Whether it’s for comfort, family value or because you remember a wonderful thing you were doing when you were wearing it; clothes often hold sentimental value.

The sentimental value of frocks is at the heart of a production by the Mature Artists’ Dance Experience Group, who will be performing their show The Frock in Launceston this weekend as part of Ten Days on the Island art festival.

The Frock is a dance experience that travels through the ages of fashion, with one unique twist – the narrator is a very special dress.

The narrator is voiced and choreographed by Graeme Murphy, who worked with MADE to produce the production.

One of the driving forces behind The Frock is Shirley Gibson, who said it took two-and-a-half years to convince Murphy to work with them.

“Clothes are often emotive and emotional garments,” Gibson said.

“They have sentimental value and they are that memory jogger, you remember what you did while you were wearing a certain outfit.”

Gibson said The Frock was developed from hearing the stories of people working on the show about their clothes and said every cast member had a favourite item.

From 70s jumpsuits to a Audrey Hepburn-esque feather hat, most of the items of clothing used as props in the show come from the wardrobes of the performers.

The show boasts a cast of 11 Tasmanian artists. 

Stage manager Kelly Drummond said audiences had responded well to the robot dress narrator, so much so they had to adjust the performance.

She said audiences had run the full set of emotions “from screams to sobs” when they saw the robot.

The Frock opens in Launceston on Friday night.

FACT FILE

All the details you need to know for performances of The Frock:

A Q-and-A session with Graeme Murphy will be held in conjunction with the performances on Saturday at 5.30pm in the foyer of the Princess Theatre, Brisbane Street, Launceston.