spectacles that break

[janie]

Hi there,

I've just been asked to source/make a pair of glasses that are broken onstage for a show I'm working on, and I was hoping someone might have had experience of doing it, or some suggestions. Ideally they fall off the actors face and are found broken on the floor very quickly afterwards. Any thoughts would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

Janie

PS and if anyone has some fake watermelon and cucumber lying around they might like to lend me I would be grateful for that too ;)

[Sloepicker]

Hi there,

I've just been asked to source/make a pair of glasses that are broken onstage for a show I'm working on, and I was hoping someone might have had experience of doing it, or some suggestions. Ideally they fall off the actors face and are found broken on the floor very quickly afterwards. Any thoughts would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

Janie

PS and if anyone has some fake watermelon and cucumber lying around they might like to lend me I would be grateful for that too ;)

 

How about using a pair of real spectacles and loosening the screw that holds the lens in so it will either fall out when it hits the floor or can be pushed out easily when it is picked up. Alternatively you could remove the screw that holds one of the arms in place and lightly sellotape it in place ( I forget what its called - scotch tape' I think but its matt finish and pretty much invisible). Again the arm can be twisted or pulled out easily enough.

 

If you wanted the lenses to crack I'm not sure how you would get it to break reliably. The easiest thing would be prepare a shattered version that could be picked up instead, assuming you could conceal it in some way.

 

Hope this helps.

[w/robe]

Depending on what type of broken and how comedy you want it to be you can replace the screws with wire and twist it back on its self so that you have a small loop of wire through the screw holes and round the arm. The arms and front section will then all flop about if they are held by one end but the actor can still wear them if they are a good fit and he is not too physical in them.

[Suzette]

Watermelon

Cucumber

[Jivemaster]

Look for a superstrong magnet cut the nose-bridge and use the magnet and a small iron pad then as they are picked up the magnet can be popped off ( http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?Module...8&doy=11m10 )

 

This way they can be re-assembled for thr next show!

[Wuddy]

PS and if anyone has some fake watermelon and cucumber lying around they might like to lend me I would be grateful for that too :huh:

 

Hi,

 

Have a look at Terralec.co.uk look in >stage props. They have two sorts of sliced melon and although they have no sliced cucumbers they do have sliced fruits, kiwis, limes, which might be passed off as cucumber.

[w/robe]

Look for a superstrong magnet cut the nose-bridge and use the magnet and a small iron pad then as they are picked up the magnet can be popped off

If you are trying this make sure you do it in plenty of time to come up with another solution if it does not work.

 

I've never had any joy with magnets in costumes as the movement tends to cause them to slip apart.

[janie]

Thanks for your advice everyone, have got a few pairs of glasses to experiment with, so should be able to work something out. And thanks for the food links, I have been there, but was trying to get away without spending money...of course :huh:

[Jivemaster]

Saw the nose bridge and fit a press stud or two small ones then!