From pirate hats to headbands for nurses – Isabel pitches in for the NHS

A wardrobe assistant from Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre is putting her talents to good use during the theatre’s temporary closure to make equipment for NHS nurses.
Isabel InnesIsabel Innes
Isabel Innes

Isabel Innes is usually to be found in the wardrobe department at the theatre, where her day-to-day work can include anything from making pirate outfits to carefully recreated period costumes.

But during the theatre’s current closure due to the coronavirus crisis, Isabel, who has moved back to be with her parents in Beeford, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, has been making scrub bags, face masks and headbands for NHS staff after reading an appeal from Facebook group For the Love of Scrubs – Our NHS Needs You.

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“The headbands have buttons on which the face masks can be attached to,” she explains. “A lot of nurses have started wearing them because their ears were getting sore from having the ties from the face masks directly on them all the time.”

Isabel studied for a BA in costume design and construction for stage and screen at Yorkshire Coast College (now Scarborough TEC), during which she did work experience at the Stephen Joseph and was subsequently offered a job.

She has since worked on many productions including A (Scarborough) Christmas Carol, The 39 Steps, Alice in Wonderland, Stepping Out and, last Christmas, Treasure Island.

The therre is closed during the current coronavirus crisis, but is already making plans to be up and running again as quickly as possible once it’s able to.

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The box office team is working remotely to contact people who have booked tickets for the theatre’s upcoming spring and summer seasons and until further notice will be accepting phone and email enquiries from noon to 6pm, Mondays to Fridays.

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