Rose Theatre Kingston Makes Commitment To Stop Using Single-Use Plastic

Rose Theatre Kingston today announces its commitment to stop using single-use plastic within the venue as part of its continued efforts to become a greener organisation.

The company has already made a number of steps towards reducing its single-use plastic within the venue. These include:

-Replacing all single use plastic bottles with glass bottles.
-Providing biodegradable, eco-friendly plastic cups with optional biodegradable plant-based covers.
-Replacing all plastic packaging for sweets with biodegradable plant-based packaging.
-Replacing all single-use plastic cutlery with biodegradable plant-based plastic.
-Introduction of biodegradable straws and only giving these out upon request.

Rose Theatre Kingston will also implement further schemes to eradicate single-use plastic in the venue and also with the aim to contribute toward changing staff and audiences' day-to-day habits. This includes:

-Selling eco-friendly coffee cups in the venue and the introduction of a money-off scheme when using reusable containers for hot drinks.
-Encouraging all staff to drink from reusable mugs and water bottles and refrain from using plastic bags.

Robert O'Dowd, Chief Executive at Rose Theatre Kingston, said today, 'Anyone who has seen the last series of Blue Planet has now realised the shocking impact of plastic in our oceans. The Rose is committed to reducing its contribution and aims to be an organisation that leads in confronting the issue of plastic pollution.'

Founded by Sir Peter Hall, and modelled on the original Elizabethan Rose Theatre on London's Bankside, Rose Theatre Kingston is the largest producing theatre in South West London.

Since opening in 2008, the Rose has collaborated with a range of directors, playwrights and producing partners to create vibrant, engaging and inspiring productions. Recent works include the first stage adaptation and world première of Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend directed by Melly Still, Zach Helm's Good Canary directed by John Malkovich, John Barton and Peter Hall's Shakespeare adaptation The Wars of the Roses directed by Trevor Nunn. Upcoming productions include world première of Nick Dear's double bill Hogarth's Progress and a major revival of Friedrich Schiller's Don Carlos starring Tom Burke.

With over 150,000 visitors a year, the Rose enjoys artistic and critical acclaim from its own productions and co-productions as well as from hosting the work of renowned theatre companies including Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare's Globe, Headlong, English Touring Theatre, Peter Brook, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, and Sheffield Theatres. With an auditorium that lends itself to both intimate and epic scale productions, the Rose has established itself as one of the most exciting theatres in the UK.

www.rosetheatrekingston.org