News Story
As we look forward to the final two shows in our Festival season, we’re taking stock of our Theatre Green Book achievements and learnings so far.
Atlantis, our co-production with Theatr Clwyd, which ran in the Minerva Theatre from 18 July – 15 August, marked a real milestone in our journey with Theatre Green Book. Not only did we strive to limit the environmental impact of this production, the story itself centred around the climate crisis. Read on for our Green Book results, plus reflections from the team who brought this powerful new play to life.
If you’ve never heard of Theatre Green Book, start here to find out more. You can also read how we scored and what we learnt from the first two shows in the season, Magic and Eclipse, here.
Emily White’s new play explored the climate crisis through the story of one family’s response. Set in Fairbourne, a small coastal village in west Wales, it was inspired by the true impact of rising sea levels on the community who live there. As part of the rehearsal process, the company visited Fairbourne. They reflected on the atmosphere of calm on the beach but also being struck by the sense that there might not be a future for the town.
To accompany this production, we also hosted a panel discussion, In Conversation: The Climate Crisis, and two screenings of the National Emergency Briefing film. These prompted some fantastic conversations with audience members, bringing together organisations and individuals who are taking action in our local area and beyond.
Theatre Green Book
Overall, an amazing 74% of the materials used in Atlantis were reused or recycled. Director Guy Jones said:
'I was over the moon that the Chichester Festival Theatre and Theatr Clwyd teams took the Green Book so seriously while we were making Atlantis. It's a big and ambitious story about climate change, and the responsibility and agency of individuals to have an impact. So it was hugely important to me that the way we made the show didn't contradict the message at its heart. It was great to see my team rifling through the store of both theatres, building an aesthetic vision based on what already existed, and being inventive and rigorous in the way they approached building our world.'
Set
74% of the set was made from reused or recycled materials and 100% has been stored to be re-used in the future. This means the set missed advanced standards by just 1%, so this is a brilliant achievement.
The coastal setting was a key part of this story. The granite boulders, cobbles and pebbles were all sourced locally to Theatr Clwyd in north Wales. There are plans for them to be re-purposed in Theatr Clwyd’s onsite sensory garden.
Set and costume designer Frankie Bradshaw said:
'I was very happy to be working with guidance from the Green Book on Atlantis, putting the show's themes into action. I always try to design so that the making teams have enough flexibility to hit the ground running with sourcing and creating sustainably. I also think that a lot of the choices that have been made with sustainability in mind actually improved the quality of the design - using real Snowdonian rocks, for example!'
Props and furniture
74% of the props were reused or made from recycled materials and 79% have been stored for future re-use.
Company Stage Manager, Sophie Sierra, who co-ordinated props for this show, celebrated this success:
'I was thrilled to hear we had reached an overall re-use percentage of 74% for props on Atlantis. Using items from the store and propping second-hand fitted with the ethos and heart of the show, as well as being budget friendly! Our fantastic designer, Frankie Bradshaw, was also willing to make changes to accommodate more Green Book-friendly finds. A great effort all round.'
An advantage of co-producing was that we benefitted from both of our prop stores and sourced many items from stock. The Christmas tree and radiator were even donated by members of Clwyd staff! Buying second-hand not only supports our sustainability agenda but can often be very cost effective: the washing machine used in this show cost just £5.45.
One challenge we encountered was ensuring that the furniture was safe for the cast to jump, dance and perform on each night, which is not always the case when sourcing second-hand. Using real food and disposable packaging in a production also poses a dilemma when it is part of the storytelling but has implications in terms of Theatre Green Book.
Costume
37% of the costumes were from stock, second-hand or made from recycled materials, so did not achieve Green Book standards. Our team have been energised by this result to continue making the most of costumes we have in stock and communicating effectively about Theatre Green Book throughout the process of bringing a show life.
Transport
Another major success was that the set, costumes and props were transported from Theatr Clwyd (where the show opened) to CFT in a truck that uses HVO fuel, a renewable, lower carbon biofuel.
Overall result
Atlantis missed basic standards because all three areas must be at least 50% reused and recycled. However, the team made many sustainable decisions throughout the process, reflected in the outcome that 74% of the total materials used were reused or recycled.
Bringing this story to the stage was an important step in our journey to embed sustainability across our organisation. It started some thought-provoking and inspiring conversations with the cast, creatives and, perhaps most importantly, our audience. We heard from many about how moving, powerful, and at times challenging, you found seeing these issues explored on stage.