“I was working at a costume house at the time and I was quite young,” Phillips says.

Since being involved in that show all the way back in 1974, Phillips has worked on some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters of all time.

Now, nearly 50 years later, he’s returning to his roots.

Formerly a tutor at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), Phillips has made corsets for the new $1.4m Rocky Horror production that’s set to send Theatre Royal audiences into raptures over the next five weeks.

All this despite the fact the 76-year-old Phillips was under the impression he’d retired.

Five years ago, he closed his costume business, Anthony Phillips Costumes, and moved from Sydney to the small rural locality of Lalla, about 30km north of Launceston.

“I’d reached retirement age and was well and truly over it and I just needed a more relaxing time with my older age approaching,” he says.

“I just adore living in Tasmania. The quality of life, the food, and the lifestyle. Living in a rural area is even better because it’s away from all the hustle and bustle. And I’ve got myself a little workshop in my back yard up here.”

But Launceston’s Encore Theatre Company got wind of Phillips’s relocation to Tasmania, and soon enough he was working on shows for them, such as Les Misérables and The Sound of Music.

Throughout his career, Phillips has built a reputation on his meticulously crafted costumes, which have been worn by stars of the stage and screen, including Natalie Portman, Nicole Kidman, and Debra Byrne.

Phillips says the highlights of his career have been working as a costume cutter on two of the Star Wars prequel films – Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Episode III – Revenge of the Sith – and Cameron Mackintosh’s sweeping production of Phantom of the Opera.

“[Star Wars] was just a godsend to work on – unlimited budgets and fantastic people to work with,” he says. “Really high quality work.”

“It came with its pressures, though. It’s very difficult to deliver perfection in a short time.”

Tasmanian theatre maven John Xintavelonis – known as John X – has long been an admirer of Phillips’ work.

So when he heard the renowned costume maker had moved to the island state, he knew he had to bring him on-board for a new show he had in the works.

Xintavelonis’s production company, John X Presents, secured the rights to Rocky Horror, and is now in the process of staging what is the first locally-produced, fully professional commercial musical Tasmanian audiences have ever seen.

And it’s lucky Phillips is there to help – because the Tasmanian production of Rocky Horror, which opened in Hobart this week, is very corset-heavy.

“You’re making corsets for men, too, which is an entirely different ball game,” Phillips says. “With women you can change [their] shape, but with men you can’t, because their bodies are much harder and you can’t actually shape them as much.”

Roz Wren, the costume designer for Rocky Horror, described Phillips as “a master of corsetry and all things costume”.

“He’s a very kind man who’s generous with sharing his knowledge and I really hope we can work together again,” Wren says.

Wren finished her designs for the show about three months ago, which was when the “real work” began, she said – sourcing fabrics, accessories, and shoes, hiring what could be hired and “making the rest”.

Wren says the crew was provided with a brief for the show, which urged a fresh take on Rocky Horror, while staying true to the show’s spirit.

But audiences can still see iconic characters like Frank-N-Furter, Brad Majors, and Janet Weiss in all their splendour, and to sing along to instantly recognisable songs like the Time Warp and Sweet Transvestite.

The first major theatre production to be held in Hobart since the start of the pandemic, Xintavelonis says Rocky Horror is worth the wait.

“[Audiences] will see a world-class level of performance in this production that they’re not used to seeing,” he says. “The talent here is through the roof. And they’re doing such an extraordinary job that it’s even exceeded my expectations.”

Xintavelonis says much of the appeal of Rocky Horror is in its message.

“It’s very much an adult show, but it’s a show that, in its time, basically broke all these barriers down and told people that no matter who they were or how they dressed or what they looked like, it didn’t matter – they were welcome, they were accepted, they were loved, they were fun to be around,” he says.

“And that’s what this show does.”

The Rocky Horror Show is currently on show at Hobart’s Theatre Royal, in Campbell Street, with its extended season running until November 6.

Tickets range in price from $70 per person for C Reserve and up to $130 for premium seats while group prices (groups are defined as six-plus people) start from $60 per person and are available via the Theatre Royal’s website at theatreroyal.com.au