. This enhances the storytelling and realism of the play. Costumes 
are a chief indicator of the time and place of a play. Makeup and hairstyles 
should also be coordinated to match the setting of the play, though some 
concession is made in makeup styles for the sake of avoiding wash-out. 
The director and costume designer will often work together in creating a 
visual aesthetic for a show that goes beyond the practical concerns. This 
type of planning not only enhances the vision for the drama and 
storytelling; it helps create a theatrical experience that is richly enjoyable 
from a visual standpoint as well as a dramatic one. Costume serves an 
important purpose for actors, too. Though the primary work that actors do 
in creating their characters is done during the weeks of rehearsal and 
individual practice leading up to a show, seeing them transformed visually 
into a character is often a powerful source of inspiration. Also, beyond 
setting and character, costume plays an important role in visibility and 
aesthetic. Costumes are clothes worn by actors and actresses, which assist 
them to assume different forms of characters aside their true selves. 
Traditionally, it is very essential in theatre and possesses the ability of 
transforming a character. Among the theatrical elements, costumes have 



Monsuru Oladotun Olajide & Stellamaris Osazuw - Transforming the actor through…

119

always assumed a major stand in every successful production. One may 
view costume as clothes, which we wear, but they are very essential in the 
theatre based on the functions so far alluded to.  

This proves the indispensability of costume in any theatre presentation. It 
is meant to serve as a blending factor to the actor’s role in interpretation
of the character he is portraying both on stage. Also the relevance of 
costume in productions cannot be over emphasized because costume aid 
understanding and interpretation of a performance. This is achieved by 
embarking on a thorough research of the script from costumier’s
perspective. Whereas the actor seeks to embody his understanding of 
character through movements and voice, the costumier uses the elements 
of costume design such as texture, colour, and line and so on to create a 
visual counterpart of the action. In the theatre, costumes send us signals 
similar to those in everyday life. However, as with other elements in 
theatre, there are significant differences between costumes of everyday 
life and those in theatre. In the words of Landis: 

There is often confusion between costume design and fashion design; 
however, these two fields and their objectives are very different. 
Fashion designers have labels and sell their clothes, while costume 
designers have no labels and are focused on creating authentic 
characters in a story. Costume designers create both beautiful gowns 
for a glamorous entrance and everyday clothes when required by the 
script. They must know “who” characters “are” before they create a
closet of clothes and accessories for the characters. A costume is 
worn by one actor, as one specific character, in a specific scene or 
scenes in the story. Most important, the audience must believe that 
every person in a story has a life before the movie begins (2) 

Although stage costumes communicate the same information as ordinary 
clothes with regard to sex, positions and occupations, this information is 
magnified because every element in theatre is in the spotlight. Also, on the 
stage, costumes must meet other requirements not normally expected in 
everyday life. Stage costumes should help establish the tone and style of a 
production indicate the historical period of a play and locale in which it 
occurs and help to show the nature of individual characters or groups in a 
play, their stations in life, occupations and personalities. Costumes should 
show the relationships among characters; separating major characters 
from minor ones, contrasting one group with another, symbolically 
convey the significance of individual characters of the theme of the play. 
Also, the costume should meet the needs of individual performer making 



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies

120

it possible for an actor or actress to move freely in costume in order to 
change quickly from one to another. Costume must also be consistent with 
the production as a whole especially other visual elements.  On the 
practical side, the costume designer clothes the actor and ensures that the 
actor is able to perform without constriction due to their costumes (Crist 
5). 

Furthermore, costume on stage must meet other requirements apart from 
those stated above because theatrical clothing sends us signals similar to 
those in normal life. This is why an actor or actress should always strive 
to feel and acts like the character he or she is portraying. Theatrical 
costumes can exaggerate some aspect of a character. Sometimes theatrical 
costumes literally mimic what the costume designer thinks the character 
would wear if the character actually existed. On the other hand, often-
stylized theatrical costumes can exaggerate some aspect of a character. 
Through the use of appropriate costumes, the time and place, the 
occupation and lifestyle, the culture of a group of people, the economic 
and social status, the mood and atmosphere, as well as gender and age of 
actors, as well as the period of the play are established (Kwakye-Opong 
and Dennis 83). 

