Costumes are Liz’s life
“The harder, the better” is the motto of Mountain View resident Liz Campbell who has designed stunning costumes for Warragul Theatre Company’s “Beauty and the Beast”.
The colourful, intricate and iconic costumes were on full show during the cast’s first full costume and makeup fittings last month. However, the audience will have to wait until the shows at the West Gippsland Arts Centre to glimpse iconic characters such as Belle, the Beast and Mrs Potts.
Liz Campbell, together with Leane Goding and director Liam Charleston, are the brains behind the costuming.
“Costumes are my life,” said Liz, who created 24 intricate costumes in 24 weeks for “Beauty and the Beast”.
Additionally, she is working on costumes for another two companies.
Liz first joined Warragul Theatre Company for 2014’s “Phantom of the Opera”. She also worked on 2015’s “Hello Dolly” before making every single costume for 2016’s “Paris”.
Working in a costume hire business in Melbourne which specialises in school plays, Liz has worked on “Beauty and the Beast” productions a few times before.
This has allowed her to show even more innovation for Warragul Theatre Company – taking it so far as to purchase a scroll saw to help cut materials.
With each of the enchanted characters also requiring a human costume and the ensemble cast wearing up to three costumes each, the company’s costume department has certainly faced a big task.
“The more things you throw into it the better,” said Liz who creates costumes six to seven days per week.
The Wardrobe has proven Liz’s most difficult task for this production. “It was my first and I am still working on it.” Asked to pick her favourite, she said “I think Cogsworth is going to be”.
“I’ve left him to last while I find bits and piece to go on him.”