What do I need in my backstage kit?

Having a kit of essential items that you can ‘grab and go’ when you have a gig is so important. Knowing that you are sorted for most contingencies backstage is just a real safety net. What do you need? Take my advice and avoid some mishaps:

Have two easy kits on hand

I keep two small sewing kit boxes: one for accessories and costume pieces, and one for sewing and repairs. Having two clear boxes on hand for their purposes makes my life just so much easier

The accessories kit

In this kit I always keep on hand:

• Back up pasties: one cheap pair with no emotional attachment and a pair of basic nude sparkly ones that can go with any outfit

• Earrings: black and rhinestone as backups to go with any costume

• Spare hair piece : a rhinestone comb or flower just in case I forget a hair topper

• Slides: Hair grips, slides and anything else that can fix a stray hair do

The sewing kit

In my second clear box I keep a basic sewing and repair kit that has:

• Roll of double sided or Hollywood tape

• Small scissors

• Nude, black and red thread and needle

• Safety pins in assorted sizes (large nappy style pins for big malfunctions, to small nvisible ones)

• Blue tack for posters and run sheets

• Thumbtacks for posters and run sheets

• Bandaids and blister blocks - for obvious reasons.

• Extra ribbon in nude and black for corsets

• Extra bra closure, hook and eyes

• Rubber bands

• Extra eyelash glue
  

Having these on hand saves my life many times over. I can always make do with any of these items.

I also like to have a small ziplock bag in my costume cupboard with a few extras like backup nude fishnets, black fishnets, nude stockings, a mini hairspray and a plain nude gstring. It’s great to have some spares that you can put in the bottom of your bag in case. It means you are never going to end up in a kitchen or hallway somewhere with a broken bra strap; a corset without ribbon or without pasties. A little preparation, but it's worth it!