The Costume Design Process of “Idia”  

Sketching Phase for Costume Design in ‘Idia’ Production  

- Script reading: the script is always the foundation of any play 
work. It therefore necessitates a proper reading for understanding. More 
especially as many will put descriptive passages into their scripts to help 
set the tone for their story, our job was to collaborate with the director and 
agree on what he wanted the costume for the play to look like. During the 
process of reading the script, we broke down the script into several 
categories to form an outline that will become the performance. We had a 
book, and in this book, there was all the pertinent information that we 
needed on a day-to-day basis to perform my duties as the costumiers. It 
consisted of all the characters in the play, which scenes they were in and 
how many costume changes they had over the course of the story. Reading 
of the script was very important, because it aided the understanding of the 
play, during the pre-production stage of ‘Idia’, reading the script aided our 
understanding about what each actor should be wearing for each scene, 
what colour of fabrics, texture etc. We met with the director to discuss the 
approach with the director, and other members of the design team. 



Monsuru Oladotun Olajide & Stellamaris Osazuw - Transforming the actor through…

121

Knowledge of period and/or style came from research while reading. The 
reading was done outside rehearsal and while rehearsing. 

- Script analysis: script analysis is the breakdown of the script 
from start to the end of the story. It covers all aspects from the first time 
we see an actor on stage to the last. All the script reading was to enable us 
create a better script analysis as it helped establish the tone and style of a 
production of ‘Idia’. It helped also to indicate the historical period of a 
play and the locale in which it occurs. Also, we were able to indicate the 
nature of individual characters or groups in the play, their stations in life, 
their occupations and their personalities, and show the relationships 
among characters; separating major characters from minor ones, 
contrasting one group with another. Where appropriate, we could 
symbolically convey the significance of each character in the script ‘Idia’. 
It also helped to meet the needs of individual performers, making it 
possible for an actor or actress to move freely in a costume, to change 
quickly from one costume to another. We were consistent with the 
production as a whole, especially other visual elements because it is then 
we could match up the characters in the script with the scenes that they 
appear on stage. Then we created a costume plot for each character in the 
script, and we created a look and provided a costume for each member of 
the cast, and also selected fabric suitable for each role, accessories. 

- Character analysis: This is a process for analyzing characters as 
would be played by actors and creating the perfect match in terms of 
costume. Analysis of character begins with the script as usual.  These 
include finding clues into their personal history, their family history, 
where they live, who they have relationships with, age, social status, 
religion. These are all useful to discovering the characters 
comprehensively. In the case of 'Idia', there was a long list of questions 
asked on characters’ age, socio-economic status, time period, 
geographical location, housing, etc. That’s always a great place to start, as
we moved into image research. In ‘Idia’, the queen mother Idia and Oba 
Esigie were the most interesting actors to work with. We began with clues 
from the text that described them. We also looked at the actors’ practical
circumstances. Both actors represented Benin culture, rulers of the Benin 
kingdom and also great warriors.  These things all informed the choices 
for costume. Their several attires were combination of many colours and 
patterns to distinguish it from the other single coloured costumes on stage. 



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies

122

Even though there is often extensive work on actors, there is also a larger 
picture that one has to address with costume.  How does it look with the 
set?  Is the story made clearer with the costumes that were put on stage?  
Do the costumes help you know where to look on the stage?  The job of 
creating a world and helping tell the story of the play is collaborative.  
Everyone on the team had something to contribute to the production as a 
whole. 

- Costume Plot: The costume plot is chart for the productions 
listing actors’ appearances in each scene, what they are wearing and their
overall movement throughout the play. This helps track the specific 
costume needs of every actor. It can also identify any potential costume 
challenges, such as very quick changes between scenes. The next step 
along the way is to add pertinent notes to each actor and change in ‘Idia’. 
For instance, an actor has to appear powerful for example oba Esigie in 
‘Idia’, a character has to appear impeccably neat for example Imaguero in 
‘Idia’. There were actors that had change in costumes for different scenes, 
so we had to think and then be prepared to have some numbers of such 
outfits. Everything we can garner from the script related to the character 
and the relationship to their costumes was noted in our book. If an actor 
was meant to change for multiple roles, then we needed to create different 
costumes. In the production, the two actors who had to change mostly 
were oba Esigie and queen mother Idia, for each scene both actors had 
four different attires to change to. For the first scene which is the 
coronation, both oba Esigie and queen mother Idia wore different attire 
and colour related to the scene, and also at the war scene, the both actors 
had to change to particular war attires different from the royal attires, and 
there were other scenes they had to change. While queen mother Idia and 
oba Esigie had about four changes early during the production, some other 
actors too had change of attire for different scenes. For these attires, notes 
were attached to different costumes to indicate.  So while creating a 
costume plot, we used the columns to write the names of each roles the 
actors were playing (and the actor’s name). Then we used the rows to write
in the scene from the production. After meeting with the director to discuss 
our vision for the costumes, from colours, to periods, to specifics for the 
main actors, then we began to determine what each actors will wear and 
write it in the appropriate box for each actor and each scene. Sometimes 
the same outfit will be worn by one or more actors for the entire 
production. Other actors may make full costume changes from scene to 
scene. 



