Costume & Props

We make original hand-crafted costumes and props to bring characters and their worlds to life on stage. 

Costume 

Our Costume team are cutters, makers, crafters, sewers, dressers, designers and artists. From the under-skirt made from a duvet to a beaded period bodice and a pair of gold lamé men’s trousers, there is a story behind every costume.

Costume Hire 

Once the productions end, every costume is sent to our warehouse to live another life in future productions both in Ireland and abroad. Our unique stock is made up of pieces that have been seen on the Abbey and Peacock Stages over many years.

We hold over 30,000 pieces available for hire, and our ever-growing range includes:

  • Period costumes
  • Contemporary costumes
  • Distressed items
  • Military uniforms
  • Clerical wear
  • Accessories
  • Footwear

We offer new 2022 Garda uniforms and are currently the only costume department in the world to hold these uniforms. You can find out more this range of uniforms here. If you are interested in renting these specifically, please review here.

You can hire costumes and accessories for use in:

  • Professional, amateur and student theatre productions
  • Opera and dance
  • Film and television
  • Photo and video-shoots

You can view our price list for costume hire here. Unfortunately, we do not hire for fancy dress parties.

Please note that we operate by appointment only and we offer appointment slots on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week. Due to high demand, you may need to book an appointment at least a week in advance. In order to make an appointment, you can reach us at the email address below.

For costume hire queries & to make an appointment, please email costume.hire@abbeytheatre.ie

Props 

Rooms at the Abbey hold stacks of antique radios, mobile phones, mahogany chairs, stuffed birds and a Victorian pram. From the black swan in By the Bog of Cats by Marina Carr to a Notre Dame Cathedral made of matchsticks for Bookworms by Bernard Farrell, we have always kept a working collection of props. We source and select the objects that root actors and audiences in a convincing world.

All props get recycled and re-used at the expert hands of our prop makers; we repair, restore, re-invent and re-upholster.

For queries relating to Props, please email eimer.murphy@abbeytheatre.ie

Unfortunately we are currently not in a position to offer a prop hire service at the moment due to our own programme demands.