SOUTH PACIFIC
Costume Plot
Musical Play by: Rodgers & Hammerstein
Book by: Hammerstein & Logan
Time: World War II
Place: An Island in the South Pacific
This costume outline is merely a suggestion. You may select only those costumes you feel
you need, request additional changes, or suggest completely different ensembles. Actor
size and inventory fluctuation may cause us to vary slightly from the descriptions below.
ACT ONE, SCENE I – EMILE DE BECQUE’S PLANTATION:
Nellie: Suntan uniform, cap and bag
Emile De Becque: White tropical suit
Ngana: Sarong and sandals
Jerome: Sarong and sandals
Henry: Houseman’s jacket and pants
ACT ONE, SCENE 2: CAMP ON THE BEACH
Bloody Mary: Dark trousers, white mandarin blouse, marine tunic
Chorus: Assorted off-duty clothes, fatigues, T-shirts, etc.
Mary’s Assistant: Similar costume
ACT ONE, SCENE 3 – PALM GROVE NEAR BEACH
Bloody Mary: Repeat trousers and blouse
Stewpot: GI fatigues, T-shirt, sailor hat
Nellie: Shorts, straw hat, blue fatigue shirt (with FORBUSH stenciled on back), halter under shirt
Luther Bills: Seabee fatigues, old and faded sailor hat
Professor: GI fatigues and hat
Chorus: Repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 2
Lt. Joseph Cable: Marine Corps suntan uniform, overseas cap, and mussett bag
Sailor: White pants and blouse
Capt. George Brackett : USN suntan uniform, overseas cap
Commander Harbison : USN suntan uniform, overseas cap
ACT ONE, SCENE 4 – COMPANY STREET
Nurses: White uniforms, white hose, white shoes and caps (usually 2 girls in this scene)
Sailor: White uniform complete and white hat
Seabee: Blue fatigues and hat
Polynesian Natives: Sarongs
Billis: Blue fatigues and white cap
Stewpot: Blue fatigues and white cap
Professor: Blue fatigues and white cap
Lt. Cable: Repeat Khakis
ACT ONE, SCENE 5 – ISLAND COMMANDERS OFFICE:
Nellie: Repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 3 play clothes
Capt. Brackett: Repeat Khakis
Lt. Cable: Repeat Khakis
Commander Harbison: Repeat Khakis
Yoeman: White pants and blouse, cap
ACT ONE, SCENE 6 – COMPANY STREET:
Nellie: Repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 3
Nurse (Bessie): Bathing costume covered by fatigue jacket
Natives: Repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 4 sarongs
GIs: Repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 4 fatigues
Lt. Cable: Repeat Khakis
ACT ONE, SCENE 7 – BEACH:
Chorus: Repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 3 play clothes
Billis: Repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 3 fatigues
Nellie: Shorts, halter, shirt, and wrap around towel – should have bath cap with cotton for
“Shampoo”
Seabees: Repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 2
Emile: Shirt, cotton khaki breeches, Panama hat and jodpher boots
ACT ONE, SCENE 8 – STREET TRANSITION – ALL REPEAT:
ACT ONE, SCENE 9 – BRACKETT’S OFFICE:
Capt. Brackett: Repeat Khakis
Emile: Slacks and Shirt
Lt. Cable: Repeat Khaki uniform
Yoeman: Repeat white uniform
ACT ONE, SCENE 10 – BALI HAI
Bloody Mary: Repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 2 pants and blouse
Nuns: Nun’s habit complete (usually 2 girls used for this scene)
Natives: Sarongs
Chorus: Short summer dresses
Lt. Cable: Repeat Khaki uniform
Natives: Repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 4 sarongs
Billis: Repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 4 fatigues
ACT ONE, SCENE 11 – MARY’S HUT:
Bloody Mary: Repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 9
