IN A Bendigo warehouse more than 1000 costumes are ready to join theatre productions that have been postponed due to lockdown or restrictions.
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In regional Victoria, indoor entertainment venues are restricted to crowds of no more than 100. Melbourne lockdown has left theatres closed again.
It means a slew of theatre productions are waiting for their moment on the stage.
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Ms Scott estimates she has more than 1000 costumes racked and ready for between 14 and 16 theatre shows. The destinations range from Bendigo and the Loddon-Campaspe to the Melbourne suburbs of Mentone, Elsternwick and St Albans.
"Some of them have stayed on racks the whole year," she said. "A lot of the shows are being rescheduled. One was supposed to go on yesterday but has rescheduled.
"Most are schools, there are some dance schools - the poor things - that have scheduled and re-scheduled again. Some of the shows include Madagascar, Willy Wonka, Grease, Aladdin. Legally Blonde and there are three productions of The Lion King."
Ms Scott said her business hasn't suffered because of the delays because she works as a midwife by day.
But she said she felt for others in the arts industry who hadn't been so lucky.
"I am ones of the lucky ones because I have another profession to drop back on," she said. "I just close the shed door and come back every now and then to check on them.
"Also because I am a midwife at the hospital, I can increase my hours there. But three costume shops in Melbourne, when we were first hit, they shut up and sold stuff. I bought their costumes but it could have easily been me."
Ms Scott has owned her business for about 10 years and estimates she has more than 10,000 costumes in stock.
"I was a dancer years and years ago and I started collecting costumes and built it from then," she said. "We tried to count them one night and got up to 6000 before it got too dark. It's a big collection.
"I'm grateful that (the businesses) has exploded and is doing so well. I'm quite privileged to be able to do things like the carols each year and take in 10 reindeer and lead Santa down Rosalind Park's paths.
"Seeing crowds and children so happy is a highlight. This business is for entertainment and making people happy."
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The lack of events as a result of the coronavirus pandemic has been the hardest thing to deal with for Ms Scott.
"It's extremely frustrating. Some highlights we have missed during year are the Christmas carols, the lighting of the Christmas tree and the Easter parade. We are definitely having parade withdrawals.
"That's the frustrating part - that you can't go out with performers and entertain crowds. We can manage with getting money for the household but it's disappointing to not entertain crowds.
"We can't wait to get to next parade. Maybe Christmas will be bright and better. The government is looking at having 70 to 80 per cent of people vaccinated by Christmas. That is the light at the end of tunnel.
"For now we just have got to go with flow, trust in the medical authorities and we will get there."
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