Choreographer’s note:

Most of us have been empowered, humiliated, transformed or confused by an inanimate article of clothing. Think back to ‘Sunday best’ for special occasions, the challenges of tying up shoelaces, the need to have the same outfit as your peers and you barely begin to tap the complex relationship between humans and sewn fabric.

Take this one step further and you have THE FROCK an all-seeing, sharped tongued, disembodied entity who is protagonist, narrator and observer of our story.

Relationships, struggles, triumphs and shortcomings are explored in a journey spanning the decades from the 50s to present times, fuelled by the artists of MADE all of whom have memories spanning at least half a century (give or take the odd lapse) and all of whom have a generosity of spirit that has informed and enhanced this work.

THE FROCK, a demanding mistress, insisted I write text and dialogue (plunging me into new territory) and kept Janet Vernon and myself incredibly busy and challenged. The MADE Ensemble has helped us transition comfortably from the youthful world of elite dance artists to a world filled with life experience and hard-earned wisdom. In the process, we have found new joys and truths and we hope that you the audience will, whatever your age, look at both your wardrobe and your elders with fresh eyes.

Graeme Murphy

Our thanks go to Shirley Gibson, Mary Eckhardt, the MADE Ensemble, the MADE Board, all our wonderful and long suffering creative team and, of course, volunteers too numerous to list who are, in the underfunded world of the arts sector, the people who keep creators creating and audiences questioning!