After 11 years of working with the South West Opera Company and creating hundreds of detailed, historically accurate costumes, Deb Prentice recently received her hat trick at the Finley Awards.
The South West Opera Company’s productions of Cinderella, Fiddler on the Roof and most recently Phantom of the Opera have all been awarded best costumes in a musical.
As one of the company’s artistic directors, Ms Prentice has spent thousands of hours creating her own version of some of the most iconic characters’ costumes, all from her dining room table.
“Costuming is great in that it turns a character, which is just words on a page into a realistic thing, if we don’t get that right it confuses the whole show, so I believe next to the music it is hugely important,” she said.
“If you don’t see what you’re thinking and feeling it doesn’t come together so I go to great lengths – Phantom of the Opera was 12 months in the making.
“I design and cut, make samples, pattern make, source and make the fabrics but then I have sewing help as well and there is seven people in the sewing team and I do all the sets as well – it’s insane.”
After growing up in Bunbury, Ms Prentice moved to Perth and studied costume and history, going on to have a career in the pantomime and shopping centre market.
“I painted and created for as long as I can remember, it’s always been my safe, happy place and it’s good because now the drawings move,” she said.
Moving back to Bunbury 20 years ago, she bumped into her old drama teacher and began costuming and hasn’t stopped since.
“It’s almost like you get to paint really interesting pictures with live components, so I do a lot of research and I think that’s where some of the awards have come from,” she said.
"When you see it for the first time, the lights are on, the stage comes up behind and everything comes together and you see the picture you hoped you would see it is a huge phew moment - it's overwhelming.
“The opening second act scene of Cinderella was the ball, and the curtin went up there was 60 people on stage all in ball gowns and every night the audience just went ‘wow’ and that’s the reason you do it.”