THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE Company has announced that it will be holding a major costume sale – with over 10,000 items up for grabs.

Drama fans (and fashionistas with theatrical tastes) have the opportunity to grab some exclusive RSC pieces, including costumes, shoes, hats and accessories that have been worn in productions.

The sale, taking place Saturday 12 February, includes over 1,000 pairs of shoes, 500 shirts, 300 hats, Egyptian head-dresses, a variety of military uniforms, cloaks, clerical outfits – including nuns and priests, jewellery and chain-mail – all constructed by the world-renowned RSC Costume Department.

The items cover a wide range of periods, including retro, vintage, Early English, Elizabethan and twentieth century.

Amongst the more famous items for sale are:

• The soldiers’ tabards and chain-mail from the RSC’s 1984 production of Henry V (with Kenneth Branagh) and later seen in Mel Gibson’s film Braveheart
• A light blue 18th century waistcoat worn by Charles Dance in As You Like It
• Aine velvet regency cutaway coat worn by Sir Ben Kingsley
• A selection of shirts worn by Sir Ian McKellen in The Seagull and his over-robe from King Lear
• Numerous items worn by David Tennant (including his understudy costume from the 2008 production of Love’s Labour’s Lost)