Studio Loz X Stewart J Charlesworth - The Creative Process Of Mama Goose
- Studio Loz
- Dec 4
- 5 min read
This year I had the wonderful opportunity once again to bring the magical designs of Stewart J. Charlesworth to life—this time across two very different projects.
I’ll be sharing the original design briefs, glimpses into the studio process, and the final production shots from the stage.
Written and directed by Vikki Stone & Tonderai Munyevu
Set and Costume Designer: Stewart J. Charlesworth
Costume Supervisor: Chantal Short
For this production, I was commissioned to create three hard-cap wigs, each rooted in Stewart’s bold, beautiful visual language and the show’s playful storytelling.
The brief for Mama Goose came with a striking sculptural silhouette: a bold grey coiffure sweeping upward in dramatic curves, originally accented with a vivid coloured blue stripe through the fringe. As development progressed—that detail evolved into a textured black feature, grounding the wig more authentically within the cultural aesthetic.
Mama herself sits at the heart of a design language inspired by bold Ankara colours, thick outlines, 90s Memphis energy, and what Stewart beautifully described as “a world full of eggs and feathers wrapped together in an outrageous Fun House of a design.”
The wig needed to sit in that world confidently, matching the volume, vibrancy, and unapologetic theatricality of the costume.
This piece was also an upcycled transformation—a complete reinvention of last year’s blue Dame wig from Pinocchio. Working within budget, I deconstructed the original build, reshaped its foundation, and rebuilt the structure. What began as a bright blue showpiece was reimagined into a grey, sculptural crown with depth, texture, and presence. It was essential that it honoured Stewart’s original Mama Goose concept while still giving the character her own voice and silhouette.
Pairing the wig with that extraordinary costume—bursting with saturated purples, oranges, aquas, greens, and rhythmic, geometric patterning—is joyful to watch come alive. The wig’s architectural shape isn’t simply decorative; it balances the visual weight of the costume, echoing its curves, its boldness, and Mama’s commanding, comedic presence on stage.
A journey of reinvention, resourcefulness, and collaboration—very much in the spirit of Mama herself.
Below, you can see the full evolution of the piece:
from the original blue Dame wig…
to the grey-and-blue development phase…
to the final sculptural look that Duane Gooden brought to life with brilliance.
Out of all the wigs Stewart designed this year, this one is—without question—my personal favourite. It’s the wig I sat with the longest, the one that asked the most of me, and the one that gave the most back. The colour blending, the sculptural curves, the sheer precision of the shaping—it’s all absolutely exquisite. Being trusted with a design that invites this much creativity is the greatest gift a sculptural artist and hard-cap wig maker like myself could ask for.
The Wise Thoughtful Fairy went on quite a journey. At one point, Stewart and I were on a video call while i literally tore her apart, piece by piece. And honestly, I didn’t mind at all—which is funny, because you’d think it would feel heartbreaking. But I knew she wasn’t perfect yet, and if rebuilding her meant achieving perfection, then it was more than worth it.
When I receive design briefs from SJC, I genuinely feel privileged. To bring such thoughtful, imaginative beauty into the world is an honour. My only responsibility is to recreate his vision to the very best of my ability—and my passion always shows up loudly in that process.
The design is simply elite: a riot of luminous, cosmic colours dancing across soft sculpted puffs. It’s the kind of design that doesn’t just ask to be made—it demands to be celebrated.
The wig features a hard-cap sculpted base with a smooth, contoured swirled fringe. From this, a structured, ponytail extends in a controlled curve, composed of evenly sized spherical segments to create a “beaded” silhouette. The construction prioritises balance and weight distribution, allowing the arc to hold its form without strain on the performer.
Originally we had decided the pony tail would be sculpted with the fabric matched to the costume, strung onto wire to create a bouncy pony tail flow, however upon arrival of fabric it proved difficult to create the spherical shapes using the fabric itself. She was cute, but she wasn’t perfect.
Back to the drawing board we went, ultimately deciding on sculpted hair balls—each one evenly shaped and graded from large to small. I wrapped them with the costume fabric to create integrated hair bands, adding both cohesion and extra structure to the spherical ponytail. It was perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
The colour blend was built on a blue and pink base, layered with deep pinks, light blues, and subtle flecks pulled directly from the costume. A true showstopper—everything this wig needed to be and more.
Collaboration is a communicative process, sometimes one of elimination, but always a joy when you land on exactly the right solution. It’s an art that demands patience and precision.
When I made the first version, Stewart asked for my honest opinion, and I think I bluntly replied, “I think it looks like I just threw up fabric on it.” 🤣 But that’s the beauty of collaboration—honesty leads to the strongest results, and this wig is proof of that.
I’m sure you’ll agree, she is absolutely out of this world.
The wig and costume were brought to life by the extraordinary Ellie Seaton—a beautiful bespoke fit for an outstanding talent.
Here are some on-stage photos of Ellie bringing WTF Fairy to life in the most incredible way possible.
The Bouijie Fierce Fairy Wig
The Bouijie Fierce Fairy is a vibrant, other-worldly figure whose entire aesthetic radiates magic, and unapologetic fierceness. You can literally feel her powerful energy spilling out of Stewarts gorgeous design brief. When I first saw her, I knew exactly how to create her from start to finish, no questions.
The wig features a dramatic sculpted updo, rising in a powerful spiral vortex shape that mirrors the costume design’s flowing, dynamic forms. It sits tall on the head, elongating the silhouette and giving the fairy a commanding, statuesque presence. I built the form with ease in one take, a perfect match to the design itself.
I used a deep, regal purple as its dominant base colour, chosen to align with the costume’s iridescent purples and blues.
To make the look pop, trimmed accents of neon green and vivid orange hard fibre were strategically placed at the base of the spiral and around the framing sections. These accents function like shiny highlights—catching the light, adding contrast, and energising the overall look on stage.
Both fairies are a hybrid soft and hard fibre. Hard fibre accents the colour pop that is needed for dramatic effect, while the soft fibre is lightweight and comfortable for the performers to flow on stage without a headpiece weighing them down.
Mya Fox brings the Bouijie Fierce Fairy to life with so much power. She doesn’t just wear the look— she activates it. BOLD & BEAUTIFULLY ICONIC!
The WTF Fairy and the BFF Fairy are designed as perfect contrasts— it gives Glinda and Elphaba, & their opposing energies make them irresistible together. Their colours, silhouettes, and personalities clash and complement in equal measure, creating a dynamic duo whose differences are exactly what make them EVERYTHING! The best fairy duo of the season.
An absolute masterpiece from Stewart. And a dream to recreate.
Grateful to be apart of such beauty.. truly.
Don’t miss the chance to see the show and Stewart’s phenomenal Costume & Set Design.
@ Stratford East till 03 Jan 2026
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