If you’ve watched some of Australia’s biggest stage premieres, chances are you have admired the work of Anthony Phillips and Peter Bevan.
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The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Priscilla: The Musical, Les Misérables and Billy Elliot are among the shows the world class costumiers worked on.
When retirement beckoned, they decided to settle in for a quiet life at Lilydale after 25 years as costumiers.
However, it took a couple of years before they decided to return to the theatre by creating the costumes for the Encore Theatre Company’s production of Les Misérables.
It was a return to very familiar ground for them both.
When Les Misérables premiered on an Australian stage, it was Phillips and Bevan who created all the costumes for the principal actors.
They’ve costumed several different productions since.
Each costume needed to be made two or three times for the understudies, Phillips said.
“My distinct memory is that there should be nothing shiny or glittery on show, it should be matte and cotton [at the request of the designer],” he said.
Although subsequent productions have introduced their own taste, designs, and a lot more colour, Phillips said.
“To interpret character and costume is really quite fun. There is quite a lot involved, you have to understand who the person is playing, what their character is and then you choose suitable fabrics and styles that work.
“It’s very rewarding to see your work on stage, because you’ve had a chance to look at it and fine tune it.”
It made quite a difference when they worked on a film, such as Star Wars or Sunset Boulevard, when they only had one chance to get it right, he said.
All of the main costumes for the Encore Theatre Company’ principal female actors were designed and created by Phillips and Bevan.
They were surprised by the quality and amount of shows on offer in Northern Tasmania, he said.
“The more you work on a show, the easier it becomes. You know what works and what doesn’t work.”
Bevan said he worked closely with designers to source fabrics.
They sourced materials from the company’s stores, friends and second hand stores to create the designs, he said.
Phillips had more freedom to design the looks and styles worn by the company’s actors whereas in the past he was creating someone else’s designs, Bevan said.
Les Misérables director Belinda King said what they created was world class.
“We are beyond lucky to have this sort of expertise [working with us],” King said.
They were the “gems of the show” and were happy to help foster a group of budding costumiers to learn the craft, she said.
- If you want to see their creations on stage, Les Misérables will be performed at the Princess Theatre in Launceston between March 15 and 31.
- This is part of a series recognising the dedicated people behind the Tasmanian arts scene. Email t.brunton@fairfaxmedia.com.au to nominate someone.