RSC exhibition featuring costumes worn by David Tennant and Dame Judi Dench
- Published
The In Stitches exhibition at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, in Stratford-upon-Avon, is part of an annual festival celebrating the playwright's birth. It features 35 costumes worn by the likes of Dame Judi Dench, Sir Derek Jacobi, and Sir Ian McKellen. This costume was worn by David Tennant in As You Like It in 1996.
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) Collection and Costume Store has more than 30,000 items. The costumes in this exhibition are from the RSC archive collection and showcase items from the past 60 years. The archive is stored in a controlled environment, to help protect the costumes.
All of the hand-crafted costumes were made in Stratford-upon-Avon, including this one from The Winter's Tale, which was worn by Sir Antony Sher in 1999. The oldest piece on display was worn by Dame Peggy Ashcroft in As You Like It in 1957.
This Ophelia costume was worn by Glenda Jackson in a 1965 production of Hamlet. Alistair McArthur, RSC head of costume, said: "All of our costumes are made exceptionally well as they can be on stage day after day for well over 100 performances."
Mr McArthur said: "The skill and expertise that goes into making them is extraordinary and it’s wonderful that we can share these skills through In Stitches." He added that "industrial strength magnets" are used for quick changes.
As part of the In Stitches exhibition, Into the Wild in the PACCAR Room will look at how costume designers responded to themes of nature in Shakespeare's work. This part of the exhibition will be open from 20 April until September.
This dress, part of the Into the Wild exhibition, was worn by Dame Judi Dench in a 1976 production of The Comedy of Errors and incorporates a butterfly motif.
.jpg.webp)
This photo of The Comedy of Errors, with Dame Judi as Adriana in 1976, clearly shows the butterfly dress that is part of the exhibition.
.jpg.webp)
From 4 May, a further part of the In Stitches exhibition, called Costume Craft, will follow the process of making costumes and maintaining them. Alistair McArthur, RSC head of costume, said: "That basic belief in making things well and durable has stayed with us.”
.jpg.webp)
Mr McArthur said that fabrics are a now a lot lighter, but that a lot of techniques "haven't changed at all." He also said that the costumes have to be made "incredibly strong" to withstand many performances and costumes changes.
- Published11 February 2011
- Published15 January 2011