The Dress

Werribee Mansion is once again the evocative location for a fascinating exploration of Victorian history. On this occasion Beek takes a closer look at the fashion industry at the turn of the 19^th Century.

Mrs Hannah Bryden (Aliane Beek) is a widow who continues to dress in black and has withdrawn from the social scene.  Mr Bertin (Scott Jackson) is a dressmaker whose livelihood is jeopardised by changes in the fashion industry. The two make an unlikely alliance designed to rescue them both from obscurity. 

This is a great premise for the play and allows Beek to analyse the strict social mores of the period and how fashion and dress codes were such a large part of the way cultural habits and standards were practiced. This makes for some intriguing historical information. Bertin needs to convince Hannah to attend a masquerade ball where he intends to design a jaw-dropping gown for Hannah. Much of the dialogue focuses on this aspect which tends to elongate the narrative. Hannah’s resistance requires more substance to justify this amount of attention. 

The dress produced by Bertin is in fact a showstopper. When Beek enters the performance space and reveals Bertin’s work of art the effect is striking and very impressive. The effect of this triumph warrants some further narrative attention to provide even greater opportunity to observe the beauty and grandeur of the stunning costuming. 

Jackson provides a very exuberant performance and gives Bertin a great deal of colour and flamboyance. This contrasts nicely with Beek’s very natural stoic air. The costuming, which gives the play a very grand finale, is extraordinary in the opulent setting of the mansion. The Dress offers a unique opportunity to imagine the characters who occupied the property in its heyday and to relive the era in a highly immersive manner. This is a delightful show that reawakens the era and its ambience in an extremely magical manner.

Patricia Di Risio