#NTUDEGREESHOW Spotlight: Lydia Lamoury

This week's Spotlight piece features BA (Hons) Costume Design and Making student Lydia Lamoury

From The Great Pretender, Lydia Lamoury, BA (Hons) Costume Design and Making, 2019.

In the run-up to the Art and Design Degree Show, we will be sharing a series of student projects from across the 26 participating courses through #NTUDEGREESHOW Spotlights.

The Great Pretender

The Great Pretender is a live contemporary dance depiction of my interpretation of the real Freddie Mercury. Through the use of costume and dance we can break down the layers of identity and strip back his personas to reveal the true person. Freddie lived under the spotlight and thrived off the interaction with the crowd and his fans, but in reality he was a pretend extravert who loved nothing more than being home in a safe haven with his beloved cats. Fame comes with a price and Freddie used his platform to promote change for the better, but would be faced with a tremendous backlash because he was pushing the boundaries of society.

People don’t like change and when Freddie Mercury stepped on stage, no one had ever seen a performer like him; he oozed charisma and passion but his unique look made him stand out. Who really was he?

The aim of my project is to explore how the media and social media warp our views of peoples’ lives and how this causes us to have two sides: one in which we show off to the world and the other in which we stay away from prying eyes. Can you imagine being known globally and trying to keep a certain level of privacy from the outside world? And how you have to be constantly weary of the select people you allow into your personal space?

When Queen were at the height of their career there were many rumours circulating about Freddie’s sexuality and him contracting HIV; the world bombarded him from all angles, causing him to shy away. Through my project I am breaking down the layers of identity to reveal the real Freddie Mercury, exploring his life to understand his different personas. Freddie poured his heart and soul into his music and the lyrics, just a small window into his mind.

“Crazy cross dressing Freddie, Freddie the freak, Freddie the fag”. (Bohemian Rhapsody, 2018).

“Dullness is a disease”. (Mercury via Welsh, 2018)

“You can be anything you want to be, just turn yourself into anything you think that you could ever be.” (Mercury via Welsh, 2018)

“If I die tomorrow I will not regret. I really did everything I could.” (Mercury via Welsh, 2018)

Lydia Lamoury

Find out more about the BA (Hons) Costume Design and Making Degree Show here.