FIRST-NIGHT nerves at the Hot Ice Show's diamond jubilee year will not only be felt by the performers.

Wardrobe manager Sue Nutbeam is also making her debut and will be anxiously waiting to see if her costumes are a success.

Not only is 1997 Sue's first year working on the wardrobe for Hot Ice, but it is the first show she has ever done, after recently moving out of working in woollen goods. Sue said: "I am learning every day with help from Amanda Thompson, who is directing and choreographing the show."

This year's Hot Ice show is expected to be the biggest and most flamboyant yet and will include 375 costumes to be planned and stitched by Sue.

She said: "It's really quite daunting and just one costume can take anywhere from a single afternoon to three months to prepare. We will be using materials specially imported from all over the world which will be dyed to specific colours and we need 240 yards of feather boa for each of 15 numbers."

Sue said more than 75,000 crystal and mirror stones will be used to decorate headdresses, jewellery and hats for the show and 5,000 sequins will be stitched on to costumes.

Pearls, flowers, beads, pheasant tails and chinchilla feathers have also been shipped in to Blackpool to make sure each of the ice dance stars looks fabulous for the show.

Sue said: "I am terribly excited about the Hot Ice 1997 and have been working very long hours to ensure that the show goes on."

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