A van containing vintage costumes being used for the Royal Exchange Theatre's Christmas show has been stolen.
The transit van, which is used for transporting props and costumes from the theatre's stores, was taken from the car park of the Lancashire Fold Pub, in Alkrington, Middleton, this morning.
It contained 12 laundry bags filled with handmade clothes dating back to the 1930s and 40s, including wool coats, dresses, blouses, skirts, kimonos and silk dressing gowns.
There were also old cinema chairs inside the vehicle.
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The theatre is planning to use the costumes and props for upcoming festive show Gypsy, which is being performed at the theatre from November 30 to January 25 next year.
Royal Exchange staff say the costumes are irreplaceable and have taken years to collect.
The theatre has gained a reputation for producing theatrically extravagant musicals over the Christmas period, with recent shows The Producers and Guys and Dolls earning rave reviews.
Wardrobe staff have been working for several months selecting garments from the theatre's costume store, many of which have been handmade.
The stolen van is a white Mercedes Long Wheel Sprinter Van with the registration DE62 JLV.
A Royal Exchange parking permit and a laminated sign saying 'Cap Lock Fitted' were displayed in the window.
It is believed to have been taken from between 3am and 7am on Thursday, October 17.
The theatre’s head of wardrobe, Nicola Meredith, said: "We are devastated. These bags of clothes may not look like much to the people who have taken the van but they are unique items which have taken years to collect.
"Not only are they an important part of our costume store but my team has spent months researching and selecting the correct dresses, coats and so on for our production of Gypsy.
"We pride ourselves on the care we take of the clothes, our attention to detail and the fact that we use and reuse our costumes over and over again. Each one has many memories and many of the pieces of clothing will have been handmade by our team here - they really are irreplaceable.’
Simon Curtis, head of production, said: "We’re hopeful that these items will turn up and we are appealing to anyone who might have seen the van or have seen the chequered laundry bags to get in touch with the police.
"The financial value of these items is negligible but for us they are very precious costumes which we would love to get back."
Greater Manchester Police have been contacted by the M.E.N for a comment.
Anyone with further information can contact GMP on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
