What To Expect From The Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers Turns 30! Exhibition

This December will mark 30 years since the iconic duo Wallace & Gromit met one of the greatest villains of all time on Boxing Day 1993, when BBC first screened The Wrong Trousers. An epic tale of heists, fake identities and technology gone wrong, all served up with Aardman’s classic charm.

To celebrate, The Cartoon Museum and Aardman are sharing the story of the making of Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers. The exhibition showcases behind-the-scenes photos, set pieces & models, and original artwork. Spoiler alert … there is enough Feathers McGraw to see.

The exhibition starts with pages of the script, sketches and storyboards that give you an insight on just how they pulled off this amazing film.

Once you’ve read the script pages and seen the storyboards, head to the monitor to watch the interviews with the creators for some fun facts and a side-by-side storyboard of the infamous train chase scene to see how well they pulled off translating it from page to screen.

Sadly most of the props for the film got destroyed in the studio’s warehouse fire in 2005, so the models and set pieces are limited, but there are still enough there. My personal highlight is the Feathers in a milk bottle, finally captured!

There is also a little play corner and a section with Aardman’s legacy – the things I would do for that Shaun the Sheep jumper.

Overall, The Cartoon Museum has managed to pull off a great exhibition with a closer look into the making of this stop-motion classic.

As at most museums, the gift shop is well worth your time with a big selection of The Wrong Trousers merch to indulge in. I know I stocked up on presents – and not just for myself.

The exhibition is running until April 2024 and tickets cost £9.50. That also gives you access to the permanent collection at the Cartoon Museum.

Here you can find original cartoons, comics, and caricature art from the 1700s to the modern day.