Monsuru Oladotun Olajide & Stellamaris Osazuw - Transforming the actor through…

123

A Sample of Costume Plot for ‘Idia’ Production (Queen Idia and Oba 
Esigie)  

Act/Scene Actor Costume Pieces Accessories 
Scene 1 Idia Red Wrapper, Bead Blouse, 

Crown 
Coral Beads 

Scene 2 Idia Blue Wrapper, Crown, 
Bead Blouse 

Coral Beads 

Scene 3 Idia Wine Wrapper, Crown Coral Beads 
Scene 4 Idia War Costume (White, 

Black, Leopard Skin Gown) 
Leopard Skin 
Scarf 

Scene 5 Idia Red Wrapper, Bead Blouse, 
Crown 

Coral Beads 

 

Act/Scene Actor Costume Pieces Accessories 
Scene 1& 2 Esigie White Skirt and Blouse, 

Bead Blouse, Crown 
Coral Beads and 
Neck Choker 

Scene 3 Esigie Red Skirt and Red Blouse, 
Crown 

Coral Beads 

Scene 4 Esigie War Costume (Leopard 
Skin Top) with Red Skirt, 
Crown 

Coral Beads 

Scene 5 Esigie White Skirt and Blouse, 
Bead Blouse, Crown 

Coral Beads and 
Neck Choker 

 

The costume plot’s enabled us to look through the various types of
costumes and accessories available and find the ones that are intended for 
each actor. Without a costume plot, it would be very easy for us to forget 
how many costumes wderfe required for each actor due to various events 
occurring during the performance. It would also be very easy for actors’
costume pieces or accessories to be forgotten. The costume plot helped to 
also point out areas that may have been forgotten to provide for in the 
definition of the actors through costumes. 

- Costume sketching: If the production is set in a specific historical 
era, the fashions of this period will need to be researched. To stimulate the 
flow of ideas at the first meeting with the director and the design team, 
well after several meetings which the director, we presented a few rough 
costume sketches.  And also, appropriate time to check with the director 
on the exact number of actors needing costumes, as well as any non-



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies

124

speaking characters the director included on the stage that were not in the 
script. It was our responsibility to sketch these out. This helps track the 
specific costume needs of every actor. It can also identify any potential 
costume challenges, such as very quick changes between scenes. After the 
director approved our preliminary sketches, we drew up the final costume 
designs. The final designs are done in full-colour which shows the 
production the style, silhouette, textures, accessories and unique features 
of each costume.  

Sourcing Phase for Costume Design in ‘Idia’ Production 

- Budgeting: In sourcing, the first thing is the budget of what needs 
to be used. Each production has a labour budget and a materials budget. 
With the materials budget, a rough estimate is made of the amount of 
money allocated to each costume. The best term to describe this is 
“creative financing” as obviously some productions will cost more and
some less. We began an exhaustive discussion in which each costume is 
broken down into its various components. This allows us to get a sense of 
the design direction and to establish design priorities or fabric and style 
options.  

- Buying: After the budgeting and costume breakdown has been 
completed, we went shopping for materials needed, went to some markets 
in Ibadan to get all the materials needed. There may be several buying 
sessions, or one or more complicated sessions during which most of the 
buying were completed. The first trip to Gbagi market consists of 
switching (buying small pieces – swatches – of fabrics to assess their 
colour and ability to be broken down) and purchasing the major fabric 
pieces. The second trip to Ogunpa and Oja Oba markets consists of buying 
trim and other accent pieces. Footwear and accessories were purchased 
Aleshinloye market during the third buying trip. Not all costume were 
purchased however because the department had some of the costume used. 

