Theatre lamps are going out all over Europe and we shall not see them lit again if Britain passes new EU environmental legislation, the head of the National Theatre has said. Rufus Norris, its artistic director, said that restrictions on traditional and LED lightbulbs due to be enforced by 2020 would make all theatres’ lighting equipment redundant. He estimated that the cost to British theatres of replacing it would be £1.25 billion. He is supporting a campaign to halt the Ecodesign Working Plan, which the EU is scheduled to enact in October, before the official date of Brexit on March 29, 2019. Even if Britain were able to opt out of the ban, which prohibits the manufacture of bulbs that generate less than 85 lumens of light for each watt of energy consumed, it is likely that manufacturers would not find it economical to make bulbs only for British theatres.
Times 8th May 2018 read more »
