Lyric life

Our Costume Deputy Hannah has been using her time on furlough to sew scrubs for NHS workers on the front line of the Corona virus pandemic. We caught up with her to find out a bit more about her volunteer work and career to date…

A week after lockdown began there was when an urgent request for scrubs being shared nationwide on Facebook and I joined a local group of sewers who decided to club together to make scrubs for our local hospital. We found out they were in desperate need as they were having to change scrubs at least ten times a day to avoid spreading the virus, and there just weren’t enough to go around. So I thought – ‘I have all the machines and tools that I need, so why not help out?’

We set up a fundraiser that allowed us to buy all the necessary fabric, and it all got going from there.

It’s been very different to making costumes. Scrubs are a really simple shape and can be made a lot faster than some of the costumes I’ve made before, which can be very elaborate! So far at the Lyric I’ve worked on The Seagull, Jack and the Beanstalk, Dick Whittington, Leave to Remain, Noises Off, A Doll’s House, Cinderella, and Love, Love, Love. My favourite costume I’ve made is probably the Queen Rat costume I made for Dick Whittington at the Lyric in 2018.

I’ve made around 50 sets of scrubs personally, but collectively the amazing group of women I’m sewing with have made over 600 sets for Airedale Hospital in West Yorkshire. I’m planning on making more if the need continues or making some washbags/head bands. But I’m also going to make some things for myself that I’ve kept meaning to get round to.