Morrison, who will reprise her role of Lucy when the show comes to Melbourne this month, studied opera in Brisbane before moving to Ballarat to study music theatre at 19.

The Queensland Theatre Production debuted in Brisbane in 2015 with 20 original tracks by Finn and Priscilla Queen of the Desert’s Simon Philips as director.

“When I finished high school there wasn’t much around and I kind of got ushered into studying classical voice and it didn’t sit right,” Morrison said.

“Seventeen is incredibly young to study opera and it was a square peg round hole. 

“Moving from Brisbane to Ballarat was a big move, I was 19 and you just grow up so much when you move away from home, I couldn’t have picked a more beautiful backdrop to do that in.”

Ladies in Black is set in 1950s Sydney at department store F. G. Goodes.

As a cub sales assistant on the dress shop floor, Morrison is under the tutelage of European refugee and manager Magda (here, the title song: “Ladies in black, it’s not coming back, because it never went away”), and an all-ages, all-sizes chorus of seasoned saleswomen. 

“I’ll never forget my first day of rehearsals, there certainly were parallels between what Lisa goes through on her first day at work and meeting all these older women.

“I think moreso now than ever it’s really important to have these role models up on stage because when you do go to a musical the quintessential line up is you’ve got your chorus girls and they’re beautiful but I think this chorus of ours celebrates a different kind of chorus, different shapes, different sizes, however we come packaged.”

Fitting back into her frock less than two years after the show’s debut, Morrison – whose rising star was once parallel to that of starry-eyed Lucy – felt like “a  bit of a fraud”.

Morrison’s star is no longer rising but fully realised. The Queensland-born performer has gone on to play Sally in Vass Productions’ You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and has also had roles in Ballarat-set murder mystery The Doctor Blake Mysteries and Hansel and Gretel and La Bohème with Opera Queensland. 

“Trying on my costumes a couple of months ago you kind of feel that change between when you’re a girl and when you’re a woman,” Morrison said.

“It was really interesting coming back and I felt a little bit like a fraud playing a 17-year-old and if anything I was able to turn it into a confidence and getting even further into these moments I hadn't quite hit last time.

“It’s rare enough to originate a role, it’s even rarer to return to that role with a bit more experience and enrich that even more.”

Ladies in Black returns to Melbourne for an encore season from February 25 to March 18 at the Regent Theatre. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster on 1300 111 011 or visit ticketmaster.com.au.