Visualising the Ageing Process and the Class Divide
Click through the ages below to see how Mickey and Edward's costumes evolve over time.
The boys are young and innocent, but their class is immediately obvious through their clothes. The adult actors must look like children.
The Look: Hand-me-downs.
Details: An oversized, baggy green knitted jumper with stretched cuffs (to make his hands look smaller). Scuffed, unpolished boots and baggy corduroy trousers. Smudges of dirt on his knees and face.
The Look: Immaculate Schoolboy.
Details: A pristine grey school uniform. Short trousers, pulled-up knee-high grey socks, a neatly tied tie, and polished black leather shoes. His hair is slicked back neatly.
The boys are awkward teenagers. The class divide in their education becomes a visual barrier between them.
The Look: Rebellious and scruffy.
Details: School shirt untucked, tie pulled down to his chest. Trousers are slightly too short (showing he is growing fast and they can't afford new ones). An oversized, cheap khaki parka jacket.
The Look: Posh and protected.
Details: Full private boarding school uniform. A tailored blazer with a school crest, perfectly ironed slacks, and a pristine V-neck wool jumper. Hair is slightly longer but still well-kept.
The 1980s recession hits. Edward is protected by his wealth, while Mickey is entirely destroyed by unemployment and addiction.
The Look: Hollow and defeated.
Details: Starts in blue factory overalls. After losing his job, he wears a cheap, ill-fitting, faded suit (from a charity shop) for his court appearance. Pale makeup with dark circles under his eyes to show his addiction to anti-depressants.
The Look: Wealthy and powerful.
Details: A sharp, expensive, tailored wool suit with a crisp white shirt and a silk tie. An expensive overcoat. He looks healthy, wealthy, and entirely untouched by the recession.
Fabric & Condition: Faded floral cotton dresses or a "pinny" (apron). The fabrics are cheap and heavily worn (broken down) to show years of physical labor and scrubbing floors.
Shoes & Hair: Flat, sensible, scuffed shoes for working. Hair is tied back functionally out of her face. She looks older than her actual years.
Fabric & Condition: High-end 1960s fashion. Tailored silk or heavy linen dresses. The clothes restrict her movement, showing she does not do physical labor.
Decline: By Act 2, her pristine appearance falls apart. Her silk blouses are crumpled, her hair is unpinned and messy, showing her descent into paranoia and madness.
The process of artificially aging a costume. Mickey and Mrs Johnstone’s clothes would be heavily broken down (frayed, stained, faded) to show poverty.
A rapid costume change done in the wings. Essential for showing the boys jumping from Age 7 to Age 14 instantly.
The overall shape of the outfit. Mickey’s silhouette is baggy and slumped, while Edward’s is sharp, tailored, and upright.
Edexcel Students: Fill out a table exactly like this in your exam.
AQA/WJEC Students: Use this structure to write perfect paragraphs (Point âž” Effect âž” Terminology).
| Element / Effect | How would it enhance the extract for the audience? | Technical language you could use |
|---|---|---|
| Click 'Generate Example' to see a top-band answer... |