Hull Truck Theatre production goes green in latest step towards Net Zero
Hull Truck Theatre is to host its first ‘Theatre Green Book’ production as part of its commitment to lowering its emissions and achieving Net Zero.
Pop Music will take to the stage on 5th October as the three-week run gets underway but some small changes behind the scenes, at the Oh Yes! Net Zero member’s venue, will make a big impact on Hull Truck’s sustainable goals.
The feel-good comedy-drama is set at a wedding disco meaning producers had to consider the sustainability of key effects and props. Balloons – a staple of any 80s party – have been dropped while biodegradable confetti will be used, too.
Commitment to the Theatre Green Book, an initiative which was established by the theatre industry to collectively work more sustainably, not only means reducing the use of single-use materials, but also using local suppliers and making other sustainable choices. Part of the pledge includes working with firms who also go by the Theatre Green Book mandate, reusing stock rather than buying from new, and researching and resourcing costume materials ethically.
Following the guidance, the theatre will make sure that at least 50 per cent of all materials come from reused or recycled sources. 65 per cent of this material will then go on to future lives, through storage or re-use and avoid harmful and unsustainable materials. Part of this commitment will also be to run technical systems in a sustainable way and reduce journeys and deliveries by building the set and making costumes in the theatre, instead of being made elsewhere.
Sarah Barton, Head of Production and Technical at Hull Truck Theatre, said:
“We are excited to get on board with meeting the standards of the ‘Theatre Green Book’ as it goes hand in hand with the work that we are all doing together as a theatre to fight Climate Change.
“As an organisation, we are committed to meeting the standards for making productions with less waste transmissions, for making our building more sustainable and for improving sustainability in other operations like catering and front of house.”
Directed by Mark Babych, Pop Music is an uplifting story about living in the moment and finding friendship in the most unexpected of places. Audiences will follow two 40-something singletons, G and Kayla, as they dance the night away to three decades of floor fillers at a mutual friends’ wedding disco. As they relive the highs and lows of their teenage years and share stories of the challenges of adulthood, they soon find they have more in common than just their taste in music. Tickets for Pop Music are on-sale now and can be purchased here.