The Australian Ballet’s Head of Millinery, Vicki Car, investigates the curious case of the Nutcracker costumes

After weeks of sorting, cleaning, re-making, repairing, stretching up, padding down and what feels like endless, endless re-labelling, Graeme Murphy’s Nutcracker has gone. Packed into touring crates and headed for Sydney.

It’s been quite an undertaking. A lot of what made Kristian Fredrikson’s designs so beautifully rich and detailed were the little bits and pieces that he had collected over the years on his travels. He would bring in a piece of antique jet or lace and it would find its way onto a coat or a hat.

The show was designed in 1992 and hasn’t been performed by the company for almost 10 years. Somehow in the time since, whole costumes have gone missing. Trims and belts have been snipped off and handbags, hats and even dresses have disappeared. The difficulty was not only re-making the missing costumes but finding replacements for trims and fabrics that don’t exist anymore. Thankfully many in wardrobe knew Kristian well and know what he would have liked. There has been much rummaging in boxes as well as the shopping done by Jenny (our Purchasing Coordinator) and throughout there has been a sense in the workroom that he is nearby, watching and helping us along.

Everyone has a theory on what happened to the missing costumes. l imagine them to be like stolen Old Masters, on display in a darkened room for a balletomane whose love of dance has gone beyond sitting in the auditorium. I’m sure the reality is far more mundane but wherever they are now, l hope Kristian is pleased with what we have done.

Now that Nutcracker has gone there is a bit of tidying to do and perhaps a cup of tea, and then l really should start thinking about The Sleeping Beauty…

Graeme Murphy’s Nutcracker – The Story of Clara is on in Sydney from 28 April – 18 May and Melbourne from 5-18 June

Original costume designs by Kristian Fredrikson from the Production department’s ‘Nutcracker bible’. Photography by Jasmin Tulk