Writer: Brad Sutherland
Director: Kenneth Michaels
Just Stop Extinction Rebellion bills itself as a comedy and writer Brad Sutherland understands his target audience well, as frequent laughter fills the theatre space.
Taking its title from recognisable climate activist groups Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion, the piece follows a small environmentally-focused community group who are joined at the opening of the show by Millicent Forbes-Frobisher – a driven new voice who shakes things up. What follows is much more an exploration of the people behind these groups than the actual mission they strive for, as crumbling marriages, friction amongst friends and a new romance are placed centre stage.
The most effective moments of the production are the snippets of audio from real interviews with climate activists. These recordings play in the darkness between scenes and feel genuine, urgent and impactful, which cannot always be said for the fictional narrative they interrupt.
One of the play’s fatal flaws is that it lacks an obvious vision or objective, existing somewhere between a parody and a genuine call to action. Spotlighting an eccentric group of characters who differ on their preferred method of protest could, of course, be an earnest attempt to reconcile how we view and address the climate crisis. What transpires feels somewhat like a mockery, though, and whether the target is the activists or the mission itself remains unclear.
Approaching a serious topic through a comedy lens requires nuance, which this production unfortunately lacks in significant places. Costume design by Samantha Parry sees performer Orsolya Nagy don a synthetic rainbow wig when portraying the devoutly spiritual Gaia, which immediately imposes a sense of kooky ridicule upon the character and calls into question whether anything she says should be taken as a genuine insight or a cheap gag.
Each with their own characterful personas, the performers gel endearingly as a group, and Louise Bangay and James Price bring heart to their rocky yet intriguing relationship narrative as Millicent and Ben respectively. Price’s relaxed and easygoing turn as Ben nicely complements the earnest, more driven, Millicent, and Bangay goes on to steal the show as she skilfully reveals her more vulnerable side. Stephen Riddle also notably impresses with his multi-role ability, offering three distinct and completely believable characters throughout the piece.
Just Stop Extinction Rebellion is a feel-good snapshot of a community group, which sends its audience away quite unaffected by the core discussion of the show, though not unamused by the quirky cast of characters who deliver it.
Runs until 10 February 2024
