His Dark Materials: Swansea gallery shows props from hit show

The compass-like "truth telling" alethiometer used in hit TV series His Dark Materials is among the objects going on show in a public exhibition.

Fans of the drama will also be able to see other props, costumes and visual effects used to bring Philip Pullman's trilogy of novels to life.

The free exhibition opens at Swansea's Glynn Vivian Art Gallery on Friday and runs until next April.

The show was filmed in studios in Cardiff and some nearby locations.

The story follows Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen), an orphan who lives in a parallel universe in which human souls live outside the body in the form of animals called dæmons.

Among the props are the amber spyglass, from which one of Pullman's novels takes its name, and visual effects which made his otherworldly creatures move and talk.

A lot of the BBC and HBO series was filmed at Wolf Studios in Cardiff creating, among other things, a frozen palace of armoured bears.

"The level of artistry that goes into every costume, set and prop on His Dark Materials is beyond anything I have seen produced before," said boss Jane Tranter.

"To have the Glynn Vivian Gallery celebrate the art, imagination and craft of His Dark Materials is an absolute honour.

"I am certain visitors will be amazed and delighted by what our teams have created in Wolf Studios Wales."

Katy Freer, council exhibitions officer, said large set pieces from several different worlds form part of the exhibition "showing the scale and different techniques and materials used".

She said through the selection of costumes, "we tell the story of Lyra's journey and the people and worlds she encounters along the way, as well as more intimate objects including the three 'hero props' from each series".

Swansea council cabinet member Elliott King said he was "delighted" the gallery could "welcome this world-first exhibition to Swansea".

"It celebrates Wales as a truly creative nation," he added.