The Smile singer opened up about how her stage door outfits help her deal with the show's heavy content

Sign up to HELLO! Fashion for style tips, cultural insights, must-have items, and more

Fashion is a form of creative expression, and for many, it possesses a power that goes way beyond merely shielding your body from the elements.

 Lily Allen recently credited her fashion choices, in particular her stage door outfits, with helping her mentally separate from the sensitive themes she addresses in her current West End role.

The singer is starring in Martin McDonagh's at the Duke of York's Theatre, London.

She has been consistently wowing us with her post-play looks, spanning from crochet co-ords and glitzy chainmail tops to shift-style mini dresses and – her latest – a vibrant Magda Butrym hooded number.

Don't Miss

• 

  Victoria Beckham just called Lily Allen her 'VB muse' here's why

READ: Lily Allen has had a 'quiet luxury' style transformation to rival Sofia Richie and you probably hadn't noticed

But aside from delivering us with some serious outfit inspiration, the 38-year-old revealed that her high-octane ensembles serve another personal purpose.

In a candid Instagram Stories Q&A shared with her 1.6m followers, Lily explained why she gets dressed up each evening after the performance.

MORE: Lily Allen's latest outfit is proof her style has completely changed

READ: Lily Allen looks completely unrecognisable in stunning style transformation

She acknowledged the fact that her part is "pretty harrowing" and went into further detail about the acting of getting ready helps her mentally disconnect from the intensity of the play's themes.

"It's nice to come off stage and transition into something glamorous, it really helps me to separate from what's happened on stage," she wrote. "Plus I'm very lucky and people send me wonderful things to wear." 

What is about? 

Martin McDonagh's n is a dark comedy play set in a totalitarian police state. The story revolves around a fiction writer who is interrogated about the macabre nature of his short stories and their resemblance to real-life happenings. The lead role, Katurian, is played by Lily, and this run of shows marks the first time that it has been played by a woman.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qbHLpaammZeWx6q6xGeaqKVfnbOue5RpZ2ppZWS5qrjYZpilpJWjerTAwKCcZpyfpL9uu9StnaKso2K1prjPZp%2Beql2YvLGxjLCgraBdna6zvs6woKefXZawtbXNoGSrp5yafA%3D%3D