Costumes worn by acting royalty are going on display in Manchester
Selina Cartmell, Artistic Director and Co-CEO of the Royal Exchange Theatre, and Leslie Travers, the curator the exhibition Mythic Reinvention (Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
Costumes worn by acting royalty including Dame Helen Mirren, Don Warrington, Sir Tom Courtenay and Maxine Peake are going on display at the Royal Exchange Theatre as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations.
Opening to the public on September 16, Mythic Reinvention celebrates ‘50 years of costume of craft’ and showcases pieces from productions spanning the theatre’s history, including its first ever play, The Rivals, performed in 1976, as well as productions as recent as this year.
The items are displayed around the venue’s Victorian Great Hall, with visitors able to get up close to the costumes and admire them from all angles – as they would if they were worn by actors performing in the site’s theatre-in-the-round. The exhibition is free to visit and will run until November 15.
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Launched as part of the theatre’s birthday celebrations, Mythic Reinvention takes a deep dive into its costume archives, taking viewers on a journey through classic Shakespeare plays to contemporary stage tales. Among the items on display are outfits from three separate productions of King Lear, from 1999, 2016 and 2026 respectively, the latter of which is still in development for the upcoming production.
At the other end of the spectrum are t-shirt and joggers, worn by Rhian Blundell in 2022’s Let The Right One In. The costume was squirted with fake blood live on stage via narrow tubes pinned to the actor’s hair, the stains still visible, while the costume itself was inspired by 80s references, including the hit TV show Stranger Things.
Mythic Reinvention is curated by international award-winning designer Leslie Travers, who saw his first play at the Royal Exchange Theatre when he was 11, an experience which inspired his career as a set and costume designer. It was his job to sift through the incredible 25,000 costumes held in the theatre’s archive.
“The amount of costumes is enormous, so the selection process was one of distillation. I spent time looking through the archive, both pictorially and at the actual costumes themselves,” Leslie told the Manchester Evening News.
“It’s been a real process of distilling it down to a small number of costumes, but each one tells us such a big story. They’re beautiful sculptural objects.
“My favourite changes every day, and I allow myself to do that because I’ve had the privilege of spending so much time with them. The costume I love at the moment is from Volpone, it’s a beautifully tailored gown made from velvet that’s ombre dyed from red to this almost deep purple.”
Reflecting the unique space of the Royal Exchange Theatre, several of the costumes are positioned up high, while some are situated on the industrial beams of the module. A bloodied leather tunic pierced with numerous arrows from the 1999 production of Dreaming sits atop a tall post, while a flowing floral 1970s gown from the 2025 production of Abigail’s Party, worn by Kym Marsh, looks down from a beam.
Other costumes on display include a wooden bodice complete with a twig skirt from the 2012 production of Rats Tales, worn by Katherine Manners; an unassuming puffer coat and cargo pants worn by Julie Hesmondhalgh in the 2019 production of Mother Courage and Her Children; and a gown adorned with flowers, made for Maxine Peak’s Fairy Queen in the 2015 production of The Striker.
As well as the costumes themselves, the exhibition also celebrates the creators behind them. A reimagined workshop to the rear of the Great Hall gives viewers an insight in the craftsmanship that goes into the productions.
It features books on costume design, mannequins and recordings from designers, all surrounded by neutral-coloured garments, allowing viewers to appreciate the detail that goes into the clothes. Further along, a recreation of an actor’s dressing room shows how the characters come to life through costume, wigs and accessories.
Viewers are also invited to watch a short film which features interviews with designers discussing the process of creating the costumes, from initial ideas to bringing them to life. It includes an interview with the show’s curator Leslie.
Explaining the importance of including different aspects in the exhibition such as the workshop and dressing room, Leslie said: “We wanted to make the exhibition as dynamic and exciting as possible. This space is already exciting and we wanted to find different ways to display the costumes.
“We’ve even got figures that stand on the module. It’s been really wonderful to bring these costumes, which were made for this space, back into the building and it gives you the atmosphere of the person who wore them.
“The workroom is central to making costumes, because that’s where all the work is done – all the technical work, the cutting out, the sewing, the dying – it’s all done in that corridor upstairs. But the dressing room is also a very important part for the costume process, because that’s where each actor gets dressed, wig goes on, and the makeup is put on, and the shoes. It’s not a real dressing room, but it’s very playfully done and has the essence of how the space is. So it was important to include it.”
Mythic Reinvention is part of the Royal Exchange Theatre’s 50 year anniversary programme, entitled A Homecoming, which included talks held over the weekend. Artistic Director and Co-CEO, Selina Cartmell said: “Nearly 50 years ago the Royal Exchange Theatre set out to become a beacon of world class artistic excellence rooted in Manchester. As we celebrate this milestone in our history, we are beyond proud to be offering an anniversary in the image of this extraordinary space: bold, radical and new.
“The costume exhibition hosted in our unique space and the accompanying series of conversations on the Royal Exchange’s storytelling mission and remarkable history will give audiences a never seen before look into what makes the Royal Exchange such a special place and will be a chance to celebrate every individual who has helped create and shape this beloved theatre as we look to our future”.
Dates and times
As the exhibition is held at the theatre, opening hours can vary due to performances and events taking place, so check the theatre’s website before planning your visit.
From September 16 to September 30
- Wednesday: 12pm–8pm
- Thursday & Friday: 12pm–5pm
- Saturday & Sunday: 11am–5pm
From September 21 – September 27
As the Royal Exchange Theatre prepares its stage for KING LEAR, some areas of the exhibition will be temporarily closed during this week. The venue will still be open as usual, Tuesday to Sunday, from 12pm to 5pm. Audiences can explore the sections of the exhibition that remain open and visit The Rivals, the theatre’s bar and restaurant.
From September 28 – November 15
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 12pm–6pm
- Wednesday: 12pm–5pm
- Thursday: 12pm–6pm
- Friday: 12pm–6pm
- Saturday: 11am–6pm
- Sunday: 11am–5pm
On matinee days – Wednesdays and Sundays – the exhibition will be open at the following times:
- Wednesday October 14, October 28, November 4, November 11: 12pm onwards (KING LEAR ticket holders only); 5.30pm–8pm (open to all)
- Sunday October 18, October 25, November 1, November 8, November 15: 11am–2pm (open to all); 2pm–5pm (KING LEAR ticket holders only)
Royal Exchange Theatre ,St Ann’s Square, Manchester, M2 7DH
