When John King dons his Cecil the Ram costume and walks on stage in Footrot Flats, people start laughing before he even opens his mouth.
When cartoon characters are brought to life, certain parts are accentuated - and Cecil the Ram's parts are certainly larger than life.
When asked how he felt
about taking on such a big job, John summed it up in just one word: "exploited".
Cecil the Ram is just one of Murray Ball's beloved cartoon characters to star in Waihi Drama Society's production, opening at the Boyd Road Theatre this Friday and running until August 14.
Wardrobe maestro Val Ferguson says having the costumes shipped up from the South Island presented her with some challenges.
"Without giving too much away, there are dangly bits and sticky-out bits, and these suffer from a lot of wear and tear.
"So it's a bit of a mission bringing the costumes up to scratch."
Val has also been busy crafting dags and piglets and fitting feet for Dog, Jess, Prince Charles, and Horse.
"If the audience laughs even half as much as we do, they'll have a great night out," she says.