- Cutting and Sewing: tailors began their work-term with an 
extensive discussion where the practical, technical and design aspects are 
discussed. Due to the challenge I had with the machines in costume room, 
the materials were moved outside for tailors to sew, and it was not easy 
for us to monitor the sewing. This was because we had to keep attending 
rehearsal to see if the director made any character changes or costume 
changes. Collaboration occurs, as a tailor offers invaluable input as to how 
a design can be fully realized. Every costume is basted together prior to a 
fitting, then, after alterations have been made in the fitting, the costumes 



Monsuru Oladotun Olajide & Stellamaris Osazuw - Transforming the actor through…

125

were taken apart, basted together again and finally, after the second fitting, 
permanently sewn together. Costumes were cut to closely recreate the 
historical period in which they are set, but they must also accommodate 
the requirements of a modern physique and the performance demands of 
the actor. 

- Dress Rehearsals: The dress and technical rehearsal is the first 
time the actor wears his or her costume on stage. It was this time; all the 
elements of the production came together: set, props, costumes, lighting 
and sound. Once the costume reaches backstage, it becomes the charge of 
the dresser who works during the performance and is responsible for 
getting the actor into costume to see if there is any change to be made or 
if the costume were okay to be used. We made sure that every changes 
made during the tech dress was noted. 

Final Work of the Costume Design Process of ‘Idia’  

- Production phase: This phase is all about the final result of each 
costume, accessories that has been put together for the production of 
‘Idia’.  Before the final piece was used or showcased we went through 
several challenges, starting from  research on the play while reading the 
script, it was not easy for us to understand everything about the script, 
concept, so we had to meet with the director to tell us about his concept of 
the play. Then we did script analysis, character analysis, got some ideas 
on different looks for each characters.  Then we met with the director, told 
him about our ideas, we searched for more ideas and agreed on these final 
costumes design. Another challenge was the cutting down of budget 
because not much fund was allocated to us for costumes which led to 
getting cheaper materials that were not suitable for some of the roles in the 
play, but that was the only way out of the situation, the materials gotten 
were only managed. Audience didn’t know if they were made from cheap
materials or not, changing of designs that are not achievable was also a 
challenge because at a point the director rejected some costumes and had 
to be returned for changed and amends before the production day, sewing 
were also done outside the costume room because the atmosphere was not 
conducive, the sewing machines were faulty , but the end result or final 
piece of each actors’ costume used in the stage play ‘Idia’ was well sorted
and turn out well, which is being analyzed. All these are exemplified in 
the following actors. 

 



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies

126

Queen Idia  

This role was played by Ademola Ayomide, she played the major role in 
the play. Queen Idia is described as the symbol of women’s liberation.
History has it that she played a very significant role in the rise and reign 
of her son. She was a strong warrior who fought relentlessly before and 
during her son’s reign as the Oba (king) of the Edo people. She exuded
power, skill, loyalty, and feminine beauty and there are artistic works that 
portray her as both a warrior and a mother. Idia was the first Queen Mother 
of Benin Kingdom and she paved the way for Nigerian women of 
yesteryears and present times to have their part in decision-making as 
touching the political issues. Idia received much of the credit for Esigie’s
victories as his political counselor. Her mystical powers and medicinal 
knowledge were viewed as the reason for Esigie’s success on the
battlefield. To reward and honor her, Esigie created a new position within 
the court called the Iyoba or “Queen Mother,” which gave her significant
political privileges, including a separate residence with its own staff. 

