On the surface, The Mines of Sulphur was a violent story; following the murder of a wealthy landowner, the murderer and his mistress play the gracious hosts to a troupe of strolling actors. This design for Jenny, one of the actors. The strips of fabric attached to the design are samples of the chosen materials from which the costume will be made. Both colour and texture are important; colour especially has emotive overtones and these earth colours are an indication that these actors, who might be expected to wear gaudy, flamboyant colours, are not quite what they seem.
Although theatre designs are often considered works of art and are sought after by museums and private collectors, their artistic worth or decorative qualities are secondary to whether they 'work' on stage. The success of a costume design cannot be judged until it is translated into fabric, texture and decoration by the costume makers and seen as part of the whole stage picture. Some designers are very knowledgeable about costume making and produce very detailed designs, with notes on fabrics and making techniques, others create an 'atmospheric' drawing, which gives the feeling of the costume, and they then either work closely with the costume maker to realise their concept or have trusted makers who know their work and can create the effects they have in mind.