As anyone who has read our make up features on the official Phantom of the Opera website will know, the actor playing the lead role is transformed each performance using tailor made prosthetics which, along with the specially designed make up, produce the disfiguring effect which is revealed so dramatically when the mask is removed.

The prosthetics have to withstand movement, heat, moisture and of course allow for the actor to sing so to ensure the most secure fitting each piece is produced specifically for each actor (including the understudies and covers) and are used only once for each performance. In order to ensure a regular supply of perfectly fitting pieces can be produced the workshop work from a mould of each actor’s face.

This same process will continue for Love Never Dies and we were privileged to be invited along to a landmark day in the count down to the new show when we went along to the workshop to witness Ramin Karimloo being immortalised in plaster and rubber!

Also at the studio were Naomi Donne, who is overseeing the make up for Love Never Dies, Neill Girton, the owner of the studio who are making the prosthetics, Campbell Young, the Wigs Supervisor for the show and Ivo Coveney who will be making the Phantom’s mask.

It was the first time the team had met with Ramin who will be playing the Phantom and it was a great opportunity to discuss exactly how the Phantom will look ten years on.  It was also the ideal time to talk about how the prosthetics will be removed on a nightly basis!

As Ramin has been playing The Phantom for the last two years he is no stranger to the rather unique, and not entirely pleasant, sensation of having your entire head encased in plaster.  The process begins by the hair being covered by a bald cap which is fastened securely.  Campbell then began taking measurements of Ramin’s head and covering his skull with cellophane tape to form a cap which will be used as a basis for the production of the wig(s). Neill then begun drawing around Ramin’s hairline with a special paint which will transfer the markings to the inside of the mould.  Ramin’s eyebrows were covered in cream to stop them from sticking to the mould. 

Assistance was called in and the process began of soaking the Mod Roc bandages in water, then wringing out before applying to the head.  Neil explained that they would begin by covering the back half of the head with the bandages as this half would require a less detailed plaster shell. The front half of the head however would need an intricately detailed mould so this would be covered in Alginate, a bright blue rubbery substance produced from algae, which would then dry and peel away from the face smoothly capturing every minute feature. To stabilise the mould the alginate would in turn be covered in the same Mod Roc bandages as the back of the head.

The bandages were applied to form a distinct ridge which would allow for easy separation and removal of the cast in two halves.  Once the back was complete the blue alginate powder was mixed with water to form a thick paste.  As Ramin would be totally covered during the process (aside from two nostril holes to enable him to breathe!) and would therefore be unable to speak Neill briefed him on what to do if there was a problem and he needed the mask to be removed immediately.  A thick layer of alginate was then swiftly applied to his face – as the application was underway you could see the material begin to dry and set very rapidly.  As soon as a uniform layer had covered the face this was then topped up by the soaked plaster bandages.  Throughout the process Neill kept Ramin informed what was happening and gave regular updates to let him know what stage had been reached.  Neill confirmed that he, and anyone who was involved in the headcasting process, had undergone a headcast themselves so they could empathise with the person experiencing the procedure.

The plaster hardened almost immediately and it was clear that the cast had become very heavy.  Support was given as the back half of the cast was gently prised away.  The front half was slightly more delicate so was very slowly worked away from the face.

The mould was taken away to be cleaned up and prepared. Neill then took headshots of Ramin which he will use in Photoshop to create the desired look and feel of the prosthetics before starting to model them in three dimensions. Once these prototypes have been approved then production starts in earnest.

Check out our video blog of the process. Sorry to tease you but we have had to remove some of the audio as we can’t reveal too much detail at this stage – you will have to wait until February to find out just how the Phantom will look ten years later!

Despite the Opening Night of Love Never Diesbeing over four months away, planning is already well underway for what should be one of the biggest nights in the West End next year.

Microsoft Excel whimpers under the weight of the exclusive First Night list. Filling a 1400 seat auditorium with invited guests, allocating seats and distributing tickets and keeping the right people happy is a logistical nightmare – one which we won’t wake up from for many weeks to come! From the First Night list to the First Night party – everything needs to be perfect.  It is one of our jobs to organise the logistical and technical aspects of the evening, ensuring that the chilled champagne is flowing, the food is arriving out of the kitchens hot and everyone is having a great evening.

Meanwhile, final preparations are being made for the start of rehearsals in January, rehearsal rooms are being kitted out, actors are being measured for costumes, sets are being constructed, lighting and sound equipment lists are being finalised and the marketing team are preparing for the next wave of advertising and promotional events.  The production office is busy interviewing and appointing staff for the various backstage departments – stage management, wardrobe, wigs, sound, automation, stage crew, lighting and follow spots.

Everything is on course for our first preview on February 20^th…

Keep checking the website for further updates.

