THE Scouts pantomime group has pledged to make its productions more environmentally friendly after adopting an industry sustainability framework normally used by major theatres.

Salisbury & South Wilts Scout District has staged an annual pantomime for more than 30 years, with a cast of 30 to 50 young performers aged seven to 18 and a volunteer team of adults.

The shows have been held at venues across the city, and for the past 20 years at The Studio Theatre in Ashley Road. Their next production, Camelot, will run from January 7 to 10, 2026.

The pantomime committee was inspired to rethink its environmental impact after reading about the Theatre Green Book (TGB) in a Salisbury Playhouse programme.

The group contacted TGB in autumn 2024 to ask whether the framework, widely used across the UK and overseas, could be applied to a small volunteer-led pantomime. The response was a “resounding yes”.

TGB is an industry-wide initiative launched in 2020 to help theatres become more sustainable.

It provides guidance, checklists and measurement tools across three areas: productions, operations and buildings.

As the Scout group rents its theatre space, it focused on the first two categories.

The pantomime team began with the Preliminary stage, setting out its commitment and forming a working group. They went on to achieve Basic Level certification for their 2025 production of Peter Pan.

The Cast of the 2025 Pantomime ‘Peter Pan’.

Much of the group’s work already aligned with TGB principles. As Scouts, reuse is “second nature”: scenery, backdrops and props are stored for future shows, some for decades.

This year they cleared out old costumes, filling 20 bags that were sent to clothing recycling outlets and freeing up storage space.

They have also switched from staples to Velcro for attaching scenic backdrops, reducing waste and making scene changes easier.

Attempts to cut printing by using phones for scripts were abandoned after it hampered learning, but paper scripts will now be limited to key cast members.

The group is continuing to refine its approach and a TGB webinar hosted by the National Theatre in September offered new ideas that the team hopes to apply to Camelot next year.