A professional touring production by Lj Hope Productions is coming to a town theatre.
The new play that vividly imagines three versions of our future, all impacted by the climate and nature crisis, will be performed at the Angles Theatre in Wisbech on June 7 at 7.30pm, as part of a regional tour.
Phoenix, Dodo, Butterfly has been written by University of East Anglia-based dramatist Steve Waters (The Contingency Plan, Song of the Reeds) and is directed by theatre maker and activist Kay Michael (A Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction, Sequel).
It is based on the work of Rupert Read (Emeritus Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of East Anglia and co-director of the Climate Majority Project), described by former Climate Change Minister Claire O’Neill as “one of the world’s leading climate activists”, and it is being produced by Lucy Farrant (LJ Hope Productions).
It builds on the success of a previous day-long workshop held at Norwich Arts Centre in 2022, which received unanimous praise.
The play is set on an East Anglian farm, where Martin and Becky seek to find their way through three futures: one of flood, one of drought, and one of potential hope.
Maybe it’s their daughter, Aimee, who holds the secret to their survival.
The 50-minute play is followed by reactions and discussions on the drama and the climate crisis initiated by prominent guest speakers.
Prof Waters said: “I have been working on PDB since 2022 and in that time have seen the climate crisis advance with scary rapidity which has defined the script.
“But likewise, I have been deepening my knowledge of the world of farming, getting an acute sense of the challenges farmers face and the rapidly shifting landscape of Government funding and agricultural policy.
“I also feel ever closer to my three characters who we track through the different futures that frame the show.
“I am thrilled to see this show meet audiences and the debates that ensue.”
The tour is being supported by an Arts Council England grant of £28,000, £4,500 from UEA and £450 from Norfolk County Council.
Kay Michael said: “At the heart of this play is the question of whether we can repair our natural environment in time and at the scale required to avert climate and ecological catastrophe.
“What will it take? On the personal level, we see the relational challenges between family members that need to be overcome, and on a societal level, we see the trust that needs to be built between local stakeholders.
“Everyone is needed if we’re to stave off collapse and turn our futures around into something more liveable. We hope this production galvanises all who watch it.”
The opening chapter of Dr Read’s book, ‘This Civilisation is Finished’ (2019) serves as inspiration for the play.
“The wonderful thing about drama is it can bring the future that it depicts alive to us.
It is thrilling to see the kinds of possible futures - bad, ugly, and good - that we may choose together to make, staged for us to contemplate, to see,” he added.
“It is such an honour that Steve Waters chose to find inspiration in my work to enable this process of shared imagination to take shape.”
It will be performed at the Angles Theatre before continuing the tour in Sheringham, Surlingham, Lowestoft, and Cambridge.
Lucy Farrant said: “The futures depicted in Phoenix, Dodo, Butterfly have global resonance, whilst being firmly rooted in the soil of the Eastern region.
“I am delighted that we are working with so many brilliant cultural organisations across this region
and sharing this essential live event, combining drama and discussion, with as many people as possible.”
To Book tickets go to: www.anglestheatre.co.uk
For more information on the play, visit the website www.phoenixdodobutterfly.com
