The most sustainable shows on stage – in pictures

From car-boot sale costumes to pedal-powered production, we document some of the greenest shows to hit the stage
  
  


Sustainable shows: Sustainable shows #1
Tanja Beer's Strung explored the boundaries of performer and designer, installation and costume, site and material – the work is part of a broader project called This is Not Rubbish, which is transported in a small suitcase.
Photograph: Alex Murphy
Photograph: Alex Murphy
Sustainable shows: Sustainable shows #2
Fanshen's Cheese (set in a giant emmental) saw three office workers put on a play to mark their company's liquidation – for the set and props, the theatre company sourced furniture and paper from local business recycling bins and second-hand carpet tiles.
Photograph: Conrad Blakemore
Photograph: Conrad Blakemore/other
Sustainable shows: Sustainable shows #3
Cheese was powered from batteries charged daily by exercise bikes in local gyms – most of the costumes were hired as well, rather than bought from scratch for the production and discarded afterwards.
Photograph: Conrad Blakemore
Photograph: Conrad Blakemore/other
Sustainable shows: Sustainable shows #4
Imogen Heap's Earth Day live performance: just under 90% of the energy required across the 10 days on location was provided by solar and pedal power, with the remaining power drawn from a biodiesel generator running recycled vegetable oil.
Photograph: Courtesy of artist
Photograph: other
Sustainable shows: Sustainable shows #5
Macbeth, starring James McAvoy, featured costumes reclaimed, recycled and reused from army surplus supplier Sabre Sales.
Photograph: Johan Persson
Photograph: Johan Persson/other
Sustainable shows: Sustainable shows #6
Designed by Soutra Gilmour and directed by Jamie Lloyd, Macbeth also sourced costumes from vintage dealers and the charity shops of Camden.
Photograph: Johan Persson
Photograph: Johan Persson
Sustainable shows: Sustainable shows #7
The Night Alive: another production designed by Soutra Gilmour, the show featured a set of reclaimed maple floorboards, vintage rolls of wallpaper, and props and furniture from the car-boot sale at Wimbledon dog track.
Photograph: Helen Warner
Photograph: Helen Warner
Sustainable shows: Sustainable shows #8
Prue Lang's dance show Un Reseau Translucide investigated human activity as a renewable energy source – the production created an autonomous performance that ran on 100% of its own energy.
Photograph: Hillary Goidell
Photograph: Hillary Goidell
Sustainable shows: Sustainable shows #9
Lang's production examined the relationship between the body and its environment, while opening up a dialogue on sustainable development in artistic practice, with dancers generating their own electricity through her choreography.
Photograph: Hillary Goidell
Photograph: Hillary Goidell
 

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