Royal Shakespeare Company
Stratford Theater

Julius Ceasar

From Julius Caesar, 2009 production
Character: Julius Caesar
Designer: Fotini Dimou
“This is one of two costumes made and broken down to represent the ghost of Caesar. The stab wounds and blood, added by the RSC Dye Team, had to be identical on both costumes.”

The Merry Wives of Windsor (20??)

Octavius

From Antony and Cleopatra, 2006 production.
Character: Octavius (John Hopkins)
Designer: Kandis Cook
“This armor was made from ABS plastic, which is vacuum formed over moulds. It was then covered with dark blue leather and trimmed with gold kid. The drape is made of silk marocain dyed to match.”

Mark Anthony

From Julius Ceasar (2009) production.
Mark Anthony (Sam Troughton)
Designer: Pocini Dimou????
“The original costume, which got covered in stage blood during the performance, did not survive intensive washing. (The RSC costumers) remade this version in polyester which does not absorb the dye contained in the stage blood. Although practical, polyester is not ideal for stage costume as it does not breathe as well under stage lighting as natural fibers.”

Doublet ???

The Winters Tale (19??)
Flame Cape???

Henry, Prince of Wales

From Written on the Heart (2012) production.
Henry, Prince of Wales (Sam Marks)
Designer: Francis O'Connor

“These puff breaches have a lot of structure support to retain the correct shape. The rich beaded brocade fabric was sourced from Germany.”

The Princess Lucy

From The Orphan of Zhao (2012) production.
The Princess Lucy (? Owen)
Designer: ??

“This producion was set in imperial China. The silk brocade was sourced from Italy and the headress was made with components purchased from China.”

Fairy

From A Midsummer Night's Dream (2005) production.
Fairy (Alice Barclay)
Designer: Stephen Brimson Lewis

“The bodice of this dress is overlaid with vintage kid leather evening gloves. Each glove has been cut in half and sewn into position by hand.”

Estelle

From Great Expectations (2009) production.
Estelle (Neve Macintosh)
Designer: Estelle (Neve Macintosh)

“This costume is mad from tartan silk, mounted on silk organza, which adds support to the frills. A three tiered and frilled petticoat, worn underneath, helps to create the period shape.”

Volpone

Tweet from designer?

Eva Maria Garrick

From Jubalee (2001) production.
Eva Maria Garrick (Kelly Hunter)
Designer: Robert Jones

“This costume is inspired by 18th century dresses. The huge skirt is supported by a steel framed pannier underneath.”

Polina

From The Seagull (2007) production.
Polina (Melanie Jessop)
Designer: Christopher Oram

“This Edwardian blouse and skirt are made from linen, The delicate organza collar is detachable so it can be laundered separately.”

Mr. Plenty

From The City Madam (2011) production.
Mr. Plenty (Felix Hayes)
Designer: Tom Piper

“This costume features over twenty five metres of hand made silk binding. The main fabric is cream corduroy.”

Red Knight ??

From Morte D'Arthur (2010) production.
Red Knight ?? (??)
Designer: Katrina Lindsay

“Red Armour and Sword with athletic shoes”

More on Production

Morgana

From Morte D'Arthur (2010) production.
Morgana (Debbie Korley)
Designer: Katrina Lindsay

“The costumes for this production were based on medieval designs. This lycra fabric, although stunning on stage, was very difficult to work with as the material stretches during the sewing.”

More on Production

Zhao Dun
From The Orphan of Zhao (2012) production.
Zhao Dun (??)
Designer: Niki Turner
“This robe is made from duchesse satin, and is a much more complex garment than it looks. It had to be maintained very carefully as too much steaming would pucker the seams. The trim was sourced from China to accurately recreate the Imperial image.Helen noted that the seams around the neck (and possibly elsewhere are painstakingly hand-sewn.”

Gold King
From Arabian Nights (2009) production.
Gold King (Kevork Malikyan)
Designer: Georgia McGuiness

“This heavily sequinned, Indian inspired fabric was actully sourced from Germany. In the production there was an identical robe in silver.”

