Belgrade Theatre to stream climate change play LIKE THERE’S NO TOMORROW
New climate change play commissioned by the National Theatre in 2020, Like There’s No Tomorrow, returns to the Belgrade Theatre Coventry in digital format from 19 May-13 June.
Performed by the Belgrade Young Company, this was the first play to be commissioned from, and co-created by, young people rather than adult professional playwrights.
There are strange cracks appearing in the land on the other side of the world, turning habitats into wastelands and creating a new wave of climate refugees. But no one’s worrying about that here – where a mayoral candidate is promising more, more, more. It’s what the people want. Apart from Maru that is, who can’t breathe.
As part of the NT Connections Festival, the words and ideas of Coventry’s Young People on climate change are now being amplified around the country, with 20 different youth groups from Plymouth to Falkirk staging the play in various formats, both live and digital.
One of the Belgrade’s three Co-Artistic Directors, Justine Themen, who co-created and directed the original stage version of Like There’s No Tomorrow with Claire Procter in 2020, said: “We chose to make a piece about climate change because it is the urgent issue of our time - and what better way to have impact than to be reaching and inspiring young people across the country. We are so delighted that the play has been chosen for performance by 20 youth groups from Plymouth to Falkirk and is also being performed by one of our own youth theatres.
“The play was co-created with our 2020 Young Company, a group of young people aged 13 to 26 showing particular flare for theatre making and an interest in climate change. They were involved at every stage of the process from the exploration of the subject matter to shaping the narrative to improvising the dialogue - a true reflection of the Belgrade’s collaborative process for making participatory theatre, building on its strong history of Theatre in Education practises. As a result, the play is a rich reflection of young peoples thoughts and ideas about the crisis that the world finds itself in - plenty of fear, but also plenty of hope. We hope the show helps people to understand the urgent need for global thinking and systemic change and to think about how they can contribute.”
Tickets are free, with an optional donation to support the Belgrade. 10% of all the online donations will also go to support the vital work of the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. For more information, please click here.
