The seamstress behind co-ordinating their looks has been wielding her wardrobe magic for almost two decades.
Twenty seven Mamma Mia cast members have a wardrobe "fairy godmother" to thank for co-ordinating their show-stopping looks.
Invercargill Musical Theatre (IMT) wardrobe manager Shirley Adam has fitted cast members, sewed clothes and even stitched up extra limbs for stage stars for nearly 20 years and she has no plans to pack away her needle and thread.
"I started here in 2009 after working on school productions.
"(The previous wardrobe manager) Bernadette saw what I was doing in schools and asked me to come and do the wardrobe for IMT.
"We may not have a Weta Workshop budget but we do a lot with very little," Mrs Adam said.
The Invercargill local leads a team of seven who have been taking measurements and fitting costumes for the Mamma Mia cast.
IMT brought the spectacular production back to Waihōpai after its first outing in Invercargill sold out.
For the past two months Mrs Adam and her team have been busy unpacking crates of costumes; stitching, unpicking, and getting the costumes ready for the cast to take to the stage in a week’s time.
There is a constant hum from a sewing machine, plumes of steam from iron pressed clothes, and racks of clothes rolled in and out of the wardrobe room.
"The costumes came down in four crates from Christchurch in May.
"They sent someone down to do a count of all the items first and after that was ticked off; then we were allowed to get into the crates," she said.
When it came to fitting the cast, Mrs Adam lived with the mantra that was passed on to her years ago, "Being nice to the wardrobe lady, gets you looking good on stage".
"Sometimes they may not like what they wear but then they get into their character and they soon accept it," she said.
The musical theatre stalwart praised Mamma Mia director Steven Robertson for having a hands-on approach with the costumes and appreciated he was someone who knew exactly what he wanted.
For Mrs Adam, volunteering her time as a wardrobe manager has been about doing something she loved, and seeing people enjoying what they were doing.
The wardrobe team also includes Margaret Fitzgerald, Margaret Tait, Jenny Waltho, Di Williams, Maria Keppel, May Dyson and Maya Oppikofer.
- By Nina Tapu
