Textile artists are reshaping how the theatre makes its costumes with the aim of replacing harsh synthetic dyes
Squint at the roof of the grey, brutalist National Theatre on London’s South Bank and you might be able to spy a riot of colour spilling from the concrete.
This is the theatre’s new natural dye garden, from which flowers are being picked to create the colours for the costumes worn in the theatre’s plays.
Chemical dyes are often toxic for the environment and bad for human health, so the costume designers at the theatre are experimenting with using flowers including indigo, dahlias, hollyhocks, camomile and wild fennel to create the vivid colours used in their productions.
The head textile artist, Liz Honeybone, is buzzing with excitement about the opportunities the new garden is bringing.
