POOLE'S Lighthouse Arts Centre may currently be closed to the public – but work is continuing on an adaptation of a science fiction classic.

Theatre company Green Submarine is preparing for its version of Jules Verne's novel, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Lucy Green, of Green Submarine, says the entire show is made of single use plastic waste – the sets, the props and as much of the costumes as possible.

She also said: "It’s incredibly quiet in the building, but we feel really lucky to be in a performance space and working."

Green Submarine, with co-producers Tom Dixon and Paul Moss, will take a two-week residency in the Sherling Studio, once the latest lockdown comes to an end.

Lucy said: "It was a really lovely connection as I started Green Submarine to explore eco-values in theatre so working on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in Poole seems the perfect place to start.

"I’ve been keeping all the plastic in my life for the last year or so and I’ve become the person whose friends just hand their leftover plastic to because I’ll put it to use.

"What that means is that my whole house has been crammed to the rafters with plastic – there’s plastic behind sofas, in all the cupboards, everywhere."

"It is quite overwhelming to see how much plastic is in your life over that time – and I’m someone who tries to make better choices and live as plastic-free as possible.

"That’s why it is very important to me that the show is as recyclable as it can be – so that once it has run its course it can all be recycled.

"I’m not using glues that could be poisonous, I’m using wire instead, and I’ve found this chalk-based paint to use so that it can be washed away afterwards.”

The original idea was to make a one-person theatre show, but as the coronavirus pandemic has progressed the production has evolved, says Lucy.

“Instead of a conventional show it will be an interactive exhibition featuring a series of scenes that can be accessed through QR codes and watched on mobile phones or tablets," said Lucy.

"That way we remove the live element and households or social bubbles enjoy the exhibition without any Covid risks.

"The scenes will follow Captain Nemo and Professor Arronax on their quest to find a monster that seems to be leaving a trail of plastic waste or ‘monster matter’ in its wake."

Meanwhile, Elspeth McBain, Lighthouse chief executive, said: “We are so pleased that despite all public facing activity being postponed due to Lockdown we can still support artists to develop the work we will want to see when we can have audiences back in our venues."