Shakespeare costumes go on sale

More than 7,000 items from the company were on sale

Thousands of costumes and accessorises from the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) have gone on sale to the public.

More than 7,000 dresses, shoes, hats and other items made by the company's costume department are on offer on Friday and Saturday.

Along with Elizabethan and 20th century items there were also one-offs from shows such as Beauty and the Beast and the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Items on sale at the rehearsal rooms in Stratford-upon-Avon cost from £2.

'One-off pieces'

Officials at the RSC said the sale was necessary to free up more space in their collection.

The last costume sale was held six years ago.

Sara Aspley, head of enterprise at the RSC, said before the sale: "We have items for sale from every area of the wardrobe, including costumes that first made their debut on the stage back in the 1960s.

"The sale will continue to include costumes worn by many RSC associate artists, often as they were starting their careers, as well as unique one-off pieces such as the Snow Queen's coat from the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."