On Saturday 7th November 2009, Ramin Karimloo – who as we all know by now is going on to play the role of our Phantom in Love Never Dies – played his final performance as the  Paris Opera House’s Ghost in the original London production of The Phantom of the Opera.

A trip to Her Majesty’s to see Ramin’s final evening performance was an incredible experience, with a fantastic show from Ramin and the rest of the London cast capped by an incredibly emotional curtain call as the audience got to their feet to give the cast several standing ovations. And following the performance, and after Ramin had packed away all his possessions from the number one dressing room, Ramin and the cast made their way to Stage Door to meet some of the fans. Even the cold evening had not dampened their enthusiasm as the queue for autographs and photos stretched all along the building (that’s quite long…)

After an incredible run at Her Majesty’s – initially playing Raoul, and then for the past two years donning the mask as his nemesis The Phantom – we can’t wait to see Ramin develop the role when he moves into the Adelphi in February for Love Never Dies – but in the meantime we’ll be returning to Her Majesty’s to see Ramin’s successor David Shannon take on the Phantom, not to mention the rest of London’s fabulous Phantom cast.

Last Friday we had our final Love Never Dies listening session of the year. As we have done previously (in London, New York and Berlin) we invited around 50 guests to hear the stunning music from the completed album. From a production point of view this isn’t as simple as throwing the CD into a ghetto blaster and sitting back. In order to do justice to the 90+ musicians who play on the album we employ a team of sound engineers and specialists who arrive early in the morning to setup and test the sound systems. The baton is then handed over to our sound and captions operators (who after being held up on the set of X Factor arrived with seven minutes to spare!) who facilitate all elements of the playback and accompanying captions and graphics, which are displayed on an extremely large LCD screen at the front of the boardroom.

About fifteen minutes before the session is due to start the invited guests begin to arrive, share a glass of wine and some nibbles before taking their seats as the lights dim and the Coney Island Waltz strikes up. The session is punctuated by spontaneous applause and the odd sobbing guest. It is truly an emotional rollercoaster! As the lights are whipped back up it is clear that the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. This particular audience was made up mainly of hardened theatre industry types – and their enthusiasm and rapture was as ardent as the Phantom Phans at our Launch!

In just a few short months you’ll be able to hear it in full for yourself at the Adelphi Theatre, London!

Keep checking the website for further updates…

As part of the full Love Never Dies website (keep looking out for more information coming soon!) an interactive ‘Coney Island Experience’ is being created which will transport you to the Phantom’s new home, located in the Island’s funfair. By exploring the funfair you will be able to take part in various themed online games and compete with other members of the Love Never Dies Community. We also plan a few surprises on the way!

Work has begun on recreating Coney Island as a 3D model based on archive footage, photos and set designs. So far the model contains well over 1million 3D faces that’s a lot of modelling!

Here are some pre development and work in progress stills:

Just back from a visit to the workshops where the set is being constructed for Love Never Dies.  Wow!  Sadly I can’t give too much detail away without revealing the plot line but it was fabulous to see things which have previously only existed on paper or as a scaled down model coming to full-size life at last.

Today marked a pivotal stage in the decision making process.  Bob Crowley – the Production Designer  – was there along with Paule Constable who is designing the Lighting for the production. Steve Rebbeck (Production Manager) explained that the purpose of the day was to test two different potential lighting set ups .  It was the first time they had been tested on sample pieces of set and Bob and Paule wanted to see how each rig would affect the colours and materials which will be used in the production.  A huge 4 metre high lightbox had been constructed at the set workshop for this purpose and the team hung a variety of different types of cloths which had been either hand-painted or printed using different techniques and various paint treatments. It was a painstakingly thorough process but it is vital to make the correct choice as today’s decision will affect the production of all the scenery going forward.  Bob and Paule eventually reached agreement and the senior set artist was informed so that this part of the set production can now begin in earnest.

After a couple of hours of decision making we walked across to another workshop where other parts of the set are being created by sculptors and painters.  They are now a few weeks into the build and we were privileged to be some of the first to see the major elements of the Phantom’s new home.  As Andrew revealed in his introduction to the Love Never Dies launch, the Phantom has now been elevated from his underground lair where he was hiding in the candlelit shadows beneath the Paris Opera House.  In Love Never Dies he lives high above the ground, looking down on Coney Island in all it’s glory – bathed in the glow of the newly invented electric light.  I wish I could tell you more about this particular set, as it looks truly incredible even though it is still under construction.  We were shown an intricate scale model of the complete set and then we had the opportunity to view in full size many of the elements which will be pieced together to create the stunning whole.   Just how spectacular it will look in situ in the theatre can be imagined, but you will have to wait until you come to see the show to see it for yourself!!