Meet Oscar and Bafta winning designer

Doctor Who is hot right now, so a trivial pursuit question is in order for aficionados.

Question: Who introduced the Doctor’s iconic long scarf featured in the thirty episodes from 1972-1976?

Answer: James Acheson

And now the Wairarapa gets the chance to hear this talented NZ based costume designer for film, theatre and dance at the first of LONGWOOD LIFE LESSONS – a series of events beginning in January and continuing monthly till May.

Of course the pinnacle of success for any designer is the Oscars and James happens to have won three, including The Last Emperor for which he also won a Bafta.

James has had a long working relationship with the director Bernardo Bertolucci, been the designer for recent superhero movies such as Man of Steel and worked regularly with members of the Monty Python team.    Stage work includes designing for the New York Metropolitan Opera and more recently James designed the set and costumes for the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s 2017 production of Romeo and Juliet. 

James will bring some of his costumes. He will also use film clips to provide a ‘behind the scenes’ commentary.  This is going to be a fascinating and entertaining lecture.

His presentation sets the scene for a series of fundraising events over the summer months, all to be held at Longwood.  These public events are organised by Friends of Kokomai and will culminate in Kokomai 2019, Wairarapa’s pre-eminent Festival of the Arts. 

Dates for your diary:  January 13^th 2019, at Longwood, 78 Longwood Road East, Featherston Tickets $20 from Eventfinda

Enquries : Marguerite Tait-Jamieson 06 3088289/ 021441193