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Chat Magazine circa Sep 1991? Family Fortunes by Roz Da'Ombraine-Hewitt The House of Eliott may be set in the Twenties, but the costume dramas two stars are both thoroughly modern Misses. One is small, blonde and vivacious; the other is tall, dark and quiet. And after just a few minutes in their company, it's obvious that actresses Stella Gonet and Louise Lombard are as different in real life as the sisters Beatrice and Evangeline Eliott they play in the new television blockbuster 'The House of Eliott'. On screen the two girls are bound together as they pit their wits against poverty and try to restore family fortunes. But off screen the two talented actresses have been plucked from very different backgrounds. "I've done lots of theatre," explains Stella, 30, who plays the elder Eliott sister, Beatrice. "And the stage is still my first love." Louise, on the other hand, has a stream of TV successes behind her - even though she's barely out of her teens. She recently smouldered as sexy Anna who fell in love with Clive Owen in 'Chancer'. And the beautiful brunette leapt at the chance to play Evangeline Eliott. "Being so naive, Evangeline's a more challenging part than Anna," explains the doe-eyed Louise. "Evangeline is 18, but, in modern day terms, 15, because she's very shy and lacking in confidence." In their private lives, too, Stella and Louise are also very different. Louise met her actor boyfriend, 22 year old Jeremy Gilley, when they were both working on a pilot for a new soap, 'Private Practice'. Their relationship got off to a flying start when she had to hang glide into him and then hurl abuse at him. By the end of the filming, romance had bloomed - but Louise is still keeping her distance. At just 20, she doesn't feel ready to move in with Jeremy and prefers to live in her own flat which she shares with older brother John. "It's nice to have your own place," says Louise decidedly. "And, although my brother John would hate to admit it, he likes to keep an eye on his kid sister. He always remembers the shopping and cooks me a meal when I haven't eaten anything all day and arrive home starving!" Stella, on the other hand, is currently preparing to tie the knot with long-term love Nick. "I can't wait to get married next year," she sparkles. "I'm very romantic and come from a large family, so it'll be a big white wedding with bridesmaids and the lot." Coming from a large family is one thing that Stella and Louise do have in common. Stella is bang in the middle of a 12-strong brood from Greenock, Glasgow. And Louise is fifth out of a South London family of seven. "When Louise and I met we were instantly comfortable with each other," remembers Stella. "I'm sure that's because we're from big families and are used to older brothers and younger sisters." "The relationship between Evie and Beatrice, all those sisterly talks, was something we knew all about," agrees Louise with a smile. Louise left her cosy family nest when she was just 17 - a year after leaving school - to persue her career as an actress. With nine O' levels behind her, her parents expected her to go to university. But, instead, Louise took the leading role in an educational commercial about AIDS. "My parents thought I would put off acting for a few years," explains Louise. "But I was determined to be an actress. The AIDS commercial was very important, because at that stage people didn't know very much about the disease." Stella trained at the Scottish Academy of Dramatic Art. That's where she developed her love of clothes, particularly cast-offs from the Thirties and Forties. "Clothes were so stylish and beautifully made then," she enthuses. "But I'd customise them for a completely new look. Now that I can afford to buy clothes brand new, they are my biggest extravagance." The plot for 'The House of Eliott' is woven around the clothing industry, as the two sisters try to establish their own fashion house as a means of making money. As a result, Louise and Stella get to wear some stunning outfits. "The evening dresses I get to wear are breathtaking," says Stella. "They are wonderfully beaded and embroidered." Louise is less interested in fashion than her screen sister. "I'm not really into clothes, so I tend to stick to wearing black," she confesses. But dressing up has helped her to get into roles in the past. "In the TV Version of Catherine Cooksons 'The Black Velvet Gown', I played a young girl who gets pregnant," she explains. "I've never been pregnant, but, once I got into the costume, imagining myself in her situation was so much easier." "I enjoy costume drama and I loved Evie's day wear, particularly the beautifully tailored jackets and matching hats she has." But, as both actresses discovered, learning to shimmy and Charleston in true flapper style took more than a fringed dress and feathered headband. "It was quite embarrassing," giggles Louise. "We were put in a room full of professional dancers. For almost a week they made all the right moves and we made all the wrong ones." "And it wasn't just the steps. We had to learn the way women in the Twenties moved. Stella and I kept slipping into a jive and we were forever being told off for wiggling our hips too much." Both Stella and Louise admit that learning the Charleston was certainly one of the trickier moments of the series. But there have also been perks, not least working with heart-throbs such as Benedict Blyth (Beatrice's former fiance). "When Benedict walked on to the set my first thought was: "He's so gorgeous, this is going to require no acting at all!" says Stella dreamily. Yet Stella hates the idea of her screen-self settling down. "Beatrice is better off staying independent," she insists earnestly. "It would be a shame to marry her off, just when she's beginning to enjoy her first taste of freedom." The future fortunes of the two screen sisters could be part of our lives for years to come, as the BBC already have a second series planned of the drama which is being described as the new 'Upstairs, Downstairs' (and was written by the same scriptwriters). But neither Stella nor Louise is getting carried away with fame. "My family and fiance Nick will keep my feet on the ground," says Stella firmly. And Louise is equally nonchalant. "I've no career plans," she says with a toss of her brown Twenties style bob. "A second series would be great and, so far, acting has been fun. But if it ended tomorrow it wouldn't break my heart!" Radio Times Magazine ~ (21 - 27 Nov 1992) The Eliott Collection by Nicki Household As 'The House of Eliott' shows its latest creations, we go behind the seams with the real designer. James Keast, costume designer on 'The House of Eliott', claims not to have seen the light of day for nearly a year. Based in a vast, cluttered, subterranean studio at BBC Television Centre, the Scotsman has designed some 300 original outfits for the second series, including all the sumptuous creations that are about to be unveiled at Beatrice and Evangeline Eliott's new collection in the final episode this week. "I used pieces of driftwood as the inspiration for my textures and colours," he says of the clothes included in the collection, "so there are lots of natural golds and greys and browns." Consisting of eight day dresses, two cocktail dresses and two evening dresses, the collection is supposed to have been designed for the sophisticated, professional woman of 1926. Wherever possible, James Keast uses period fabrics, occasionally getting unexpected help from a viewer. The black and gold beaded bodice of an evening dress (pictured above, left) was made from fabric offered by a retired dressmaker in Barking, East London, who had been bequeathed it by a friend. He has designed and supervised the making up of every costume worn by the principal female characters in every episode. "I have based a lot of Beatrice (Stella Gonet) on Chanel and the painter and textile designer Dufy, whereas I saw Evie (Louise Lombard), who's younger and artier, as more like the painter Sonia Delaunay." The men's clothes are hired because, as he explains, "men all looked the same in those days." Costs are high, but nothing is wasted. All the costumes in the new collection will reappear in the next series, on characters who will theoretically have 'bought' them. James Keast's past designer credits include modern dramas such as 'Truly Madly Deeply' and period pieces like 'Five Children and It'. But he'd really like to design a drama set in his favourite fashion era - the early 1950s.
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| Thanks to Suzanne Maitland-Woods for the articles |