Liat: Dark pants, mandarin blouse
Lt. Cable: Repeat Khakis
ACT ONE, SCENE 12 – BALI HAI – All repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 10
ACT ONE, SCENE 13 – EMILE’S TERRACE:
Nellie: Summer evening gown, adds nurse cap
Ngana: Nightgown
Henri: Repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 1 pants and coat
Servant: Similar to Henri, with white coat
Emile: Summer dinner jacket and black dress pants
Jerome: Night shirt
Note: Voices heard off stage may or may not appear. If they do, they are dressed in evening attire
ACT TWO, SCENE 1 – STAGE:
Nellie: Denim “Comic Strip” costume hat and arm band
Chorus: Similar “Comic Strip” costumes, hats and arm bands
Stewpot: “Comic Strip” vest, blue jeans, collars, cuffs, high hat
Comic Weight Lifter: Khaki army shorts, khaki army blanket, leggings, and wreath of leaves headpiece
ACT TWO, SCENE 2 – BACKSTAGE:
Liat: Repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 10 pants and blouse
Mary: Repeat pants and blouse
Seabee: Repeat blue uniform
Billis: Comic costume – take-off on uniform
Emil: Summer suit
Lt. Cable: Repeat uniform
Professor: Repeat fatigues
Marine: Khaki uniform
ACT TWO, SCENE 3 – STAGE:
Girls: Can repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 1 OR BE IN “finale” costumes
Nellie: Over sized white sailor suit – extra long black tie, sailor hat
Chorus: “Finale” costumes of green mosquito net dresses, green bras and trunks, flower trimmed and flower hats
Brackett: Repeat Khakis
Sailor: Repeat white uniform
Comm. Harbison: Repeat Khakis
Billis: Colored knee pants trimmed with lace. Two large coconuts tied over chest with rope. Green mosquito netting skirt trimmed with flowers
Chorus: U.S.N. Officers Khakis with Overseas caps
ACT TWO, SCENE 4 – BACKSTAGE:
Nellie: Repeat ACT TWO, SCENE 3 uniform
Chorus: Repeat ACT TWO, SCENE 3
Billis: Repeat ACT TWO, SCENE 3 costume
Cable: Repeat Khakis
Emile: Repeat ACT TWO, SCENE 2 suit
ACT TWO, SCENE 5 – TRANSITION:
Aircraft Mechanics: Fatigues
ACT TWO, SCENE 6 – RADIO ROOM:
Capt. Brackett: Repeat Khakis
Enlisted Man: Uniform
Comm. Harbison: Repeat Khakis
Billis: Fatigue pants and dirty T-shirt
Lt. Buzz Adams: Air Force khakis, baseball cap with navy insignia
Operations Officer: Uniform
Navy Pilot: Fatigues
ACT TWO, SCENE 7 – TRANSITION:
Officer: Uniform
ACT TWO, SCENE 8 – RADIO SHACK:
Nellie: White nurse’s uniform, shoes, stockings, cap.
All men repeat ACT TWO, SCENE 7
ACT TWO, SCENE 9 – STREET:
Nellie: Repeat white uniform
Chorus: Khakis and overseas caps
Officers: Khakis and overseas caps
ACT TWO, SCENE 10 – THE BEACH:
Liat: Repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 10
Nellie: Repeat white uniform
Mary: Repeat pants and blouse
ACT TWO, SCENE 11 – COMPANY STREET:
Nurses: Mixture of white uniforms, shoes, white hose, white caps, and combat fatigues
Stewpot: Repeat blue fatigues with field pack, canteen and machete (props)
Billis: Similar to Stewpot
Professor: Ditto
Officer: Combat uniform
Marine: Combat uniform
Capt. Brackett: Repeat khakis
Comm. Harbison: Repeat Khakis
ACT TWO, SCENE 12 – EMILE’s TERRACE:
Ngana: Repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 1 sarong
Nellie: Repeat ACT ONE, SCENE 1 khakis
Jerome: White sailor hat, sarong and T-shirt with Navy insignia (officer) on left shoulder
Emile: Camouflage pants, Iike jacket, and steel helmet and liner with fishnet paratrooper boots, pistol belt and holder, musette bag
NOTE: FOOTWEAR, PROPS AND HOSIERY NOT INCLUDED UNLESS PREVIOUSLY
AGREED UPON