Fans storm to buy Royal Shakespeare Company costumes
By ANIMonday, February 14, 2011
LONDON - Thousands of people queued up for hours to buy the Royal Shakespeare Company costumes, which have been put on sale at its rehearsal rooms in Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
The 15,000 items up for grabs from its costume department include outfits and accessories once worn onstage by the likes of Sir Ian McKellen, David Tennant, Charles Dance and Samantha Bond alongside nuns habits, policemen’s helmets and a room full of crowns and chain mail.
The crowds were let into the event 200 at a time, to rummage around rails and boxes of Egyptian headdresses, cloaks, capes and elaborate jewellery from some of the RSC’s most memorable productions.
By the time the doors closed last night, the sale had raised 55,000 pounds.
Alistair McArthur, the RSC’s head of costume, said that he was sad to see many of the pieces go.
“Our store rooms are so full now, that we’ve had to clear out the costumes we know we won’t use again or we can no longer hire out,” the Telegraph quoted McArthur as saying.
“Some pieces really are beautiful - so much craft has gone into making them - watching them go to a different home feels a bit like letting your children go off to college,” he added. (ANI)
