From Viking armour and medieval leatherwork to Victorian gowns and mythical creatures, the remarkable wardrobe behind Kynren – The Storied Lands is stitched together with equal parts craftsmanship, creativity… and a healthy respect for hungry birds.
One of the biggest costume departments in British live entertainment discovered early on that designing for people was the easy part.
Designing for birds proved rather more complicated.
The original leather tunics created for the bird guardians in The Lost Feather, one of the spectacular productions at Kynren – The Storied Lands, featured more than 30 decorative red buttons running down the front.
They never made it into the final show.
“We realised the birds might find them rather too interesting,” laughed Head of Wardrobe Emily Baxendale.
“Our bird team immediately confirmed our suspicions, so the buttons disappeared and we completely redesigned the collars as well.
“Even something as small as lace edging or the shape of a shirt collar had to be reconsidered if it might distract the birds.”
It is just one of hundreds of creative challenges tackled by the wardrobe department behind the UK’s first live action show park.
Since work began in September 2025, Emily and her team have helped create more than 345 costumes, bringing 125 characters to life across five spectacular productions inspired by history, myth and legend.
From Viking raiders and medieval knights to elegant Victorian ladies, mysterious witches and fantastical bird guardians, almost every costume has been made from scratch.
Months were spent researching historical clothing, fabrics and traditional construction techniques before the first piece of material was even cut.
Working from the artistic vision developed by Creative Director Charlotte Boissinot, Emily’s team drafted their own patterns before combining machine and hand sewing, leatherwork, fabric painting and millinery to transform sketches into costumes capable of withstanding the demands of live performance.
“When we began, we were creating five completely different worlds, each with its own characters, period and visual identity,” said Charlotte.
“To now see hundreds of costumes brought together with the sets, music, performers and action is incredibly rewarding.
“So much thought and craftsmanship has gone into every detail, but ultimately the costumes are there to help tell the story and transport visitors into each of those worlds.”
Authenticity has remained central throughout the process, but practicality has been just as important.
Every costume has been designed to withstand horses charging across arenas, stunt riders, fight sequences, acrobats, rapid costume changes and months of outdoor performances.
“We want visitors to believe every character,” said Emily.
“But the costumes also have to work incredibly hard behind the scenes.
“Sometimes that means hiding modern zips and fastenings where nobody will ever see them or subtly adapting historical clothing so performers can move safely and comfortably.”
The scale of the project has brought together specialist craftspeople from across Britain and Europe.
Lightweight armour has been created by Norton Armouries, Viking leatherwork by Crafted Leather Armour, while French costume specialists Alagos worked alongside Kynren’s own wardrobe department to produce costumes capable of meeting the physical demands of live performance.
Rich silks, brocades, velvets, leather, cotton, linen and faux fur combine to transport audiences across centuries of storytelling.
Among Emily’s favourite creations is the mysterious witch from Legend of the Wear, whose elaborate costume conceals a hand painted lining inspired by the movement and colours of water.
She is equally proud of the elegant writer’s dress featured in Victorian Imaginariums, after tracking down enough of a rare fabric from three separate suppliers to complete the design.
The work did not end once the costumes reached the stage.
Every performer has been individually fitted, with duplicate costumes produced for many principal roles to accommodate demanding performance schedules, quick changes and the occasional soaking during lakeside productions.
Behind the scenes, the wardrobe department now oversees the daily care, repair and maintenance of hundreds of garments, ensuring every costume is ready for the next performance.
“The show must go on,” said Emily.
“If something unexpected happens, we can quickly replace part of a costume, carry on with the performance and repair it afterwards.”
Looking back, one week perfectly captured the scale of the challenge.
“Our biggest fitting week happened during the hottest weather of the year,” she smiled.
“Asking performers to try on full Viking furs, armour and heavy costumes in those temperatures certainly made everyone appreciate just how ambitious this project was.”
For Charlotte, however, the greatest achievement is something audiences may never consciously notice.
“The costumes should never overpower the story,” she said.
“They should help every performer become their character and allow visitors to lose themselves completely in each world.
“When that happens, we’ve achieved exactly what we set out to do,” she added.
At Kynren – The Storied Lands, every stitch, seam and silhouette has been designed to do exactly that.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
