An army uniform worn by Ralph Fiennes, robes worn by Sophie Okonedo and an extravagant showgirl headdress feature in a new free exhibition at the National Theatre.
Costume at the National Theatre – running until March next year – showcases a selection of garments from the theatre’s 70,000-strong collection. Clothes from productions of Antony and Cleopatra, Follies, War Horse and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom are among those on display.
The exhibition steps behind the scenes and draws on interviews with the National Theatre's 46-strong in-house team to reveal the skill and time that go into creating these theatrical garbs. It follows the process from design and construction, through alterations, all the way to dressing, repairs and laundering.
Curator Aoife Monks says: “Costume is one of the first things we see on stage, telling us immediately about the world of the show we are about to watch. Despite this, we often overlook it, thinking more about the character wearing their fictional clothes than the actor in their costumes. However, even the most ordinary costumes take extraordinary amounts of work.”
Tom Paris, who designed the display, adds: “I hope the exhibition will shed light on the often unseen attention to detail and sheer dedication that goes into each and every costume that steps out onto the stage.”
A series of events run alongside the exhibition, including talks and exhibition tours and a book of the same name will be published.
Costume at the National Theatre runs until March 2020, nationaltheatre.org.uk.
