Why is a green room so called?
Question
Why is a green room so called? They're not usually green.
Matilda, Harrow
Answer
** Definitive **
Name: James O'Brien
Qualification: I'm an actor! And attended the same school as Rupert Everett!
Answer: It harks back to the time when green rooms were directly adjacent to the stage and they were lit with a green light which wouldn't then affect the stage lighting. It is still called the green room, even though they are now no longer green.
Name: Edna, Hampstead Garden Suburbs
Qualification: I know the answer from Glydebourne.
Answer: James, you've got it completely wrong. It's from Shakespeare's times when they used to collect all the greenery used around the stage and put it in that room. I know that answer from Glydebourne.