Dressing the Drama: History on Stage 

From Thursday 9th of May 2024

This exhibition explores how theatre designers from the 1890s to the 1990s created historical costumes, from designs which aimed to be faithful to a historical period, to interpretations that were more artistically expressive. 

Some of the designs on display observe strict control of details and a deep understanding of the desire to immerse audiences in historical scenes; others merge the past with the present, offering audiences a new way to experience historical plays. Behind designers’ choices lies a wide range of thinking and influences: the type of performance, a director’s interpretation of a play, or a designer’s unique perspective. This exhibition presents the broad possibilities of theatre costume design, where accuracy is not the only answer to imagining history on the stage.  

Curated by MA History of Art and Theatre with Innovation students, Dressing the Drama showcases a range of designs, photographs, ephemera and costume from the University of Bristol Theatre Collection, to investigate how costume designs can break down the boundaries between reality and history. While exploring how designers interpret history, the exhibition invites visitors to imagine what lies beyond the ‘facts’ of history on stage.