This Play Will SOlve Climate Change ~ [The White Bear Theatre] ~ Review

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It’s impossible to ignore anymore, the continuous subterranean rumble of fear, a fear we’ve buried deep because none of us want to spare more than a passing thought on the ever looming catastrophe that is climate change. We’re scared, we feel helpless, and it already feels too late to change – the end of the world is nigh. It’s this very real sensation of living on the edge of disaster which THIS PLAY WILL SOLVE CLIMATE CHANGE centres around. Not only educational, but also entertaining and relatable, it may not be able to achieve exactly what it says on the tin, but you know what? It could certainly help.

THIS PLAY WILL SOLVE CLIMATE CHANGE focuses on the individual stories of four people and their relationship with climate change. The undiluted humanity of this piece is what drives it, what creates such a compelling watch, and what makes it work so well. The first character is a mother whose grown-up daughter doesn’t want to have children because she fears for the future of the planet that child would grow up on. It explores the feelings of guilt older generations experience and the realisation of quite how serious the situation is, the double edged sword of relief and terror that it probably won’t affect them personally, but that by the time their grandchildren are adults there could be no world left to make a life on. Another of the characters is a mother of two young daughters contemplating moving to the hills of Romania and becoming self-sufficient so that at least her family will survive when society’s resources run out. This is a woman who knows what’s happening and doesn’t see the possibility of a bright future for her children, instead she sees a future where capitalism and corporate greed has triumphed over common sense and self preservation, a world in which her daughters must know how to grow food, how to live off grid, and how to fight to protect themselves and their resources. Then there’s the third story, a woman who has just gotten a new job editing an environmental magazine and is learning quite how much trouble the planet is in for the first time. She reminisces about life before that knowledge, when going on holiday didn’t mean thinking about the environmental impact of an international flight, and she echoes the struggle we all feel wanting to do our bit but also wanting to still enjoy the luxuries we’re accustomed to in modern society. The final story is that of a young woman who may or may not be pregnant and isn’t sure how she feels about it, her feelings become even more complicated when she learns that the carbon footprint of raising a baby is astronomically high and she questions whether having a baby is ethically responsible during times of climate change crisis. The play also includes a number of physical theatre elements and facts and figures presented in the form of contestants playing a quiz show.

Now I’m pretty tuned in to current events and I keep a close eye on environmental news and climate change, there were still new things I took away from THIS PLAY WILL SOLVE CLIMATE CHANGE and I learned things I hadn’t known before – quite shocking things, actually. So as far as educational theatre goes this show does its job perfectly, and as well as that it’s incredibly entertaining. The play is peppered with teeth-gritting humour, a little sugar to help the medicine go down, and although its overall tone is urgent, it’s still very hopeful. It points the finger of blame where it’s deserved, it encourages people to think and to be better, and more than anything (and this is something I particularly appreciated) it says “we know how this feels, we know you’re trying, we know you’re scared, we are too, but we’re in this together and we can do this”. A quick shout-out to Chuma Emembolu for the lighting design of this show, which was noticeably excellent and effectively hit the mark and mood of each scene every time.

There were some elements of this show which didn’t work so well and seemed to distract from the play as filler for filler’s sake – one particular scene in which the cast throw around plastic bags seemed a little empty and went on for much too long. The show could also benefit from being more interactive as in the parts where it is it works really well, but this is underutilised. Another impactful element of the play comes in the form of two of the cast members, Freya and Mina Caines, two school children whose very presence is a constant reminder of our duty to preserve the future of our planet, and whose brave performances and clear passion for the topic are truly inspiring.

This Play Will Solve Climate Change is exactly what people need to see at the moment and if I had my way I’d have it performed in every town in the country. This is a great example of one of those plays which is doing good, important work and I look forward to seeing it grow, thrive, and inspire even more theatre just like it.


This Play Will Solve Climate Change ~ [The White Bear Theatre] ~ Review
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