REVIEW - Mythic Reinvention captures the history of the Royal Exchange Theatre in a unique, joyous, and captivating way

We were invited to the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester to see Mythic Reinvention Read what our reviewer Karen Ryder had to say about this wonderful exhibition...

The Royal Exchange Theatre is a Manchester landmark to feel proud of, standing the test of time and adapting to the ever changing needs of the city through its 50 year history.  Once a thriving hub of industry, exchanging cotton and commodities, this building of stunning architecture is bursting with important real life stories of our past.  For the last 50 years, it has been brimming with fascinating plays, classics, musicals, workshops, exhibitions, arts, theatrics, and inspiring storytelling of the future.  Mythic Reinvention is part of A Homecoming - a year long celebration to mark the 50^th anniversary of this bustling theatre in the round.  This exquisite exhibition, curated by award-winning designer Leslie Travers, explores the importance, value, passion, storytelling, creativity, history and detail of costume and craft by displaying archived costumes and important theatrical pieces in a way that once again allows them to be centre stage, admired, and appreciated.  It allows the public a rare opportunity to see such a large and dazzling collection up close, revealing the dedication, artistry and talent through costumes that have woven stories and brought characters to life through the heart of The Royal Exchange for the last 50 years!  And the exhibition is entirely free to visit, making this an absolute must for any theatre fan, or anyone who holds the history of Manchester dear to their hearts.  

To celebrate this landmark anniversary through the Royal Exchange’s costumes archive is inspired.  Costumes bring a character to life, they create time periods, relationships, hierarchy, and a visual decoding of how they want an audience to respond.  They can tease, taunt, terrify or tantalise, and by bringing together a variety of pieces from such a vast time span, we are able to recognise just how much influence they have within a production.  Mythic Reinvention transports us through a whirlwind of memories and imaginings.  For costumes taken from productions you have seen, they evoke memories, for those you haven’t, you are invited to engage your imagination and muse over how they would have appeared.  It is magical having the past present and future sit side by side, welcoming you into a genre too often kept behind cutting room doors.    

Mythic reinvention celebrates the Royal Exchange Theatre’s evolution over 50 years, flourishing through reimagination and reinvention.  The detail in them is stunning and seeing these costumes so up close and personal, the way that they were always intended for a theatre in the round, is something quite special.  You can visualise how the characters may have embodied these silhouettes, how they may have walked, moved, and interacted with each other.  We can see how the actor might flourish within these costumes but without the presence of the performers, the spotlight is most definitely on the costume itself, and of course, its designer and maker. 

There is such a wealth of history in one building, each evoking different memories, different feelings and emotions, and a curiosity to learn more. Costumes are on display from a variety of shows from Ibsen to Shakespeare to the golden age of musicals, modern day musicals, classic plays, new writing, and just about everything in between.  It caters for everyone and every taste.  If you’re anything like me, you will also see quite a few designs that you could picture in your own wardrobe for they are stunning.  They range from plays such as Let The Right One In, Guys & Dolls, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Kes, A Dolls House, Romeo and Juliet, and several generations worth of King Lear, truly highlighting a variety of generational creative interpretations from the same source material.  The costumes are in just about every conceivable place possible as well, not just on the main floor, so keep your eyes open and your senses fully engaged, for whilst the costume may be right in front of you, they may also be up in the eaves, in the rivals bar, or on a mannequin, quietly tucked away and sat down on a bench, seemingly ready to have a conversation with you!  The exhibition encourages you to look closer, to notice the textures, silhouettes, stitching, and detail that bring characters to life.  Their colours, fabrics, and shapes speak to each other across time. 

The whole experience is sewn together by a dramatic red rope, welcoming you at the St Ann’s entrance, draped through the rafters in stunning sculptural loops that are mesmerising and eye-catching.  This thread is interwoven throughout the entire theatre guiding you through the experience and threading the exhibition together as one.  There are also various areas of interest recreated such as a costume makers cutting room complete with cutting tables, tools, and possibility.   There is also a performers dressing room, complete with sounds and noises that the actors might hear.  Each display is accompanied with information, so you know exactly what you are looking at too.  There is one display with two mannequins seemingly looking into opposite sides of a mirror.  Be sure to play around with your standing position at this piece for you will get some wow moments!  Mythic Reinvention is a visually stunning exhibition, a theatre lovers dream, a historian’s dream, and a proud moment for any citizen of Manchester.

The Royal Exchange Theatre is such an important piece of history, especially for Mancunians.  Starting as a space shaped by privilege, it now amplifies and champions those voices once silenced.  This Grade II listed building which holds 800 seats across three levels, is the world’s largest theatre in the round.  It supports established and emerging creatives, providing a platform for world premieres, boasting classics, contemporary, new plays, musicals, comedy, and music.  With awards including "Theatre of the Year" “Regional Theatre of the Year” and "School of the Year," the likes of Patricia Routledge, Vanessa Redgrave, Helen Mirren, Pete Postlethwaite, Robert Lindsay, John Thaw, David Threlfall, Michael Sheen, Maxine Peake, Cush Jumbo, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Andy Serkis, Ben Kingsley, and Julie Walters have performed here, and are proudly displayed in huge black and white portraits throughout the building.  Mythic Reinvention celebrates this legacy as a living, evolving story.  

Curator Leslie Travers, whose work spans opera, dance, musicals, and drama on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, has captured the history of the Royal Exchange Theatre in a unique, joyous, and captivating way.  The collaboration with the theatres costume team is celebratory, respectful of their craft, proud of its history, entertaining and engaging.  It makes you feel proud to be from this glorious city we call home.  They have picked an incredible collection, displayed them in invigorating ways that allow you to explore from a variety of angles, and found new ways to share the Royal Exchange’s pioneering story.  This spirit of return and renewal sits not only at the heart of the anniversary season, but at the heart of Manchester itself.  Mythic Reinvention was thoroughly enjoyable and something I will be revisiting as there was so much to take in, I am sure I will soak in just as much joy a second time around, whilst still discovering the joy of the Royal Exchange Theatre.

WE SCORE MYTHIC REINVENTION...



Mythic Reinvention is on at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester until November 15th 2026.

BOOK TICKETS TO SEE MYTHIC REINVENTION