A red festoon house curtain lit deep red across a dark stage, rows of seats in the foreground

The drape line-up

Theatre drapes & stage curtains, made to measure

House curtains, travellers, smothers, legs and borders: the working line-up of a stage. We cut and sew every one to your opening in our Melbourne workshop, and publish the fabric specs on this page.

Request a quote →

A red festoon house curtain

The Drape Selector

Spec your drape
before you call.

Answer five quick questions. The Drape Selector matches fabric, fullness and opening style to your space, then turns it into a spec ready to send to the makers.

Start the Drape Selector →
  • Five questions
  • No email gate
  • Quote-ready spec
The Drape Selector running on a laptop and a phone
Drape Selector
01What is the job?
House curtain
Masking legs
Cyclorama
02Which fabric?
VelvetIFR
Wool sergeIFR
MoltonNDFR
03How full should it hang?
Flat
75%
100%
04How does it open?
Traveller
Guillotine
Tableau
05What size?
FabricWool serge
FR classIFR
Size12.0 x 7.0 m
SpecReady →
Step 1 of 5 · The job

The line-up

Every drape has a job.

Nine of them hang on this stage. Select a pin to meet each one.

  • Perimeter drapesWalls of wide molton for halls and studios: blackout and acoustic softening in one hang.
  • Kabuki & reveal dropsWe make the drop; the release rig above it is engineered by Theatre Safe Australia.

Specs at a glance

Drape fabric specs, published inline

~450gsm

Velvet and velour, the house-curtain cloth

~550gsm

Wool serge, the masking standard

3m

Turo molton width, fewer seams per wall

2 to3yrs

Re-treatment cycle for treated cloth

FabricFire retardancyWeightWidthColoursBest for
Velvet / velourIFR or NDFR, depending on the fibre~450 gsm1.2 to 1.5 mWide rangeHouse curtains, valances, swags
Wool sergeIFR. Built into the wool, no treatment required~550 gsm1.8 mBlack, red, blue, greyLegs, borders, travellers, smothers
Turo moltonNDFR. Flame retarded to AS 1530 standards~320 gsm3.0 mBlack or whiteMasking, smothers, skirts, perimeter walls

Cloths

Which cloth for which drape

Red and pink velvet velour gathered in heavy folds, photographed in true colour

Velvet & velour

  • ~450 gsm
  • 1.2 to 1.5 m
  • IFR or NDFR

A pile cloth that drinks light and hangs heavy, so the folds read rich from the back row. The fibre decides the fire rating, so we confirm IFR or NDFR at spec.

Black wool serge drape hanging in deep matte folds

Wool serge

  • ~550 gsm
  • 1.8 m
  • IFR

Dense, matte wool that soaks up light and sound. Inherently flame retardant, so no treatment is required, though dust can still carry fire, so keep it vacuumed.

White molton fabric swirled into soft folds, photographed in true colour

Turo molton

  • ~320 gsm
  • 3.0 m wide
  • NDFR

Brushed cotton, light and opaque, with fewer seams across a wide wall. Flame retarded to AS 1530 standards and re-treated every 2 to 3 years, sooner after moisture.

Twelve cloths, blockouts and linings included, are in the fabric library.

Made to measure

Cut and sewn on our own floor

Stock sizes rarely fit, so most of what we make is custom.

Workshop floor with black masking drapes spread across the cutting tables while two staff work the cloth
Masking drapes for Hamilton, in progress.
A machinist feeding black drape fabric through an industrial sewing machine
Black cloth on the machine.

  1. Brief

    Opening size, drop and the drape's job. A photo is enough to start.

  2. Finishes

    Ties, eyes and ties, rufflette or Option D up top. Hem, pipe or chain pocket below.

  3. Sewing floor

    Cut and sewn to your dimensions, flat or knife pleated, lined or unlined.

  4. Treatment

    Fire retardant treatment where the cloth needs it, with its certificate.

  5. Ship or install

    Packed in drape bags and shipped Australia wide, or hung by our installers.

In use

House curtains to backstage blacks

  • A school stage dressed in black wool masking, a pleated border across the top and legs at each side
    Black masking: border, legs and back wall
  • Red velvet drapes framing a doorway into a red room washed in purple light, a visitor standing inside
    Red velvet framing an entrance
  • A gold swag drape hung from a frame in the workshop, deep scallops falling to the floor
    A gold swag, hung in the workshop
  • Curved walls of black drape wrapping a dark gallery space beside a lit artwork
    Curved drape walls in a galleryNGV Triennial
  • Red drapes hanging at the side of a stage beside a ladder and steps
    Red drapes at the side of a stage
  • A grey festoon curtain hung full height in the workshop above a chequered floor
    A festoon curtain, tested full height
  • A school stage with a white back wall and black tabs at each side under a lighting grid
    Black tabs either side of a white back wall

Questions

Asked before every drape order

What are the different types of stage curtains?

The house curtain at the proscenium, travellers and smothers that close off scenes, legs and borders that mask the wings and rig, and valances that dress the top. Specialty cloths such as scrims and cycloramas complete it.

What fabric is used for theatre curtains?

Velvet and velour (about 450 gsm) for house curtains. Wool serge (about 550 gsm, inherently flame retardant) for legs, borders and travellers. Turo molton (about 320 gsm, 3 m wide) for wide walls. More in the fabric library.

Are stage curtains flame retardant?

Wool serge is inherently flame retardant and needs no treatment. Velvet and velour depend on the fibre. Treated cloth is flame retarded to AS 1530 standards, with a treatment certificate, and re-treated every 2 to 3 years by our fire treatment service.

Will the drapes work with our existing track and rigging?

Yes. We finish the top to suit walkalong, corded or motorised track, or fixed and flown bars. If the hardware needs replacing, we supply Triple E track systems.

How do we know when a drape needs replacing?

Fading, fraying hems, stretched headers and a lapsed treatment. Our maintenance and inspection service reports what to repair, re-treat or retire. For the track and rigging above it, there is TSA's Venue Systems Health Check.