makeup timeline by Katie Barker https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw en-us 2022-10-11 10:42:25 UTC 2025-10-20 08:17:01 UTC hello@padlet.com 500BC (Greeks and romans) b585172 https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2335080349 In the image above you can see a drawn example of the masks used before makeup by the Greeks (image from google). The masks were commonly called "thalia and melpomene."

before makeup masks were very commonly used in theater to help accommodate for the lack of actors in comparison to characters and because males performed so masks were an easy way to do gender change on stage quickly. The masks also helped create quick and effective characters but hindered acting by not having the ability to have facial expressions which probably became the reason for the more wide spread use for makeup.

Earliest use of makeup in theater is Greek actor thought to be Thepis, Thepis is  thought to be the first actor in Greek drama. The name was recorded as the first to stage a tragedy at the Great (or City) Dionysia (c. 534)

In 500BC stage makeup was still not that commonly used but when it was, it was usually done with egg white, lead and red wine. The egg white and lead would be used to create a base and red wine was used as a rouge for the cheeks and lips. 

makeup was seen as not needed in roman theater similarly to greek because masks were still the main way of creating a charecteristic face but there are descriptions of mines, some mimic roman actors with painted faces which could have been one of the triggers to start actors wearing makeup around rome. ]]> 2022-10-11 11:18:23 UTC https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2335080349 1500-1600 b585172 https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2335095472 By the 15-1600s stage makeup had become more common to  accentuate features to create more depth to a characters. Adding to faces became more common including false beards. 

makeup may have been used in shakespears plays due to men being the only gender acting so they could have used more feminising makeup. Shakespear also brought in a large amount of veiwing because unlike most of society anyone could go to the theatre so it became an activity done by everyone meaning there was more reason for theatre to develop.

In 1663 the first west end theatre opened giving more opportunity for theatre to become even more popular in the UK.
This showed more opportunities for other countries to follow and create more theatres themselves.]]> 2022-10-11 11:31:48 UTC https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2335095472 17-18 century b585172 https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2335101231  
Before the 1700s stage makeup was very similar to ordinary makeup. Lighting became the biggest change to stage makeup because the main use of lights was candles and oil lamps by 1783 the kestrone lamp was also invented.  Due to the lights and distance of the audience a thicker and more bold layer of makeup was used so that the expressions of the actors could be easily seen from even the back row. In the early 19th century the introduction of limelight happened which was shorty followed by gas lighting and also arc lights. This meant that lighter makeup was needed, which meant that chalk was used more than the thick, pasty lead previously used. 

During the 17th and 18th entury actors also started to use red cheeks for youthfulness and created the apperance of age with yellow for the cheeks and india ink to create lines to represent wrinkles. 
In the 17 and 18 century eye makeup was rarely worn but black and blue pigment was commonly used on stage to make the actor look bolder. Hair powder was also used so they could change the colour of the actors hair. 

Broadway in New York was first associated with theatre in 1735 bringing new opportunities for more jobs and more audience. 
]]> 2022-10-11 11:36:47 UTC https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2335101231 moulin rouge (1889 and early 19th century) b585172 https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2335104284 One of the most famous and recognised shows of all time, the moulin rouge started 6th october 1889. Due to the size and glamour of the show makeup became a massive part. The makeup had to stand out and work well with the large feathers and crystals used on the clothing which strongly resembles its routes of the original french cancan dances so it had to be impactful. The dancers would have and do still have a  thick mask of makeup on. in present day the makeup includes a classic bold red lip honoring the name history of the moulin rouge and sometimes an accompanying smokey eye and Appliqué crystals which are used to bring more drama to the face and eyes.  ]]> 2022-10-11 11:39:19 UTC https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2335104284 lon chaney (1920) b585172 https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2335107683 Though its film actor lon chaney created a wider use of special effects makeup during the 1920s showing the use  of it in movies such as the phantom of the opera and the hunchback of notre damme. This caused the use of more special effects makeup to create monsters. 

I believe this could have impacted stage because it showed the importance of special effects makeup in transformation into characters.]]> 2022-10-11 11:42:15 UTC https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2335107683 burlesque(1920s and 1930s) b585172 https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2344903032 The burlesque is very famous for embodying entertainment, nightlife and glamour. It challenged the norms of theater at the time and was first introduced by a british dancing troup, then took off in America. Burlesque started in the 1860s but I will be focusing on the 1920s-30s when it comes to the makeup because I would argue it influenced the most in the media and theatre maybe due to the scandals nature focused on at the time.

Classic burlesque makeup included thin arched brows, bold overlined red lip, long false lashes and curled pin up hair. 

Burlesque is very famous due to its influence in culture even spanning to moden day. Its influenced a musical that can be seen on both stage and big screen, i would also argue betty boop is partly influenced by burlesque due to the flapper style design and sometimes inappropriate humour. 

Overall burlesque is one of the most famous shows in history and continues to be well known to this day and highly influential.

]]> 2022-10-18 11:08:37 UTC https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2344903032 1970s b585172 https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2344940942 Theatre as a form of entertainment may have gone down due to the rise in TV and video games but concerts on the other hand were on a rise. 

But that didn’t stop a rise in new and more liberated theatre productions including Rocky horror, jesus christ superstar and Grease. These shows all define the time period and shows such as rocky horror demonstrate the rise of the glam rock era associated with musicians such as Queen and David Bowie through the bold, drag-like makeup used which reflected the makeup the artists used on stage.  

