AFP

June 20, 2014

What would Lady Macbeth be without something extravagant in which to sweep on stage or Hamlet without a silk doublet and padded hose?

Costumes — the unsung heroes of Shakespearean theatre — are the stars of a new exhibition that reveals the huge effort that goes into dressing the Bard’s leading men and women.

From silks woven with gold thread to baroque satin embellished with semi-precious stones, it would be understandable if subsidy-starved theatre companies tried to cut back on the cost of Shakespearean costumes

That they do not is largely down to the vanity of Elizabethans and their obsession with fancy outfits, according to award-winning British costume designer Jenny Tiramani, three of whose costumes feature in the exhibition.

One high-necked ruff collar she made for a 2012 production of “Richard III” at London’s Globe theatre cost more than $2,000 alone. […continued]

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