??
From Henry V (2007) production.
??(??)
Designer: Tom Piper
“Tom Piper and E?? Williams collaborated in designing the costumes for this production. Tim Piper designed the costumes for the French characters including this dress made from embroidered blue silk jacquard.”

Sir Andrew Aguecheek

From Twelfth Night (2009) production.
Sir Andrew Aguecheek (James Fleet)
Designer: Christine Rowland??

“Costume on Sale”

The Vicereine

From The Heresy of Love (2012) production.
The Vicereine (Catherine Hamlton)
Designer: Katrina Lindsay

“This costume is made of rich red velvet sourced from an Italian furnishing fabric supplier. The skirt is supported by a huge steel framed crinoline. The silver organza ruff and coffs are detatchable for cleaning during the production's run.”

Richard II

From Richard II (2007) production.
Richard II (Jonathen Slinger)
Designer: Tom Piper

“This entire robe is covered with brass studs each one applied individually by hand. The sleeves are made from pig suede”

King James

From Speaking Like Magpies (2005) production.
King James (William Houston)
Designer: Matthew Wright

“This doublet and breeches are made from duchesse silk satin. There is machine emproidery on the doublet front although the stamping and slashing was done by hand.”

Titania

From A Midsummer Nights Dream
(2006 revival) production.
Titania (Andrea Harris)
Designer: Francis O'Connor

“This costume was redesigned for the 2006 revival of Gregory Doran's reginal 2005 production. Costumes may be redesigned for different actors. Although this dress is very different to the original, it still fits with the original concept.”

Robin Wintour

From Speaking like Magpies (2005) production.
Robin Wintour (Matt Ryan)
Designer: Matthew Wright

“The doublet and breeches of this costume are made from green suede. The leather was slashed by hand to reveal the red fabric undeneath.”

Tybalt

From Romeo and Juliet (2004) production.
Tybalt (Tam Mutu)
Designer: Derdre Clancy

“To give a modern twist to this doublet, the designer combined the traditional Italian Renaissance shapes with the cut of a modern biker leather jacket.”

Ladies Costumes

“Group of Ladies Costumes.”

Purdita

From The Winter's Tale (2006) production.
Purdita (Michelle Terity)
Designer: Mike Britton

“This dress is made from silk georgette, which is slightly heavier than chiffon. The floral motifs have been hand-painted by the RSC Dye Team.”

Martha

From Love In a Wood (2001) production.
Martha (Anna Madeley)
Designer: Sue Wilmington

“This dress is made of many different silks. The long front bodice is boned to help create the correct shape.”

Olivia

From Twelfth Night (2009) production.
Olivia (Alexandra Gilbreath)
Designer: Robert Jones

“This costume is a Regency peignoir, a woman's lingerie robe. The fabric is machine printed muslin.”

Desdemona

From Othelo (1999) production.
Desdemona (Zoe Waited)
Designer: Robert Jones

“This elaborate Edwardian dress is made from purple silk and draped with beaded chiffon.”

Soldier

From Sejanus His Fall (2005) production.
Soldier (Jonjo O'Nell)
Designer: Robert Jones

“The body armour and sholder plates are made of metal fastened with leather straps. The armour has been distressed to appear battel worn.”

??

From Love Labours Lost (??) production.
?? (??)
Designer: ??

“??”

Juliet

From Romeo and Juliet (2000) production.
Juliet (Alexandra Gilbreath)
Designer: Tom Piper

“A minimalist modern set was combined with 16th century costumes for Michael Boyde's production. For this costume, designer Tom Piper dres on Renaissance art and design, inspired by imagery of the Goddess Flora and festive courtly entertainment.
(Continued)

Juliet

From Romeo and Juliet (2000) production.
Juliet (Alexandra Gilbreath)
Designer: Tom Piper

(Continued) "Juliet's dress was for the party scene so I wanted there to be and element of fantasy combined with apparent innocence. I used the Primavera painting and the masque designs of Inigo Jones as inspiration.”

