WHEN Holmfirth-based Turn Again Theatre wanted a set of Elizabethan costumes for its forthcoming stage production of the television series Blackadder, it put out a call to costume and textile students at the University of Huddersfield.

Company director Lisa Kendall thought that fans of the iconic 1980s programme would want to see authentic period clothing.

The call was taken up by 21-year-old costume student Elin Karner, currently on a work placement year.

“I hadn’t actually seen any episodes from that series of Blackadder but the challenge really appealed to me,” she said.

“I watched a DVD of the episode in question again and again to get a feel for the costumes and I am now hoping to get to their opening night to see the actors performing in them.”

She is still putting the finishing touches to the costumes and plans to continue sewing sequins onto them as long as she can before handing them over.

Turn Again Theatre is performing one episode from the Blackadder Elizabethan series, which starred Rowan Atkinson as Edmund Blackadder, Tony Robinson as Baldric and Miranda Richardson as Queenie.

It was the costume for Queenie that gave Elin the most work. She spent hours drawing up the patterns for an elaborate courtly gown, which will be worn by Turn Again actress Roni Brophy.

The actual sewing took over 20 hours before the addition of sequins.

Elin, who has completed two years of her degree course, says the Turn Again task was quite different from any she’s worked on during her placement year.

“My other placements have been in-house at theatres and so far I have just made whatever I have been asked to from plans that I have been given,” she said.

“This time I have had to plan everything myself, from budgeting to design and ordered material, and that is what has made the assignment so interesting.”

The Elizabethan Blackadder episode is just one part of the Turn Again show, which opens on Wednesday, May 29, and runs until Saturday, June 1, at Holmfirth Civic Hall.

The show will also include episodes from series three, set in the Regency period, and series four, World War One.

Steve Baker, who played Scrooge in the company’s autumn production of A Christmas Carol last year, will take the title role of Blackadder.

Tickets for the show are available from Holmfirth Tourist Information on 01484 222444.

For more information on Turn Again check out www.turn-again-theatre.co.uk