Downton Abbey stars hit by nostalgia

Actors of the television series got emotional when they visited the exhibition on the period drama at Marina Bay Sands

More than 50 costumes worn by the cast over the six seasons of the television series are on display at the exhibition.
Actresses (from left) Sophie McShera, Laura Carmichael and Phyllis Logan speaking about the Downton Abbey-themed exhibition at a press conference at Marina Bay Sands on Tuesday. The exhibition is showing at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre until July 31. PHOTOS: MARINA BAY SANDS, DESMOND WEE
Actresses (from left) Sophie McShera, Laura Carmichael and Phyllis Logan speaking about the Downton Abbey-themed exhibition at a press conference at Marina Bay Sands on Tuesday. The exhibition is showing at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre until
More than 50 costumes worn by the cast over the six seasons of the television series are on display at the exhibition. PHOTOS: MARINA BAY SANDS, DESMOND WEE

The new Downton Abbey-themed exhibition on show here feels so authentic that it has moved even the cast of the hit British period drama.

At a press conference held at Marina Bay Sands on Tuesday, several cast members said they had felt "emotional" while walking through the exhibition at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.

On display are sets and costumes featured in the award-winning television series, which depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and its servants at the turn of the 20th century.

The show ended in 2015 after six seasons.

Singapore is the first stop of the multi-million-dollar exhibition, which will travel to other cities, including Toronto and New York, after its run here ends on July 31.

Actress Phyllis Logan, 61, who played housekeeper Mrs Hughes, said: "I didn't have a notion of what the exhibition would look like, but I got quite emotional when I finally saw the servants' hall.

"It felt like it had its own life. There was real heart to it."

  • BOOK IT / DOWNTON ABBEY: THE EXHIBITION

    WHERE: Hall F, Basement 2 Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, 1 Bayfront Avenue

    WHEN: Till July 31, 11am to 8pm daily (last admission at 7pm)

    ADMISSION: $30 (adult), $15 (child aged two to 12) and $28 (senior citizen aged 65 and above) (Mondays to Thursdays); $35 (adult), $17 (child) and $33 (senior citizen) (Fridays to Sundays)

    INFO: downtonexhibition.com

Sophie McShera, 32, who played assistant cook Daisy, said she even played house when she visited the exhibition.

"I felt so nostalgic. I went behind the kitchen counters and did a bit of mixing. I can't cook very well in real life, but I had six years of pretending to be good at fancy cooking."

Her co-star, Kevin Doyle, 57, who played footman Joseph Molesley, added: "It brought back a lot of memories."

Besides the servants' hall, visitors will also get to walk through other recognisable sets, such as Mrs Patmore's busy kitchen and the glamorous Crawley dwellings.

More than 50 costumes worn by the cast over the six seasons - including the wedding dresses worn by Lady Mary (played by Michelle Dockery) and Lady Edith (played by Laura Carmichael) - are on display. Downton Abbey's writer and creator, Julian Fellowes, felt that the exhibition was "incredibly well thought-out".

The 67-year-old, who wrote all 52 episodes of the series, said: "I felt that it is successful in capturing the double emphasis of the show - one on the enormity, formality and scale of that way of life, but at the same time, just of these men and women trying to do their best and making their lives happen."

Last night, Logan, Doyle, McShera, Carmichael as well as actors Jim Carter and Michael Fox attended a red-carpet event at Marina Bay Sands.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 22, 2017, with the headline Downton Abbey stars hit by nostalgia. Subscribe