Over in Stockport, there’s a warehouse filled with all manner of Star Wars props – from Storm Trooper suits to Dak helmets – all created by a team of fans with a special set of skills.
Known officially as RS Propmasters, unofficially as the ‘King of Troopers’, they’ve created some incredible original Star Wars trilogy replica props for the silver screen and have had their work featured in some big Hollywood movies and at London’s V&A museum.
No strangers to the fantasy worlds of superheroes, they all met years ago in the replica prop community – a combination of painters, sculptors, mould makers and researchers.
Image: The Manc Group
That community, once comprised of secret groups and closed forums, is now very much out in the open – with the team going from fans making the cult props as a hobby, to becoming professionals in the movie prop world.
Brought together by their shared love of all the original Star Wars trilogy, they combined their passions to start creating what they saw on the screen – working from original moulds used in the 1970s.
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Those replicas got them noticed and, years later, the working prop studio has now worked with a large number of productions, including big studio movies.
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Image: The Manc Group
Image: The Manc Group
Image: The Manc Group
Today, together the studio can make two full Storm Trooper outfits in a day with a team of six people working on it at once.
And if that wasn’t impressive enough, they also recently produced 50 replica guns over six weeks for a new Hollywood superhero film.
In total, RS makes five different Star Wars characters at its Stockport studio – and so much research goes into making these props exactly how they would have been made for the films 45 years.
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The studio’s SnowTroopers, for example, have a direct lineage to the original movie. These helmets are cast from an original studio-made helmet they managed to get their hands on back in 2017 – the only time this has ever been done.
Not satisfied with that, though, they even journeyed to LA to visit a private collection in order to find the most accurate cowl fabric to do the helmet justice.
Let’s just say there are no cutting corners here.
Image: The Manc Group
A community born out of fans with a shared passion, today the studio is run by a team of ten – all with their own individual skillset.
From ‘amour guy’ Pete O’Rourke, who it’s said has probably built more accurate Stormtroopers than anyone else in the world, to Becka Albrecht, who comes from a Fine Art and Humanities background and paints and weathers all the props, every single one of them has a true passion for the stories behind the props they are creating.
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Avid Star Wars collector Simon Windus, meanwhile, puts the ‘S’ in RS – having launched the company in its early days with his original Stormtrooper suit. As for his partner Rob McCormick, he was making props before RS was just a twinkle in their eye – but back then, it was all about Boba Fett.
So well-respected and knowledgeable are Simon and Rob, they were even invited down to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London to help create a replica suit from an original costume piece back in 2015 as part of a British Film Institute exhibit.
And they’re right here on our doorstep, making magic from original cult prop pieces dating back to the 70s.
Progressing from hobbyists to esteemed industry professionals at the top of their game, it just goes to show if you are really passionate about something you can make anything happen.
To see more of the team’s work, follow them on Instagram here.
Feature image – RS Propmasters
Art & Culture
Wolf Alice announce massive Manchester gig as part of new European tour
Danny Jones
Get ready to lose your marbles, Manchester, because Wolf Alice aren’t just back with more music and a brand new but they’re playing a massive show right here in the city centre.
The beloved British alt and indie rock outfit is one of the most talented groups of musicians to come out of the country in some time, earning countless nods for their debut LP and winning the Mercury Prize award for their sophomore outing back in 2018.
Now eyeing up album number four and having dropped a smash-hit first single, which has already been met with even more acclaim (why break the habit of a lifetime?), they’ve got us even more excited with the announcement of a huge headline date here at the AO Arena.
The Clearing for the amount of limbs in that standing section couldn’t be big enough.
Set to return to Yorkshire later this year as part of the touring cycle for their long-awaited studio comeback, The Clearing, the Wolf Alice Manchester gig is one of a select few UK arena dates confirmed, such as an equivalent over at Leeds’ first direct arena.
The four-piece, fronted by Ellie Roswell, will also be playing a handful of intimate domestic shows.
Due for release on August 29, 2025, we already know the next project is going to be another brilliant entry by the multi-BRIT and NME Award winners.
Written in their native district of Seven Sisters in North London and recorded in LA with Grammy-winning producer Greg Kurstin, the album is being branded a “bold, emotionally rich evolution of their sound.”
“It’s a record that radiates ambition, confidence, and an unfiltered sense of self—arguably their most cohesive and timeless work to date.”
Better still, to help support the grassroots venues that helped them while coming up, £1 of every ticket from this show and other domestic arena shows on the soon-to-be fully confirmed European tour will be donated to fundraising efforts.
What do you make of their new direction?
General admission tickets for Wolf Alice at AO Arena are available on Friday, 23 May from 10am.
It goes without saying that the demand for these things will be massive, so we’d get in that online queue as quickly as possible. The support act(s) haven’t even been revealed yet either.
You can also sort yourself out with exclusive early access by signing up for the AO pre-sale window on Wednesday, 21 May at 5pm; Three Mobile members will have an earlier opportunity also from 10am earlier the same day.
Get ready to grab your tickets for Friday, 28 November HERE.
John Cooper Clarke to speak at one of Greater Manchester’s most legendary venues
Danny Jones
Legendary poet and spoken word artist John Cooper Clarke is set to host a special evening at Salford Lads and Girls Club this summer.
The one-off evening with the brilliant ‘Bard of Salford’ and Doctor of Arts marks one of the first and most significant public events at the local institution since it was saved from collapse late last year.
Returning next month, the iconic poet, author, and cultural icon will take centre stage for an intimate in-conversation event with respected BBC broadcaster, Nihal Arthanayake – now based in Greater Manchester – sharing stories from his extraordinary career.
With more than five decades of tales to tell, it’s one you don’t want to miss.
As per an official press release, “This special fundraising event will support Salford Lads Club, helping to maintain its historic building and fund vital projects for young members.”
Cooper Clarke last visited the influential community centre and club, which has helped give stars to so many important figures from around the area, back in 2023 as part of a ceremony to name him an Honorary Freeman by Salford City Council.
The latest homecoming also comes not too long after his record-breaking performance at the Co-op Live arena this past March, performing to the largest-ever audience for a poet in the UK.
Rather fittingly, he will be interviewed by Nihal once again, having already spoken to the 76-year-old for part of his award-winning BBC Headliners podcast series.
He’s also known for his insightful and incisive cross-examinations, meaning he’ll be more than up to the challenge of sitting across theJCC.
In the latter half of the night, Nihal will also speak with Clarke’s long-time friend and manager, Phil Jones, a renowned music promoter for nearly half a century and a long-time JCC collaborator.
As is the case with most of these kinds of intimate conversations evenings, there will be Q&A portion where John will be answering selected questions submitted by the audience. There will also be plenty of opportunities to grab a souvenir, be it John’s latest book or SLCAGC merch.
Laura Slingsby, CEO of Salford Lads Club, said of the event: “We are incredibly excited to welcome John back to his hometown for this unique evening. His connection to Salford is legendary, and this event promises to be a truly special occasion for fans old and new.
“Nihal is the perfect choice to interview John, and we look forward to showing him around our wonderful venue” – us too.
Taking place on Wednesday, 11 June, tickets go live today (Friday, 16 May) at 10am. You can get ready to grab yours HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
25th March 2022 
