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in a FLAP
The 1920's come to life in
the West End production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Mark Smith gets a personal
invite to see Richard Mawbey work his magic in the dressing room of Maureen Lipman. Transferring
a Tony Award-winning show to the West End does not always guarantee a sure fire
hit, but Thoroughly Modern Millie has all the right ingredients for a long life
in London. Under the watchful eye of London wig designer, Richard Mawbey of Wig
Specialities, it has an even greater chance of success. Not only did he oversee
the production of 70-odd wigs for the show, he worked with Maureen Lipman to create
the make-up for her alter ego, the character Mrs Meers. Backstage
during previews, Maureen opened her dressing room door to allow an exclusive look
at her transformation from Maureen to Mrs Meers. Expertly guided by Richard Mawbey,
the two worked in perfect harmony pinning the hair getting the base foundation
right and then adding the special touches that transform her into the pseudo-Chinese
white slave trader she plays on stage. One of the best tips that Richard
incorporated into the look was to use Mark Traynor Eye Lifts (available from Screenface)
to raise the eyes at the outer corner giving the impression that Maureen is Oriental.
This is applied with a self adhesive strip on each side of the eye and is tightened
with an elasticated band that is fitted under the wig around the back of the head.To
ensure longevity for the entire show, Richard uses Naime's Very Flat Matt Spirit
Gum to stick the adhesive strip to the face for added durability.  The
brows are modified using a soft moustache wax (Clubman from Trumper's in Jermyn
Street), smoothing from the centre to the outside edge, leaving a small amount
of hair exposed to give a starting point to work from. Powdering the wax with
a powder puff Richard then used a Max Factor Panstick to colour. The rest of the
make-up comprised standards from the Kryolan range (eye colours and blushers)
to Touche Eclat by Yves Saint Laurent. The rapport between Richard and Maureen
was fascinating to observe, with each adding bits and commenting on various aspects
of the look.
Richard was drafted onto the show via his friendship with the
wig designer for the Broadway show, Paul Huntley, and has used some of the original
designs but also had to adapt certain looks to suit the shape and nature of each
individual actress. The make-up worked in a similar way. Each character had a
make-up sheet that was designed by Katie Macaulay and each actor works from this
style sheet. Of the 70 or so wigs used in the show, most were brought in
from the States. They tend to be acrylic due to their durability and were refronted
by Richard's team at Wig Specialities.The fronts are removed and they put their
own lace front on each wig and knot this to match. Richard says of this process,
"There is a better choice of colour with these wigs and given that there
is a lot of use of hats in the show, you would be mad to use real hair". After
the first night premiere, it is up to Maureen to do her own make-up and wigs.
She has taken plenty of instruction from Richard and added her own take on things
(experienced as she is in the theatre). Richard will now move onto his next project
and all Warpaint suggests is for a great night out (with plenty of wig
action) you can't beat Thoroughly Modern Millie. 
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