Costume - historical to hysterical

Today they had a costume sale at the Theatre Royal. I can’t resist these, even though I know nothing much will fit me. It’s the chance to pick up a piece of theatre memorabilia, and much if it has special memories for me, as I worked in costume hire for nearly 3 years, when I was at Uni.

I got there about 11, and given it had only started at 10, an awful lot of stuff had already been sold. As a producing house, each new production brings more costumes into the hire department until the rails are packed. The big attractions at the sales are Berwick Kaler’s ‘Dame’ dresses from panto. They are huge, and take up so much storage space, every couple of years there has to be a bit of a clear out.

But in many ways for me it was the other things that brought back the memories – a maid’s dress from John Doyle’s production of Twelfth Night, two outfits from Charley’s Aunt that look like they are made of curtain material, and which we once persuaded someone to wear to ‘Sing-a-long-a Sound of Music’, courtesan costumes from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, fake chain mail from the Wars of the Roses, David Leonard’s leggings* from panto.

I eventually bought a black skirt from a production of ‘Way of the World’. I didn’t actually see this production, but it’s costumes were always some of my favourites – totally off the wall, and bizarre in style, they rarely hired out, but were my favourites for dressing up in. The skirt I bought is one I wore once to a costume convention, so it has personal memories for me.

The sale took place on the stage, so for a few moments I stood there, and looked out into the auditorium. It always amazes me how intimate that theatre feels. It has about 850 seats, and yet no one feels far away from you when you are on the stage. It has a sense of warmth and of history, and, yes, that little bit of magic. Are you getting the impression that I really need to do some theatre again?

*‘I’m very taken with David’s legs, but I don’t know what I’d do with them’
‘You could frame them’