A treasure trove of musical theatre memorabilia which includes vintage programmes, flyers, posters and reviews of plays performed in the West End and on Broadway, will be housed at Kingston University.

The collection which follows the works of famed American composer Stephen Sondheim includes memorabilia from hits such as West Side Story, Company and Sweeney Todd.

Amongst the mock ups for the murderous barber Sweeney Todd is a promotional apron, complete with fake blood splatters and artwork from the original 1979 Broadway production.

Kingston University archivist Katie Giles said: "The Stephen Sondheim Society were keen to find a way to bring the material to a wider audience and give students and researchers of theatre history the chance to explore it.

"Everything came to us in very good condition – carefully stored and catalogued, with its own numbering system."

The archives include 30 boxes and albums of material from 28 shows, as well as sound and video recordings and a small library of books.

Mr Sondheim said. "I am delighted that Kingston University has taken on the task of collating and conserving the considerable amount of material collected by The Stephen Sondheim Society and its members over many years.

"This work will ensure that the material will be available to academics, theatre practitioners and the public for study and research, and for just plain curiosity, for years to come."