The Long and the Short and the Tall: Costume design (including hair and make-up)

Costume Design in ‘The Long and the Short and the Tall’

Uniforms: The Visual Emphasis on Group Identity

Each of the seven British soldiers wear standard World War II British Army uniforms, instantly recognising them as a group and differentiating them from the Japanese prisoner, who wears a period-appropriate Japanese Army uniform.
Small variations in the uniforms, such as rank insignia or personal additions, could be used to illustrate differences in rank and personality among the soldiers. This creates subtle but important visual cues reinforcing character differences.

Props and Personal Items: Building Characters through Costuming

The use of props and personal items like cigarettes, maps, and personal letters help enhance the soldiers’ characters and historical accuracy.
McLeish’s glasses, perhaps slightly anachronistic or old-fashioned, can portray him as academic and out-of-place amongst the soldiers, emphasizing his class and role as an outcast.

Hair and Makeup: Realism and Characterisation

Makeup may be used to convincingly create the effect of dirt, sweat, and exhaustion on the soldiers, adding to the harsh realism of the wartime setting.
Hairstyles would likely be short and utilitarian, dictated by military standard but can provide hints about characters - for example, a slightly longer or more stylish cut might suggest a younger or more rebellious character, such as Bamforth.

Costume, Hair and Makeup Changes: Reflecting Character Development and Narrative Progression

As the play unfolds in real-time, there aren’t many opportunities for costume changes, but gradual accumulation of wear and tear on the uniforms, as well as physical changes like dishevelment, can reflect the escalating tension and deteriorating situation.
Bamforth’s transformation from bully to sympathetic character could be indicated by subtle costume and makeup changes. He might start off relatively clean and neat, separate from the rest. As he empathises with the prisoner, he could become more like him - dirtied, dishevelled, and equal among the others.

Japanese Soldier: Symbolic Costume Design

The Japanese soldier’s costume, including the white flag, can symbolise the tension between enemy and ally, and the blurred lines of war. It reminds the audience that behind enemy lines, soldiers are humans, too.
His uniform being similar yet distinctly different from the British soldiers can serve to highlight the shared soldierly experience, despite being on opposing sides of the conflict.