Due to the hippie movement causing people to want to break out of the strict and conformative society they were living in a rise in music festivals resulting in bold makeup which defined artists of the time such as David Bowie and kiss. 

 some may argue many of the musicians in the 1970s including david bowie and ask queen had a theatrical essence.
during the 70s common stage makeup included shapes which drew an element of the 60s and sometimes bold or painted faces. Also many artists used lots of colour in their makeup which resebled the psycedelic art of the time which was brought on by the new change in lifestyle. 

Many musical artists and stage productions embrace this time period form of makeup style to creating stage musicals based off of some of the bands of the time due to the nature and  nostalgia which is created and many of the theatre productions created at the time are still some of the most loved and influential productions to this day. ]]> 2022-10-18 11:42:41 UTC https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2344940942 1980’s b585172 https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2352002334 The 1980’s saw larger scale productions on the rise therefore affecting the use of makeup to symbolise a character on stage.

In my opinion Andrew Loyd Webber’s musicals of this time encapsulated the importance of stage makeup in the 1980s with musicals such as Cats and Phantom Of The Opera. Some could argue makeup is one of the most prominent parts of the production, this is shown by the importance of the Phantoms deformity and how each cat in cats can be identified by the bold painted faces they wear. 

Theatre makeup of this time showed a huge uprise of prosthetics and full face paint, possibly influenced my the vibrant and maximalist makeup worn in everyday life. 

Overall the 80’s showed a larger and brighter future for stage makeup and began to show the full potential that could be achieved when using makeup on stage.]]> 2022-10-23 01:23:20 UTC https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2352002334 Early 2000’s b585172 https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2352007417 The early 2000’s used makeup in a different way to previous years. Shows set in different decades such as Hairspray  became more common so makeup became a very important part in creating an authentic experience of the decade. 

As well as makeup helping you travel through time, shows based on movies and books became more common therefore makeup is used to transform the actor into a recognisable character. 

One character from the early 2000s who I would argue is defined by makeup is Elphaba. Wicked uses makeup to define characters by contrasting between them. Glinda is seen to use light, happy colours where as Elphaba can be seen wearing black and she has green skin. These colours contrast each other meaning that Glindas character and design is the opposite to Elphabas and more like those around them in oz, further making Elphaba stick out to the audience. 

Overall the early 2000s saw many new shows which were just as grand as those in the years before and using makeup as much as ever.

]]> 2022-10-23 01:41:02 UTC https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2352007417 2010’s b585172 https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2352227022 The 2010s saw shows such as Hamilton, Six, Heathers and Matilda. Similarly to the early 2000’s the 2010’s saw a rise in stage adaptations of movies and books but also adaptations of historical events. 

During the 2010’s makeup became crucial to forming a character but compared to the 80’s makeup the designs used less prosthetics and face paint. I have noticed that many musicals of this time actually used colours to identify each character so bold colours became crucial to creating personality filled characters. 

]]> 2022-10-23 11:56:01 UTC https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2352227022 lion king (1990’s) b585172 https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2362321897 An honourable mention that in many ways some may argue defines makeup in theatre is The lion king. Similarly to cats the lion king uses face paint to build and create characters. 

The lion kings first show was in Minneapolis, Minnesota (July, 1997) Then had an official Broadway opening on November 13th, 1997. It wasn’t until October 1999 that The lion king made its debut on the West End. 

The iconic hair and makeup was designed by Michael Ward for Disney and Broadway and includes bold colours and designs. 

It could be argued that The lion king brought more diversity to theatre makeup by bringing tribal and cultural designs to the mainstream. 


]]> 2022-10-30 20:17:35 UTC https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2362321897 Kabuki (1600-present) b585172 https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2362336344 Kabuki, a classical form of Japanese performance, is known for the makeup worn by some performers which can be seen as a fixed expression painted on a face which is traditional to this art form.   

The first performance is thought to have happened around 1603 and can still be seen performed to this day. Today, kabuki is one of the most watched and recognised Japanese dramas and still creates stars that can be seen on TV and film.  

in 1629 women were banned from performing because it was deemed too erotic so young boys dressed as women had to take over but this was soon changed for ethical reasons and older men replaced them. Some men choose to specialise in female roles and they are called onnagata. To this day kabuki is a male only performance. 

The male only nature could be criticised today due to the part women played previously and many feminist platforms have raised this point but due to how traditional it now is i don’t imagine there being much of a change. ]]> 2022-10-30 20:47:41 UTC https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2362336344 Pantomime (1800-now) b585172 https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2364811406 Pantomimes roots are in Commedia dell Arte, by the 18th century some of the characters from commedia began to appear on stage in London, appearing in musical shows based on stories. 

Pantomimes in the victorian era began to use spoken word, after theatre licensing had restricted speaking on stage during performances, pantomime would usually be a mix of fairy tales and humour based on current events. 

In late 19th century pantomimes included full costumes and stage tricks and panto began to be linked to Christmas and family entertainment. Many smaller groups begin to perform pantomime on stage too making scripts smaller in comparison to the 5 hour ones done by larger companies. 

From 1837 gender switching in pantomime became very important to the show, by 1860 pantomime dames became more common including actor Samuel Simmons who played mother goose for the first time around 1806. From then to now the pantomime dame has to still seem masculine because its a very important part of the gag, makeup was/is a very important part of a dame because it assists in bringing the (joke) female element to the character. 

Makeup also became important in pantomime during the late 1800s because animal impersonators became a large part of pantomime, being hugely assisted by the drastic change makeup and costume can do to transform a human into the chosen animal. 

Pantomime ended up being all about a spectacle so elaborate character designs and set became very important to creating a show. Overall pantomime made stage makeup a lot more important and mainstream in creating a great production and character and showed people how important stage makeup could really be.
 ]]> 2022-11-01 12:18:22 UTC https://padlet.com/b585172/1qwn2j0ek04yuxnw/wish/2364811406