The most sustainable shows on stage – in pictures

Tanja Beer's Strung explored the boundaries of performer and designer, installation and costume, site and material – the work is part of a broader project called This is Not Rubbish, which is transported in a small suitcase.
Photograph: Alex Murphy

Fanshen's Cheese (set in a giant emmental) saw three office workers put on a play to mark their company's liquidation – for the set and props, the theatre company sourced furniture and paper from local business recycling bins and second-hand carpet tiles.
Photograph: Conrad Blakemore

Cheese was powered from batteries charged daily by exercise bikes in local gyms – most of the costumes were hired as well, rather than bought from scratch for the production and discarded afterwards.
Photograph: Conrad Blakemore

Imogen Heap's Earth Day live performance: just under 90% of the energy required across the 10 days on location was provided by solar and pedal power, with the remaining power drawn from a biodiesel generator running recycled vegetable oil.
Photograph: Courtesy of artist

Macbeth, starring James McAvoy, featured costumes reclaimed, recycled and reused from army surplus supplier Sabre Sales.
Photograph: Johan Persson

Designed by Soutra Gilmour and directed by Jamie Lloyd, Macbeth also sourced costumes from vintage dealers and the charity shops of Camden.
Photograph: Johan Persson

The Night Alive: another production designed by Soutra Gilmour, the show featured a set of reclaimed maple floorboards, vintage rolls of wallpaper, and props and furniture from the car-boot sale at Wimbledon dog track.
Photograph: Helen Warner

Prue Lang's dance show Un Reseau Translucide investigated human activity as a renewable energy source – the production created an autonomous performance that ran on 100% of its own energy.
Photograph: Hillary Goidell

Lang's production examined the relationship between the body and its environment, while opening up a dialogue on sustainable development in artistic practice, with dancers generating their own electricity through her choreography.
Photograph: Hillary Goidell