Red Speedo has certainly made a splash, along with the impressive Sea Serpent tattoo donning Finn Cole’s back. It’s nothing short of eye-catching.
We hate to burst anyone’s bubble who believed this ink was real but it’s not. Here is an insight into how this masterpiece is maintained throughout the run. This tattoo was designed by Cat Fuller (Associate Designer & Costume Designer). Various versions and sizes were tried on Finn’s body for shape and size before settling on the final version. It is laser printed onto waterslide transfer paper (similar to transfer tattoos you’ll find at kids parties, but better). This same material is used for temporary tattoos on blockbuster hits such as The Marvels, Aquaman and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
The tattoo must be reapplied twice a week by makeup artist, Zara Tames and assisted by our ASM, Claire Hill. 6 pieces of transfer paper are needed to fit the whole design. They are then cut out with a scalpel special skin glue is sponged onto the back in several layers. They’re applied to the skin using water, a matte sealer, makeup fixing spray and translucent powder to make sure it lasts in the water and doesn’t stick to Finn’s clothes in between shows. The entire application can take up to 2 hours.
It lasts around 3 days, but is looked after in between by Claire who fills in any faded bits with a tattoo marker pen and re-seals it every day. To remove the tattoo, an oil-based makeup cleaner is used with lots of warm water and a whole lot of patience!
A round of applause for our designers, stage managers and makeup artists who have worked on this feat of a production
