Fifty years ago, the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester opened its doors for its first production of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The Rivals. It was September 1976, and the seven-sided theatre constructed from tubular steel in the heart of the city was described by some as something from out of space. "It sits almost like a spaceship inside this extraordinary great Victorian Hall with all the pillars so already you have this tension," said Selina Cartmell, the theatre's creative director.
"They created a theatre of 750 seats in the round, a democratic arena where the alchemy between actor and audience is at its most purest form and they've created something that still feels fresh today." In the five decades since the theatre opened in St Ann's Square, some of the world's most famous actors have performed at the theatre. Hugh Grant in 1986 and Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren in 1981 are just some of the acting talent to have graced its stage. In 2004, long before Spiderman, Andrew Garfield was in Cares, while Maxime Peake appeared more recently in 2015 and the following year Don Warrington swapped Death in Paradise to play King Lear.
To mark its 50th anniversary, some of the costumes worn by those acting greats are on display. The Mythic Reinvention exhibition, which is free, includes just a small fraction of the theatre's collection. There are more than 25,000 costumes and other items kept in its archive and all the outfits for its performances are made in-house.
It aims to provide an exclusive insight into the inner workings of the theatre's costume department from the artists who created some of the Royal Exchange's most iconic shows. The exhibition has been curated by award-winning designer Leslie Travers. "To think there are so many pieces of costume here from so many productions," he said.
"I think Manchester should be incredibly proud of this building because the costume-making is world famous. "It's amazing that these costumes, some of them are 50 years old but they look brand new. They've been so well looked after." He added: "It's a big auditorium but it's incredibly intimate so the material selection has to be really considered because you get to look at the costumes close up." Cartmell said the exhibition would "give audiences a never-seen-before look into what makes the Royal Exchange such a special place".
"It will be a chance to celebrate every individual who has helped create and shape this beloved theatre as we look to our future." Mythic Reinvention: An exhibition celebrating 50 Years of Costume and Craft is open until 15 November. Tell us which stories we should cover in Greater Manchester Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, external, X, external, and Instagram, external. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
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