Te Puke singer Marama Rice features in Tarnished Frocks documentary

Marama Rice, left, with Bridget McKinley at the premire of the Frocks and Divas documentary.

A feature documentary about Tarnished Frocks and Divas really captures the essence of the show.

Te Puke singer Moone — aka Marama Rice — was one of the performers the last time the variety show featuring local women over 40 took place, in 2019.

The Frocks and Divas documentary, recently premiered at Tauranga's Rialto Cinema, follows the 2019 show from the audition stages through rehearsals and on to show time.

"[The premiere] was fantastic — it was quite exciting seeing all the other divas seeing themselves and seeing each other and it was a lot of laughs," says Marama. "And what an awesome movie."

She says the documentary has captured the feeling of the event and the real essence of what it is all about — "women who are 40 plus who have had the experience of being a dancer or whatever when they were kids and who have come full circle."

Marama has released a series of singles in recent years, and earlier this year received national airplay and exposure for her song Rockstar Mum.

She says once kids have left home there is more time to "really care for yourself or think about the things that you want to do".

Marama remembers the filming.

"There were cameras there pretty much the entire time and there are a couple of moments where I'm there [in the film] which is pretty exciting. It makes you feel like a bit of a star, and then you see your name rolling down on the credits and you go 'that's super cool man'."

Te Puke singer Marama Rice, aka Moone, on stage at the last Tarnished Frocks and Divas Show.

Organisers hope the biennial show will be back on the calendar next year and Marama says she would jump at the chance to be involved again.

"They are like my tribe. It's just an amazing experience and I would definitely be part of it if they want me.

"It's such an opportunity and to be around the likes of Jackie Clarke and Annie Crummer who are there pretty much every year is amazing. Jackie Clarke has been there since day dot and she's just a powerhouse that chick — she's awesome."

Marama had not seen any of the footage before the premiere.

Tarnished Frocks and Divas was started in 2005 by a group of women who had lost a close friend and has become a cultural institution in Tauranga.

The documentary was directed by married couple Sass and Paul Innes who moved to Tauranga from Melbourne in 2013 and wanted to be involved in the creative scene.

They approached Creative Tauranga and asked what was on, and were told about the show.

"We really got to know the [show creators] and the women involved with it," said Sass, "and we just felt like it was a story that should be told."

Sass described the documentary as "a really feel-good, uplifting story about women and how beautiful they can be".

Paul said he was impressed by "the camaraderie" of the crew and cast "and how the women all banded together".

Anne Pankhurst, chairwoman of the Tarnished Frocks and Divas Trust and an executive producer of the documentary, said watching it "makes [her] cry every time".

"It's just a lovely, lovely way of telling our story and showing ... [the] huge amount that goes on behind [the scenes]."