Delivered
Focusing on the 2019 edition of Tarnished Frocks and Divas, Paul and Sass Innes’ documentary goes behind the scenes, from the audition process to opening night.
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Frocks and Divas (M, 76mins) Directed by Paul and Sass Innes ***½
It’s Tauranga’s answer to the World of WearableArt Show. A biennial variety show that brings music and fashion together into a visual and auditory symphony.
But unlike its more high-profile counterpart, Tarnished Frocks and Divas originally started as a way to showcase the talents and passion for the lives of women over 40. Or as regular host Jackie Clarke distills the ethos spicier, “nobody puts baby in the corner…with a jar of wrinkle cream”.
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Frocks and Divas is now showing in select cinemas across the country.
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In Paul and Sass Innes’ upbeat and engaging documentary, we learn how the show was put together by a close-knit group of local dance moms who, after losing one of them to cancer, wanted to “have a party instead of wearing black”. How it has grown from a single performance in front of 180 people in 2005 to a 200-strong cast and crew over several nights at the city’s TrustPower Arena. And the ongoing legacy in terms of inspiring women to be brave, get out of their comfort zone and just show off their stuff.
Delivered
Annie Crummer was featured in four shows of Tarnished Frocks and Divas.
Focusing on the build-up to the 2019 edition (unfortunately the last to have happened, the current pandemic has caused it to be put on indefinite hold), viewers are taken behind the scenes, from the audition process to opening night.
Models and performers such as Bridget McKinley, Tina Jennen, Bryony Skillington, and Caitriona Fallon share what it means to each of them to be a part of the show, while Creative Director Denny Spee and others describe the backstory, logistics, and creative aspects ( some of 2019’s outfits are described as “a mix of repurposed garments and Bunnings”) and challenges and the bubbly Clarke and her now permanent collaborator Annie Crummer get the best lines (with on-screen images so no one misses their zingers).
Delivered
Tauranga’s Tarnished Frocks and Divas has grown from a single performance in front of 180 people in 2005 to a 200-strong cast and crew over several nights at the city’s TrustPower Arena.
Archival footage and photos show the latter couple and models at their best, especially as Clarke cavorts and flatters the crowd, at one point wryly noting that there’s “more chest action [on stage] than at the Ingham Chicken Factory”.
Just like last year The Pinkies are back, this is a celebration of Kiwi women and their wit, boldness and strength in taking on a new challenge – or adversity. “It is every woman’s God-given right to dress beautifully and feel fabulous,” says Clarke, “And we are now better able to feel, inspire, understand, and share emotions than when we were in our prime.”
The running time and style suggests it will be more natural home on the small screen (after just over an hour it’s perfect for a 90-minute free-to-air broadcast), but if you’re looking to get a group together for a winter getaway to warm your heart – this might just be the ticket.
Frocks and Divas is now showing in select cinemas across the country.