??

From The Comedy of Errors (1976??) production.
?? (??)
Designer: ??

“??”

Roseline

From Love's Labour's Lost (2008?) production.
Roseline (??)
Designer: Katrina? Lindsay

(Continued) "The comic floral language of "Love's Labour' Lost" came to life in Gregory Doran's production with song, dance and visual gags. Katrina? Lindsay designed Elizabethan period cosumes with rich fabrics and a modern twist.”

??

From As You Like It (2000) production.
??? (??)
Designer: ??

“??”

??

From As You Like It (19??) production.
??? (??)
Designer: ??

“??”

??

From As You Like It (19??) production.
??? (??)
Designer: ??

“??”

??

From As You Like It (??) production.
??? (??)
Designer: ??

“??”

??

From As You Like It (??) production.
??? (??)
Designer: ??

“??”

??

From As You Like It (??) production.
??? (??)
Designer: ??

“??”

??

From ??(??) production.
??? (??)
Designer: ??

“??”

King Lear

From King Lear (1933??) production.
King Lear (??)
Designer: ??

“??”

Hamlet

From Hamlet (1958) production.
Hamlet (Michael Redgrave)
Designer: Motley

The complexity of human nature is central to Hamlet. The play presents revenge, incest and amoral corruption. The character Hamlet dispays madness which appears both genuine and feigned. This ambiguity over his mental state adds to the plays atmosphere of uncertainty and doubt.

(Continued)

Hamlet (cont)

From Hamlet (1992) production.

From Hamlet (??) production.

From Hamlet (2004??) production.

Ophelia

From Hamlet (1965) production.
Ophelia (Glenda Jackson)
Designer: Peter Hall

Ophelia

From Hamlet (2004) production.
Ophelia (Meg Fraser)
Designer: Tom Piper

Michael Boyd created a tense and impressive Jacobean world. His production was set in a puritanical protestant town. Rules made proople go mad and the undoing of an item of clothin in public was an act of insanity.

(continued)

Ophelia
(continued)

Ophelia's pale silver garments marked her as part of the Polonius family and shone out, almost innocently, amongst the darkness around her. Meg Fraser's Ophelia mimicked her authoritarian father in the "mad" scenes, an echo back to his control over her and a hopeless attempt to keep him alive after death.

??

From Cymbeline (1974) production.
??? (??)
Designer: John Napier, Sue Jenkinson and Martyn Bainbridge

“??”

Queen

From Cymbeline (1974) production.
Queen (Sheila Allen)
Designer: John Napier, Sue Jenkinson and Martyn Bainbridge

“This production featured a fantastical array of fairytale costumes. The Queen's costume has spectacular rainbow colours and is completed with a lavish feather headpiece. Her evil power and strength is suggested by the rigid armour-like sleeve.”

??

From Cymbeline (??) production.
??? (??)
Designer: ??

“??”

Countess of Rossillion

From All's Well That Ends Well (1981) production.
Countess of Rossillion (Peggy Ashcroft)
Designer: Lindy Hemming

“Trevor Nunn staged his production in and Edwardian England. Peggy Ashcroft played the widow Countess of Rossillion, a strong maternal character who embodies the convention and morals in the play. She wore a skirt and high neck blouse, typical of the elegant silhouette fashionable at the time.”

Countess of Rossillion??

From All's Well That Ends Well (1959??) production.
Countess of Rossillion?? (??)
Designer: ??

“??”

Countess of Rossillion

From All's Well That Ends Well (2003) production.
Countess of Rossillion (Judi Dench)
Designer: Deirdre Clancy

“For this production, Deirdre Clancy's periond costumes were reminscent of 17th century Dutch paintings. Judi Dench played the Countess as a quietly powerful central figure. Wise and perceptive, she looks back on the nature of what it feels like to be young and in love.”

??

From All's Well That Ends Well?? (??) production.
?? (??)
Designer: ??

