Karen Frances Smith
Theatrical Tailor
karenfrances@hotmail.com
+44 7973 122 225

Skills
  • Period & Theatrical Pattern Cutting
  • Tailoring and Construction
  • 19th & 20th C tailoring
  • 16th, 17th & 18th Century Menswear.
  • Team Management & Work Supervision
  • Training
  • Alterations & Maintenance
  • Budgets & Deadlines

 Employment History
Pattern Cutter & Head Tailor, National Theatre, London                    June 2002-July 2012

Men's Pattern Cutter with a small team of specialist tailors, working on up to 20 new shows a year

Pattern Cutter & Tailor, Opera Australia, Sydney                              Nov 1997-Mar 2002
Men's Pattern Cutter and tailor working as part of a large workroom on up to 4 new productions and 6 revivals per year

Freelance Costume Maker & Tailor                                       July 1994-Nov 1997
Workroom-hopping costume maker working for a variety of Freelance Costume Makers and Companies on many different projects - where I learned many of my skills

Productions
Freelance Pattern Cutter & Tailor
One Man Two Guvnors - National Theatre, West End
Medea - English National Opera
Great Expectations - Tour & West End
Captain of Kopenick - National Theatre, West End
Viva Forever - West End
Der Meistersinger - Glyndebourne Opera
Top Hat - West End
Cenerentola - Glyndebourne Opera



National Theatre Productions
Trojans - ENO
She Stoops to Conquer
Traveling Light
The Collaborators
Sherlock Holmes - Film
One Man Two Guvnors
Cherry Orchard
Comedy of Errors
The Emperor & The Galilean
Frankenstein
Juno & The Paycock
Grief
Rocket to the Moon
The Kitchen
The Veil
Woman Killed with Kindness
After the Dance
Beauty & the Beast
Blood & Gifts
Danton's Death
Earthquakes in London
Fela
Hamlet
London Assurance
Twelfth Night
White Guard
Women Beware Women
Nation
Our Class
Mother Courage
Black Album
Phedre
Alls Well that Ends Well
The Observer
Time & the Conways
Death & the Kings Horseman
Dido Queen of Carthage
England People Very Nice
Burnt by the Sun
Mrs Affleck
Gethsemene
Oedipus
Her Naked Skin
Some Trace of Her
Afterlife
Revengers Tragedy
Fram
Never So Good
Major Barbara
Much Ado About Nothing
Nutcracker - Philadelphia Ballet
War Horse
Present Laughter
The Enchantment
St Joan
The Philistines
A Matter of Life & Death
Rose Tattoo
The Reporter
The Man of Mode
Therese Raquin
The Alchemist
The Seagull
Royal Hunt of the Sun
The Voysey Inheritance
Once in a Lifetime
Coram Boy
Henry IV parts 1 & 2
House of Bernarda Alba
The Mandate
Stuff Happens
Woman in White - West End
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
The False Servant
Sleeping Beauty - Philadelphia Ballet
Cyrano De Bergerac
His Dark Materials
Mourning Becomes Electra
Tales from the Vienna Woods
Three Sisters
Power
Jumpers
His Girl Friday
Jerry Springer the Opera
Loves Labours Lost
Anything Goes
The Duchess of Malfi
Streetcar Named Desire
Play Without Words
The Coast of Utopia
Opera Australia Productions
Gypsy Princess
Sweeney Todd
The Abduction from the Seraglio
Romeo & Juliette
Wozzeck
Beatrice & Benedict
Elisir D'Amore
The Pearl Fishers
Simon Boccanegra
Rinaldo
Tannhauser
Pelleas & Melisande
Andrea Chenier
Cappriccio
Billy Budd
Don Carlo
Jenufa