The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) will open its first ever permanent exhibition devoted to the staging of Shakespeare’s plays, The Play’s The Thing, on 22 October.
The Play’s The Thing will allow visitors to the Stratford-Upon-Avon venue the chance to explore the imaginative ways that Shakespeare’s stories are brought to life on stage. The exhibition includes rarely-seen props, exquisite costumes and original set designs, and also reveals gory theatrical secrets, including how a snapping carrot can replicate the noise of bone breaking!
Immersive digital experiences include a magic costume mirror, the Quick Change Challenge, changing a costume against the clock, or the chance to stand on the RSC stage through state of the art technology.
To mark the opening, a unique portrait of Shakespeare will be on display for a limited time. The portrait, known as the Chandos portrait, has been housed at the National Portrait Gallery since it was founded in 1856.
Many of the RSC’s productions have made the move from Stratford-Upon-Avon to London’s West End, including Matilda The Musical, Roald Dahl’s much-loved tale of an extraordinary child with hideous parents.
Find out more about the exhibition at the venue’s website.