“??”

Prospero

From The Tempest (1952) production.
Prospero (Ralph Richardson)
Designer: Deirdre Clancy

“'This rough magic'”

Prospero

From The Tempest (1982) production.
Prospero (Derek Jacobi)
Designer: Maria Bjornson

“The costume worn by Derek Jacobi was decorated with astrological and alchemical symbols. With his cloak removed, Prospero was left with only tattered clothes; a visual transformation suggesting his inner turmoil and an end to his magical powers.”

Prospero

From The Tempest (2006) production.
Prospero (Patrick Stewart)
Designer: Nicky Gillibrand

“Set in the Artic, Patrick Stewart's Prospero wore a costume of furs and head tattoo inspired by traditional Inuit designs. The opening storm was forecast on a ship's radio. ”

Charmaine

From Jubilee (2001) production.
Charmaine (Elizabeth Hurran)
Designer: Robert Jones

“Jubilee is a comedy written in 2001, based on the true story of David Garrick's disastrous Shakespeare Jubilee in Stratford in 1769. This costume worn by the character Charmaine is deliberately evocative of classical representations of Ophelia.”

??

From ?? (??) production.
??? (??)
Designer: ??

“??”

??

From ?? (??) production.
??? (??)
Designer: ??

“??”

??

From ?? (??) production.
??? (??)
Designer: ??

“??”

Oberon

From A Midsummer Night's Dream (2011) production.
Oberon (Jo Stone-Fewings)
Designer: Katrina Linday

“This modern suit jacket was made by the RSV Mens workroom. It was specially reinforced for a physical dance sequence which required the actors to pull on the sleeves.”

Soldier

From The Orphan of Zhao (2012) production.
Soldier (Adam Burton)
Designer: Niki Turner

“This modern suit jacket was made by the RSV Mens workroom. It was specially reinforced for a physical dance sequence which required the actors to pull on the sleeves.”

Anne Frugall

From The City Madam (2011) production.
Anne Frugall (Lucy Briggs Owen)
Designer: Tom Piper

“This costume from The City Madam illustrates some of the compexity associated with 16th/17th c. 1620 costumes. The sleeves alone were very difficult to construct because of the many layuers of fabric which had to be cut with pinking shears and frayed before being applied to the undersleeve.” (right)

Victorian Undergarments

“This mannequin displays Victorian undergarments. The corset gives the wearer a small waist, ut at the same time the straight front lifts the bust. The addition of the bustle creates a striking silhouett, best seen from the side.” (left)

Shoes

“Shoes: Matilda the Musical (2010) The Acrobat (Emily Shaw) Designer Rob Howell
The Mouse and His Child (2012) Ralphie/Mrs Crow (Julia Innocenti) Designer Angel Davies
Beauty and the Beast (2003) The Beast (Adam Levy) Designer Kandis Cook

The shoes in this display show a variety of ways that items of footwear are coverd or embellished to suit a costume.”

Richard III

From Richard III (2011) production.
Richard III (Jonjo O'Neil)
Designer: Ti Green

“His armour was made by soaking the leather for 24 hours. It was then stretched over a mould and dried under intense heat to keep its shape. All the decoration was individually stamped by hand.”

Review of Play HERE

Richard III

From Richard III (2011) production.
Richard III (Jonjo O'Neil)
Designer: Ti Green

“The gold modif on this suit was achieved using fabric paint and a series of intricate stencils. The stencils were made in sections which allowed the design to be adjusted to follow the seams and the contours of the costume.”

Review of Play HERE

Kate

From The Taming of the Shrew (2003) production.
Kate (Alexandre Gilbreath)
Designer: Steven Brunson Lewis

“Layers of silk paint were sponged and dripped over the fabric to give thee impression that Kate had fallen into a deep dirty puddle. The lace cuffs were frayed and the front seam was torm to complete the effect.”

Headpieces

“??”

