Swashbuckling pirates used their cutlasses to slash the ribbon on a new exhibition, opened following a multi-million pound restoration of an historic North-East theatre.

Lead actors of The Pirates of Penzance, Rebecca Bottone and Nicholas Sharratt were joined by a member of the pirate crew to officially open The Story of Theatre at the Newcastle Theatre Royal.

The exhibition and learning space includes costumes from the Victoria & Albert Museum theatre and performance collection - seen for the first time outside of London - and Theatre Royal’s vast collection of memorabilia alongside a large array of other artefacts.

The gallery will become a focal point for theatre tours, providing an historic and cultural context for information about the present day theatre. Last year over 100 tours were given to over 2,000 people.

Theatre tours are overseen by members of the Theatre Royal Learning team helped by a large team of volunteers.

The exhibition is not only open for tours but will be accessible to members of the public public who will be welcomed free of charge throughout the day and evening to view the artefacts on display.

Highlights of the exhibition include a Dame Alicia Markova tutu and headdress from the 1930s, Royal Shakespeare Company costumes and a scale wooden model of Newcastle quayside, the site of medieval plays, complete with figures and stages along the banks of the river.

The principal funder is the Heritage Lottery Fund and the project involves a partnership between the Theatre Royal Newcastle and the Theatre Collections Department at the V&A in London, as well as Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums, James Knott Trust and Vindolanda Roman Museum.