If you think villains just wake up looking that good, think again. Behind the smoky eyes, the sinister sparkle, and all that gloriously tattered finery in A Night with the Villains is costume designer Jackie Fredericksen, who’s been turning bad into breathtaking for the cult-favourite Halloween parody concert.
Now back for 2025 and storming the Ron Hurley Theatre, the Matilda Award–nominated show promises to be “bolder, darker and with more parody than ever before.” With a new lineup of iconic baddies, from the Queen of Hearts to Maleficent, the pressure’s on to make every villain instantly recognisable… yet deliciously reimagined.
“Elodie [Boal], our fabulous director, approached me about the project idea of a Halloween production and having run a performing arts school of my own for over a decade, she knew I had quite a collection of costumes and props, but more importantly, a passion and creative flair for production in general,” Jackie says. “One of the most exciting things about a production like Villains is the dramatic transformation you can achieve through the combined artistry of costume, wigs and makeup and how it elevates the whole show to the next level. We get to be the icing on an extremely well-made treat.”
That icing — as anyone who’s seen the show will tell you — is fabulously rich. With a visual aesthetic that blends Halloween opulence and stagecrafted grit, A Night with the Villains is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the ears.
When asked what her first vision was for the show, Jackie laughs. “Gosh! Until I get the list of Villains in the show, it’s hard to visualise any one individual costume, but Villains as a production has always centred around the souls of the wretched returning from the dead, so I guess I picture the pale, gaunt skin, and the cob webbed and tattered, dusty clothes. The small added touches are what take our sometimes ‘shiny’ villains to the villains that have walked the depths of hell and are sure to haunt your dreams… (insert evil laugh) Too far?”
Absolutely not too far, it’s the perfect amount of wicked.
Of course, part of the challenge lies in finding the sweet spot between familiarity and surprise. “Looking for those defining, eye-grabbing features of each villain, like colours and shapes, is key to being recognisable. The tricky part is making sure that each costume not only represents its villain visually, but can withstand and allow for the strenuous yet ingenious choreography set by Jennifer B. Ashley,” Jackie says. “As for the creative twist on the costumes, they are often influenced by the extra elements and context written into the show.”
And with the show’s famously high-energy performances and close audience interactions, her designs need to look good from every angle. “Yeah, pressures on!” Jackie says. “Look, I love using pieces that realistically reflect the character or time period in their fabric and detail. Sometimes it’s a battle to get that balance of what looks fabulous in a photo or up close and what can safely withstand a stage show with intense dancing. But I do like to think that the back of a costume is just as important as the front and sides.”
This year, there are 15 costumes in total — each one tailored to its villain’s brand of mischief. But one outfit in particular has stolen Jackie’s creative heart. “Probably the Queen of Hearts. It is the perfect mix of costume collage and layering, and it came with its pinch of complexities to keep things interesting,” she says. “Two existing pieces I had picked up from op shops over a decade ago were actually the inspiration for this costume. I completely disassembled them both and then repurposed them into key features of the piece.”
If that doesn’t sum up the spirit of A Night with the Villains — a bit of reinvention, a dash of chaos, and a whole lot of flair — nothing does.
A Night with the Villains returns to the Ron Hurley Theatre this Halloween season with new villains, new mayhem, and all the costume magic you could wish for. Because when it comes to dressing the damned, Jackie has it stitched up — quite literally.
WHAT: A Night with the Villains
WHEN: 30 October–2 November 2025
WHERE: Ron Hurley Theatre, Seven Hills Hub, 28 Tallowwood St, Seven Hills QLD 4170
TICKETS: Get your tickets to A Night with the Villains here.
In her spare time, she likes long walks down the makeup aisle and performing in Brisbane theatre. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and TikTok @thebeautypalate.
