Costume designer bringing magic of Cinderella to life with 30 handmade gowns

Audiences are preparing to be swept away into the enchanting world of Cinderella, where 30 breathtaking handmade gowns are poised to dazzle under the spotlight.

Costume designer Jenni Ansic with the female cast of Cinderella which is showing at the civic theatre in October.

A modern type of magic is about to take centre stage at the Townsville civic theatre, brought to life by the dozens of intricate handmade gowns that will immerse audiences into the world of Cinderella.

When director Brent Lemmas approached costume designer Jenni Ansic about coming on board for his production, she immediately began sketching out the 30 gorgeous dresses that would be needed for the project.

“I always draw everything first, and I figure that if I can draw it, I can make it, and that’s usually how it turns out,” Ms Ansic said.

“It was an interesting brief because it’s sort of set pre-French Revolution, but it’s also got a touch of Hunger Games thrown into the mix, so it’s an interesting combination.”

The intricate costumes are a burst of colour on stage as Ms Ansic said that one dress in particular will bring its very own touch of real life magic.

Costume designer Jenni Ansic with the female cast of Cinderella which is showing at the civic theatre in October.

“We’ve managed to keep the fantasy and the magic as well as the modern stuff,” she said.

“(Cinderella) does transform on stage in front of your eyes, and hopefully, it will work and look fabulous; that’s the plan.”

Mr Lemmas said that the outstanding talent that Ms Ansic brings to the team is second to none.

“I think one of the things Jenny is very good at is creating an entire world where the vision is coherent and amazingly creative but well thought through,” he said.

He said that the production keeps the traditional story of Cinderella alive while folding in a 21st-century spin.

“(Cinderella) is a woman who has really clear ideas about who she wants to be and the world she wants to live in and is really active in making that happen,” he said.

“The world that we’ve created reflects that. It harks back to your childhood memories of this story but then has all these other layers added on.”

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella will be showing at Townsville Civic Theatre from October 17 to October 27 with tickets available now.

Originally published as Costume designer bringing magic of Cinderella to life with 30 handmade gowns