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Ever wondered about the environmental impact of arts and culture? Costumes, props and lavish sets all take their toll on resources, but the Cilgwyn Theatre Company have decided to don their (recycled) thinking-caps and design an eco-friendly production where the set and costumes are made from recycled, reclaimed and reusable materials. A tall-order? Yes, but a worthy and welcome effort.
The theatre company have also chosen to recycle Edward Spencer’s 1590
poem, The Faerie Queen, adapting the epic adventure with a fusion of
art, drama and dance.
The Cilgwyn have worked closely with environmentally conscious textile company, Lawrence Barry & Co to source recycled materials for costumes. “The most interesting part of the whole costume design process was not knowing what materials I would be able to find,” says costume designer Martina Trottmann. But rather than a mismatch of recycled clothes, the costumes are a muted, stylish affair and “remained colourless to keep them ready for the influence of surprise materials”.
The set is strikingly bare; no velvet curtain and no indulgent backdrop, but still obviously theatrical, with floor markings, lighting pods, cranes and pulleys as well as second hand furniture and vintage props. Fancy electronic sets are replaced with human hands as the cast of six do all the hard work, manoeuvring large, handmade puppetry on strings and pushing around make-shift walls, doors and hills. The music, too, is innovative as the cast double-up as musicians to ping, pluck and shake random objects from a symbol and violin bow, to a salt shaker.
Their resourcefulness is impressive and brings a touch of realness to the production. It’s also refreshing to see ethically minded artistic heads coming together to produce something where less is more, and will hopefully inspire others to follow suit.
The production is currently showing at The Lilian Baylis Theatre at Sadler's Wells from 11 to 29 December.
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