The award-winning actor Sir Antony Sher has been to see the costume he wore as King Richard III nearly 30 years ago. He visited the exhibition of Royal costumes from stage and screen two weeks before it draws to a close.
Knighted for his services to acting and writing, Sir Antony’s many roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company – where he is an Associate Artist – include his Olivier Award-winning performance as Richard III in 1984.
The costume worn by Sir Antony in his role as Richard III is on display at Bath’s Assembly Rooms with over 50 costumes from theatre, TV and film productions which illustrate how the styles of Royal dress have changed and led fashion. Much more than simply props, the costumes have all been integral to the interpretation of Royal characters.
The exhibition ‘Jubilee: Dressing the Monarchy on Stage and Screen’, which runs until Sunday 2 September 2012, traces the progression of the British monarchy from the crowning of King Edgar in Bath Abbey in 973 to the present day and the Diamond Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II.
One of the leading actors of his generation, Sir Antony dropped into Bath’s Assembly Rooms for a look at the exhibition in between performances at the Theatre Royal, where he stars as Sigmund Freud in ‘Hysteria’ until Saturday 18 August.
Exhibits from the display organised by Bath & North East Somerset Council also include archive costumes from the Royal Shakespeare Company worn by Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Peggy Ashcroft and Richard Burton CBE. There are costumes from the latest films on the monarchy, “The Queen”, “The King’s Speech” and “W.E.” as well as classic costumes worn by Sir Alec Guinness, Rufus Sewell, Timothy West CBE and Dame Maggie Smith in dramas of the last few decades.