We and the makeup artist did a good job in transforming the actress into 
the Idia character. The first costume she wore in the play was when she 
appeared on stage mourning her late husband Oba Ozolua. She was 
dressed in a red wrapper, embroidery designs in gold, crystal and a beaded 
blouse, neck bead called ive-uru in Benin, hand bead called ivie-obo in 
Benin, crown which was designed with coral beads, the crown is called 
okuku in Benin. This is the most important part of her dressing, which 
signifies royalty. And for the next scene which the contest/coronation 
scene, she was dressed in a blue wrapper embroidered with stone all over, 
with the same beaded blouse and accessories and this costume worn by 
Idia. The choice of colour was to indicate that there was a huge ceremony 
and she had to appear glamorous.  She was dressed in a wine plain 
wrapper, but without her beaded blouse, but just hand and neck bead, with 
her clown in the next scene where she meant uke in the bush path, the 
same outfit and accessories was worn in the next scene, but this time with 
her beaded blouse. For the war scene which was the following scene, Idia 
was dressed in a gown which was made of three different colours, black, 
white, and leopard skin with cowries’ embroidery. She was with no
accessories or crown, she tied scarf made with leopard skin material, and 
she was with a sword.  

At the end of the play she was dressed in a red wrapper had gold crystals 
embroidery at tip of the wrapper, with a beaded blouse made with red coral 



Monsuru Oladotun Olajide & Stellamaris Osazuw - Transforming the actor through…

127

bead, a crown made with coral bead, neck and hand bead which were red 
coral beads.  

 

 

 

Fig. 1 Image of Idia Costume in Scene 5 



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies

128

 

 

Fig. 2: Idia in her War Costume 



Monsuru Oladotun Olajide & Stellamaris Osazuw - Transforming the actor through…

129

 

 

Fig. 3 Idia in her coronation costume 

Oba Esigie 

This role was played by John David. Oba Esigie was an Oba (king) of 
Benin who ruled the ancient Benin Kingdom. At the time of his father Oba 
Ozolua's death, Esigie controlled Benin City with major assistance and 
support from his mother Queen Idia. Esigie became Oba of Benin. Esigie 
later fended off an attack from the Igala people. Esigie started a tradition 
in Benin by conferring his mother with the title of Iyoba (Queen Mother) 
and providing the Eguae-Iyoba (Palace of the Queen Mother) in lower 
Uselu for her use. During his reign, the mischievous Oba Ẹsigie who had 
some scores to settle with Chief Oliha devised a plan to put the disaffected 
Chief Oliha in his place. For the first scene he appeared, he wore a white 
skirt and blouse. The blouse is called Iyeruan and the skirt is the 
Akhuankhuan or Ikekeze in Benin, though the costume wore by the actor 
in the picture was just an improvisation of what the original outfit worn 
by the Oba of Benin kingdom. He also wore a male beaded blouse made 
of coral bead, a crown made with coral red bead called Ede in Benin, a 
neck choker made with coral bead called ikiro, and several other neck 
beads, hand bead, and he was holding a staff made with coral beads, which 
symbolizes authority, this costume was worn during his coronation.  The 
same costume was repeated in the next scene but without his beaded 



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies

130

blouse and neck choker, and his crown was changed to another, for the 
scene of his meeting with oliha wife. He was seen wearing a red skirt and 
blouse, with bead accessories on his neck and hand.  At the war scene he 
was dressed in a blouse made with leopard skin with cowries’ embroidery
and red skirt, with his crown and hand bead.  And at last scene, he dressed 
in the costume he wore for the coronation, with the same beaded blouse, 
neck choker and accessories. 

 

 

 

Fig. 4: Esigie in his coronation costume 



Monsuru Oladotun Olajide & Stellamaris Osazuw - Transforming the actor through…

131

 

Fig. 5: Idia and Esigie in their war costume 

Imaguero 

The wife of oliha was played by Reginald Amarachi. She was very famous 
for her beauty and chief Oliha felt very lucky to own such a breath-taking 
female. Imaguero particularly loved expensive coral beads; she couldn’t
get enough of them. And this weakness was used against her. This led to 
her betraying her husband trust by getting involved with the king and it 
led to her death. For her first scene appearance she was dressed in a pink 
wrapper with blue and gold embroidery, bead all over her hair, neck bead 
and hand bead, for the next scene her encounter with the king she was 
dressed in wine wrapper which had stone or crystal embroidery at the tip 
of the wrapper. And for her last scene {death scene} she was dressed in a 
plain brown wrapper with no accessories, just her head bead.  



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies

132

 

 

Fig. 6: Imaguero in her costume when she met with the king. 



