STAGING A JUNGLE: LIVE PLANTING FOR THE NATIONAL THEATRE’S GALA

Event Agencies

EVENTS

The Client: The National Theatre
The Location: Lyttelton Theatre, SE1

For the National Theatre’s Next Chapter Gala, we transformed the Lyttelton Stage into a luscious jungle for one night, building it plant by plant using real, living event greenery that thrived under the spotlight.

Event plants installed on the Lyttelton stage for the National Theatre's Next Chapter Gala.

Photography by Frederick Goff.

THE BRIEF

The National Theatre's biennial gala is the biggest fundraising night in its calendar, and 2026 marked the first one staged under new Director Indhu Rubasingham. The 2026 edition celebrated the transformative power of the family show at the National Theatre, exploring how a first encounter with the magic of theatre can inspire the next generation of artists and audiences. The National Theatre's upcoming production of The Jungle Book served as the inspiration for the event design which transported guests from their theatre seats into an immersive jungle dining experience that took place on stage.

Guests were welcomed into the building through a verdant green tunnel decorated with living plants, creating a unique arrival moment. Following the opening performance, the Lyttelton Stage was then transformed into a lush jungle-scape, featuring living plants, a canopy of trailing vines, soundscapes, and jungle projections.

Our role was to create this living landscape inspired by the magic of children’s storytelling. Layered tropical foliage and sculptural planting served as the visual focal point of the evening, softening the architecture of the stage and inviting guests to step directly into the story. This is exactly the kind of impact live event greenery can achieve when it’s designed with purpose: adding texture, warmth, and a genuine sense of place that no backdrop or artificial décor could replicate.

OUR SOLUTION

We built the jungle from live planting, designing within the technical requirements of a working theatre, including rigging, stage lighting, and a live production schedule. All plants were repurposed after the event to ensure the jungle-scape had a life beyond the stage, reducing waste and supporting a more circular, sustainable approach to event design.

Our team wove planting through every part of the evening, including:

  • Integrating suspended planting installations into the stage rigging alongside decorative lighting to add a fresh, natural look overhead that caught movement in the stage lights.
  • Designing living centrepieces for every dining table, replacing traditional floral arrangements with something more alive and atmospheric.
  • Placing large-scale tropical planting around the stage and dining space, using large potted plants to define and separate areas within the environment.
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DESIGN APPROACH

The brief called for a sense of drama and scale while maintaining black-tie elegance. Greenery is versatile in event design as it can add texture and warmth without competing with the occasion. Large-leafed tropical foliage gave the space its architectural structure and density, whereas trailing plants softened the rigging overhead.

Working in close collaboration with the venue's lighting designers, we ensured the botanical and technical elements integrated seamlessly. A deep green palette was selected to complement the National Theatre’s staging, while the placement of trailing plants was strategically planned to catch movement in the stage lighting as guests moved through the space. This collaborative approach allowed the lighting to play a crucial role throughout, enhancing the visual impact of the greenery and bringing the canopy overhead to life.

INSTALLATION

The build ran across three days, carefully coordinated around the National Theatre's production schedule to ensure the space remained a working theatre throughout.

  • Rigging went in first, with our live planting built into the structure as it went up.
  • Lighting and tech runs followed, so every suspended element was checked before the next stage began.
  • Once the technical elements were signed off, our team built the landscape across and around the stage.
  • Table dressing went in last, just ahead of doors opening.

Our horticulturists selected plants suited to the conditions of an indoor theatre, monitoring them throughout the build so they looked fresh, full, and show-ready on the night.

THE RESULT

The event greenery was integral to the experience, shaping the journey from the arrival tunnel to the dinner setting and the performances throughout the evening. It defined the atmosphere and the evening's narrative, showing how live planting can serve as both sustainable décor choice and a powerful design tool in high-profile corporate events.

‘Plant Designs managed to transform our large stage spaces into a lush jungle environment, the big reveal brought a great response from our invited audience and helped make the evening a great success, many thanks from all at the National Theatre.
National Theatre

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Live planting can deliver theatrical impact at scale without the need for plastic and create a landscape that continues to offer value beyond the event itself. To reduce waste and support a more circular approach to event design, the plants used here were repurposed after the gala.
  • We work closely with rigging and lighting teams from the very beginning, planning planting around the production schedule. This early collaboration is what helps everything run smoothly on the night.
  • A build like this comes together by following the right order: rigging first, then lighting and technical work, then the landscape, and finally table dressing. We’ve learned this sequence through experience, so every part of the project moves forward without delays.

Whether you’re planning a large-scale corporate event, a fundraising gala, or a venue transformation that needs to make a real impression, live planting can do the heavy lifting. From a single lush entrance to a full stage dressed in event greenery, we build layouts with living plants designed to work as hard as the room does.

Ready to talk through live planting for your event? Get in touch. 

 

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