Environmental Sustainability at Longborough

We are proud to be working towards a more sustainable approach to theatre making.

Following on from and continuing the successes of our first year using the Theatre Green Book, we used the 2024 season to collect additional data on our current practices and trends.

The Hedgehog bus transfer service launched to great success, and has been expanded in 2025 to include our dress rehearsals.
Travel data was collected from audiences, office and seasonal staff to better understand the different routes and transport modes people take to arrive at our venues. This data will be used as we aspire to increase our accessibility and promote cleaner ways to travel.
Der Ring des Nibelungen was presented using a dynamic and flexible set, which has been in use since 2019, demonstrating that sustainable and high-quality designs can be achieved when resourced and properly thought through.
La bohème achieved the Theatre Green Book Basic standard in the Costume and Prop department, with over 75% of costumes and props hired or sourced from stock.
We offered a 50% plant-based menu in recyclable containers for our backstage catering, and reusable drinks containers were gifted to the whole company to reduce waste. Continued efforts were made to bring awareness to the recycling areas throughout the season.
Many of the Longborough office staff are now Carbon Literacy trained.
Our recycling rate for the 2024 season stayed consistent with 2023 levels, at 61.4%.

Our targets for 2025

Sustainable Productions

Our teams will supply better supportive material for designers and all departments to record and prepare the forward life of all production materials, with a target of 65% recycled postproduction.

Sustainable Operations

We will continue improving all areas with a particular focus on consolidating deliveries, and developing alternate means of travel to and from site.

We aim to include sustainability standards in contracts and sustainability criteria in procuring for major suppliers and contractors.

Sustainable Buildings

We have a documented Sustainable Plan including ‘in-hand’ easy wins, maintenance and capital projects.

The Hedgehog shuttle bus service

The Hedgehog community bus service is a non-profit organisation operated entirely by volunteers.

In partnership with this brilliant local service, in 2024 we began offering a shuttle service from Moreton-in-Marsh station to our theatre.

“A chance meeting led me to the main Royal Opera House contractors who were throwing out all the red plush seats. Immediately I hired two gigantic articulated trucks which arrived a Bow Street a few hours after the Gala Night in July 1997.” – Martin Graham

At Longborough, there is a great tradition of recycling which we are keen to build on. Our theatre interior is decorated with salvaged doors and mirrors, as well as our seating, which was rescued from the Royal Opera House when they refurbished in 1997. Read more about this story in our book, Longborough Festival Opera: the first 30 years.

Our story

Find out more about Longborough Festival Opera.

Your visit

Arrive early to take-in the stunning scenery – and perhaps make some new friends – before the performance.

Emerging Artist programme

Our work with emerging artists, young people and the community is an important part of our activity