Prologue
From Hamlet (2008) production.
Prologue (Roderick Smith)
Designer: Rob Jones

“Six costumes in this style were made for the 'play within a play' in Hamlet. Techniques used in the construction include applique (cutting peices of one material and applying them to the surface of another) and slashing (to reveal the lining beneath). The rigid structure of the 'skirt' in this costume is constructed using Rigilene, a plastic boning which forms a more lightweight and flexible framework than steel.”

Making a Doublet

“This doublet has been made especially for the exhibition. The cross-sections reveal the unseen supporting layers inside our costumes and the attention to detail each layer demands.”
(right side)

Men's Costuming

“The Men's Costume team make most of the costumes for our male actors. Men's costum making is more varied then prople ofthe think. From Elizabethan doublet and hose through to modern day jackets and trousers, constructing men's costumes requires complex pattern cutting and tailoring skills.”

Men's Costuming (continued)

“Costume made for our stages will be seen from all angles, so attention to detail is crucial. For example, a period coat will have the lining, pockets and finishing touched that you would expect from the genuine article. A design may need to be adapted to conceal battery packs, harnesses for flying and blood pouches.”

Men's Costuming (continued)

“Garments are made bespoke and patterns are cut to a detailed set of over fifty measurements taken of each actor's body. Like Ladies Costume, all actors attend a costum fitting. During this the Designer makes decisions relation to the look of the garment and the costume makers condentrate on the fit and technical aspects of the costume.”

All Costumes (2013)

“When costumes are ready for the stage they are transferred from the workshops to Running Wardrobe. This team maintain the costumes during the run of a production and ensure every costume looks as good in the final performance as it did on the opening night.”

All Costumes (2013) (continued)

“They wash, iron and steam the costumes daily after every performance. Costumes inevitably suffer damage and wear during a production run so the team also carry out regular repairs. This skillful work requires detailed costume knowledge as well as professional sewing skills.”

All Costumes (2013) (continued)

“During performances, dressers make sure every costume is where it needs to be, always backstage to help actors in and out of their costumes between scenes. Actors often have a matter of seconds to change before they need to be back on stage. Costumes are adapted to make these changes easier, using press studs or magnets to replace fastenings. We avoid using Velco as it is noisy and do not use zips as there is a risk of a zip getting stuck during a quick change.”

Making a Bodice (2013)

“This cross-section illustrates the layers involved in constructing a bodice. Straight steel bones, made from plastic-coated steel, are most commonly used in this sort of garment. Spiral bones, made from one coiled piece of wire, have more flex and are mainly used for mid-19th corsets which fit over the hips.”

Ladies Costume (2013)

“The Ladies Costume team make most of the costumes for our female actors. They use specialistm techniques from machine and had sewing to delicate beading and embroidery.”

Ladies Costume (2013) (Continued)
“Costumes are made bespoke and patterns are cut according to a detailed set of over fifty measurements taken of each actor's body. The cut and shape of a costume can dramatically alter and actor's silhouette so the team produce all the elements that provide the structure hidden beneath. This includes corsets, bum rolls, crinolines and underskirts. The team have expert knowledge of historical costume, enabling them to recreate every detail needed to ensure garments appear authentic.”

Ladies Costume (2013) (Continued)

“Like Men's Costume, all actors attend a costume fitting with the Designer and costume makers. During this the Designer makes decisions relating to the look of the garment and the costume makers concentrate on the fit and technical aspects of the costume.”

Dressers (2013)

“A dresser's role can be fast-paced, with frequent costume changes. Here are some must-have items that help them complete the job:

SETTING LIST Pre-show, items of costume are put in position according to the list, ready for actors' changes.

NOTES With so many changes to do, dressers keep a prompt of where they neeed to be and at what time.”

Dressers (2013)

“HEAD TORCH Head torches allow dressers to see in the dark areas backstage, whilst keeping their hands free to change costumes.

MINTS AND GUM Dressers and actors get very close during costume changes, so smelling sweet is always good!

SEWING KIT Minor repairs may need to be made during the perfomance.”