RSC Costume Sale Sells Shirts Off Stars’ Backs???

It’s not just on Oxford Street where the January sales are in full swing, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Costume Store — which normally hires out the company’s costumes after they have been used in productions — is holding a costume sale on 12 February at RSC’s rehearsal rooms in Stratford-upon-Avon where 10,000 items of costume will be for sale. Within that number, the RSC are said to be flogging over 1,000 pairs of shoes, 500 shirts, 300 hats, military uniforms, cloaks, clerical outfits – including nuns and priests, jewellery and chain-mail. If you are looking for that perfect period costume, or perhaps are just thinking very hard about a Halloween early this year, never fear – the items cover a wide range including retro, vintage, Early English, Elizabethan and twentieth century.

As the majority of the items are in the store following use in RSC productions, a number have also been worn by big-name RSC company members. Why not pop down to the sale and pick up a soldiers tabard and chain-mail from the RSC’s 1984 production of Henry V starring Kenneth Branagh which was later seen in Mel Gibson’s film Braveheart? Perhaps a light blue 18th century waistcoat worn by Charles Dance in As You Like It or a wine velvet regency cutaway coat worn by Ben Kingsley will take your fancy? Also on sale are a selection of shirts worn by Ian McKellen in The Seagull and his over-robe from King Lear. Although sure all items will have been thoroughly washed before being offered to the public, perhaps you might be interested in the “numerous items” the RSC are now looking to part with worn by David Tennant including his understudy costume from the 2008 production of Love’s Labour’s Lost? The RSC costume store, which holds 40,000 items, held its last sale back in 2007. The company hope this sale will free up space, create better storage conditions and, of course, make room for new additions to the store.