Monsuru Oladotun Olajide & Stellamaris Osazuw - Transforming the actor through…

133

 

Fig. 7: Imaguero in her costume before her death  

 

Uke  

Uke the royal jester, the role was played by Gisman Pius.  He was a 
humble and loyal servant to the king. He was the one who the king sent on 
a mission to entice Imaguero with royal coral bead, he was the most trusted 
servant of the king. He didn’t have change of costume like the other actors
he was seen wearing white skirt and neck bead. 



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies

134

 

Fig. 8: Uke in his costume 

 

Oliha   

He was one of the chiefs. Oliha won’t stop bragging about his most
beautiful wife in the palace, he was envied by his fellow elites. As time 
went by, and he was betrayed by his wife and the king, which made him 
join forces with the kingdom enemies to rage war.  The role was played
Akisanmi Oluwasijibomi. He had two costumes: a white skirt with neck 
bead and hand bead, and he the war scene he was seen dressed in a red 
skirt and a red blouse with cowries’ embroidery alongside his warriors all
wearing red and black blouse and shorts.  



Monsuru Oladotun Olajide & Stellamaris Osazuw - Transforming the actor through…

135

 

Fig. 9: Oliha when he sentenced Imaguero to death. 

 

 

Fig. 10: Chiefs in their costumes 



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies

136

 
Fig. 11: Images of women in idia cult costume 

The Portuguese Explorer  

There were four actors who played the role {two females (Osazuwa 
Stellamaris; one of the reserchers and Adediran Oreoluwa) and two males 
(Iwague Timothy and Noah Micheal)}, who came to Benin kingdom to 
explore. The females were dressed in white shirt and a black long gown 
with white bow design and different colour of shoe, the male were dressed 
in white shirt, black or white trouser, black jacket, black bow tie, black hat 
and red scarf around their waist, and different colours of shoe.  

Fig 12 

 



Monsuru Oladotun Olajide & Stellamaris Osazuw - Transforming the actor through…

137

 
Fig 13: Images of dancers 

Conclusion 

This study has been concerned with examining the costume design process 
in a stage production with all the constraints involved in the stages. The 
general view taken is that costume apart from being used for indicating 
such things as age, social status, locale, historical sign posting of 
productions, it can also be used for the purpose of preserving culture. In 
the course of this study attempt has been made to document the costume 
design process in stage performance of “idia”. It is in this wise the script 
reading, script and character analysis, costume research, costume plot, 
costume sketching, budgeting, buying, cutting and sewing, fittings, dress 
rehearsals were looked at in order to acquire more ideas on the processes 
involve in designing costume in a stage play. The challenges in the process 
and the techniques employed to overcome them were also examined. By 
and large, it is ultimately the culmination of the designer deep research 
into the script with consultation with the director and using the correct 
tools in order to work with the entire ‘idia’ stage production team that has 
enabled the costumiers to accomplish the job and to create the 
masterpiece. And this work will definitely serve as a purpose of research 
to any scholar that wants to know more about the process of designing 
costume for a stage production. 



AMA: Journal of Theatre and Cultural Studies

138

Recommendation 

A costume designer should always work within the fund allocated to 
costume. He or she should always have a replacement or alternative for 
any material for costume that could not be gotten in case if the fund 
allocated to costume is not enough. Costume could either be hired or 
borrowed, for any production, as a replacement for the ones that could not 
be bought.  Furthermore, the atmosphere should be conducive enough to 
work, the sewing machine should be replaced if spoilt and serviced when 
needed some days before sewing starts, and be in a good working 
condition. 

Reference 

Ajami , Sahar. “Ibsen and Costume” : A Case Study of the Rat Wife” pp. 11. 
Crist, Brianne. “The Art of Costuming: Interpreting the Character through the 

Costume Designer’s Eyes.” pp. 274. 
Felner, Mira. Think Theatre. Pearson. 2013 
Kwakye-Opong, Regina & Dennis, Albert.  “From text to performance: the 

costumier versus other personnel in the theatre.”  Global Journal of 
Arts Humanities and Social Sciences Vol.2, No.4, 2014, pp. 83. 

Landis, Deborah Nadoolman. “Costume Design: Defining Character.”
https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/teachersguide-
costumedesign-2015.pdf 

Sanders,Tal. An Introduction to Technical Theatre. Pacific University Press, 
2018. 

Tanner, Fran Averett. Basic Drama Projects. Clark Publishing, Inc., 1995. 
 
 
 
 


