Sweeney Tood Blood Questions

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 3/2/09 at 3:26pm

This is for anyone who has done props for a production of Sweeney Todd.

I'm wondering what recipie for your blood worked best as far as color, consistancy, and washablility?

Thanks!

[Broadway76]

Posted: 3/2/09 at 3:57pm

It all depends on wether it has the potential to be ingested... if it is strictly going to be used on a flesh or cloth surface and not ingested... BABY SHAMPOO and Red and Green food coloring... or you can use liquid laundry detergent. But... baby shampoo is a bit better not quite as allergenic.

If it may be ingested generally go for a Karo Syrup mix... using red and green.

Mind you the Karo Syrup should be cleaned up as soon as the curtain comes down after each performance or it becomes a hideous sticky mess. Oh.. and use warm water when mopping down... 3 or 4 passes with the mop and fresh water.

Each has it's draw backs... Soap based comes out of fabric a lot better... as the soap acts as a barrier between the fabric and the food coloring.

[Mandi Moo]

Posted: 3/2/09 at 4:35pm

I wanted to post over here as well, because the other thread seems to have delved into the ridiculous.

But, what I've used before is essentially the same thing, if it's not being ingested.

Dish Soap and 3 Parts Red/1 Part Blue food color. Though, I suppose you could just experiment until you get your desired color.

It washes our of fabric. Do a test though because some brands of food color will stain.

And adding water will allow you to do some cool spattering effects if you need to.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 3/3/09 at 12:27am

Thanks so much for the input.

I guess I missed whatever happened on the other thread, buy it's gone.

Who knew that such a simple thread could start so much trouble?!

[Bdwy24]

Posted: 3/3/09 at 8:12am

Just a suggestion: The show works without blood.

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 3/3/09 at 1:33pm

I have also used a stage blood recipe that added a bit of chocolate syrup into the mix. It toned down the bright red and clarity of the blood and gave it that opaqueness that is sometimes missing in stage blood.

Somewhere I probably still have the recipe for non-edible stage blood that the costume designer at my undergrad swore by. It included Karo, dish soap, and the aforementioned chocolate syrup, but I don't remember the exact amounts. We made several gallons of it for Deathtrap, and it never left a stain on the white t-shirts.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 3/3/09 at 2:24pm

I would greatly appreciate the recipe if you could find it!

And I don’t know HOW you would do Sweeney without SOME blood.

[TheCharleston]

Posted: 3/3/09 at 2:30pm

You could just save the expieriments with recipes and the wasted time, and just pony up the money for a few gallons of Professional Stage Blood...

I'm sure a local provider or regional props workshop will offer some type of discount in agreement with an ad space in your playbill (something along those lines).

This looks the most realistic, can be easily cleaned and washed, and CAN be ingested, though large amounts never should be ingested.

[morosco]

Posted: 3/3/09 at 2:35pm

Be sure to test the blood on costume fabric samples before actually using. You want to be sure the blood washes out. And when you get to performance the bloodied costumes should be put into the wash as soon as the actor comes offstage.

[Geridith]

Posted: 3/3/09 at 2:37pm

Whatever you do, wear gloves when filling the razors. It took me a couple of days of tech coming home with red-stained hands to rethink the situation. Also, our costume designer also backed the barber smocks with some kind of vinyl material to help protect the costumes.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 3/3/09 at 8:19pm

Thanks for the input!

[Necromancer07707]

Posted: 3/4/09 at 1:33am

When we made gallons of blood for Sweeney we used a soap/strawberry syrup/chocolate syrup mixture that washed right out. When desired, this would also allow us to fling the blood as we pulled the razor away from the neck. I've tried numerous mixtures over the years, and nothing works as well as professionally made stage blood, but the Sweeney blood comes in a close second.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 3/11/09 at 3:14pm

I've come up with a mixture of 85% percent Baby Shampoo, 10% store bought stage blood, and 5% chocolate syrup.

I'll take pictures tonight at the dress rehearsal.

Thanks for your help!

We are wearing gloves, not only for the razors but for the person I assigned to 'dirty people up'. It's a dirty production!

[Weez]

Posted: 3/11/09 at 3:37pm

Some productions that don't wish to launder costumes frequently will act the slashings but not have any blood. (I saw a pecularily toothless Romeo & Juliet that had many stabbings but no blood, and it made me sad. ) Or you could do it Japanese style and have strips of red silk representing blood.

Personally, I feel ripped off if there's no blood when there should be blood. Some of the best blood I've seen lately was in The Pillowman in Leicester. Not only was there LOADS of blood when Katurian [SPOILER], but there was even some blood when the Little Girl [SPOILER]. It's that kind of attention to detail that really makes my day. :3