Religious / ecclesiastical robes and ceremony
Religious robes are rather like military uniforms in that they can be very difficult to get right but it’s glaringly obvious when they’re wrong. There is huge variation in colour, design and how they are worn, and it’s important that these are accurate and correct.
Changes have taken place over time - using 17th century vestments in a 19th century drama is all too obvious. And it’s important to differentiate between different traditions such as Roman Catholic or Anglican – they don’t look or behave in the same way.
Actors need to know how to use religious artefacts and how to move in particular robes. In a religious setting everything carries significance and this intrinsic significance can add to the overall meaning of a scene.
Changes have taken place over time - using 17th century vestments in a 19th century drama is all too obvious. And it’s important to differentiate between different traditions such as Roman Catholic or Anglican – they don’t look or behave in the same way.
Actors need to know how to use religious artefacts and how to move in particular robes. In a religious setting everything carries significance and this intrinsic significance can add to the overall meaning of a scene.
For example:
What’s the right way to address the Dean of a Cathedral in speech today?
The correct form of address today is ‘Mr Dean’ or ‘Madam Dean’.
However, this is now seen as very formal and rather old fashioned but using it can carry particular significance – perhaps someone is being consciously old fashioned or excessively formal when talking to a Dean; or perhaps the Dean wants to be seen in a certain way and so insists on a certain type of address. Each could be the case, so again it’s very useful for a scriptwriter or an actor to know; if it’s incorrect then it means that any potential significance is lost and it just comes across as wrong.
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