Sheffield Theatres will open their doors to the public, selling off old costume pieces in a bid to raise funds. The items, from past productions staged in the Crucible, Lyceum and Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, will be available to purchase for one day only and include items from previous Shakespeare productions, staged specials and even the original run of Sheffield-based musical Standing at the Sky’s Edge.
Sheffield Theatres’ Head of Wardrobe Debbie Gamble has said: “With vintage stores and charity shop fashion becoming ever so popular, particularly with the high student residence in the city, we wanted to offer the chance for people to discover unique fashions that won’t be found anywhere else”. The sale will contain a range of items, priced upwards from £1, including everyday items and special pieces from iconic productions. Speaking to the range of items up for sale, Gamble continued: “As well as everyday clothing such as jeans, dresses and coats, we have plenty on the other end of the scale – including a full frog costume which would be great at a festival! There are a range of items suitable for both on stage and off, so we welcome everyone to have a rummage and find some hidden gems”.
The organisation is the most reputed theatre association outside of London, boasting the second largest theatrical hub in the country, beaten only by the West End. As a charity, Sheffield Theatres attracts approximately 400,000 patrons every year, for their range of original productions, new talent and local groups, as well as touring productions. The theatres, currently showing the hit musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie in the Lyceum, play host to many productions, many of which draw audiences from across the country, seen most strikingly with last summer’s revival of Miss Saigon, staged in the Crucible.
Fundraising remains an integral part of Sheffield Theatres’ functioning, with the group remaining one of the last to employ a large in-house costume department for their original shows. By selling past pieces to the general public, it is hoped that more space will become available for their costume team to work on upcoming productions, whilst also securing additional funds, which the group say will be used to maintain the costume facilities, as well as enabling new creations for upcoming shows.
Emily Fletcher, Chair of the University of Sheffield’s Sustainability Committee spoke highly of the announcement, telling Forge Press: “It’s wonderful to see Sheffield Theatres holding an event that shows consideration of the environmental impact of their work. These types of event should be the standard in order to move us away from wasteful linear production cycles. Not only that, but it show great awareness of the fashion trends within the city, particularly among students, and prevents amazing creative work going in the bin.”
As more of us are turning to sustainable and cheaper forms of clothes shopping, this latest drive by Sheffield Theatres allows the public another source of second-hand clothes, as well as giving us the chance to secure special pieces from past productions. The sale is sure to be a popular event, with the profits going towards making future productions at our local theatres look even better than they do now.
Sheffield Theatres’ Costume Sale will be held in the Crucible Rehearsal Room between 10am & 4pm on May 18th. A priority hour is also available from 9am to 10am for Centre Stage & Prestige Members
