An innovative new experiment in eco-theatre hit the New Vic this week. From a concept originally conceived by Katie Mitchell, the production generates its own electricity via a team of cyclists wired up to a generator which powers the audio, visuals and lighting.
On this leg of the tour, the local Newcastle Tri Club members whir along on bicycles mounted on stage hooked up to an LED screen to show the wattage of the electricity produced. Its a simple but powerful glimpse for us avid theatre-goers as we are told during the production that an average performance uses over 100,000 Watts of energy.
In this one-woman production, Naomi is played by former Emmerdale actress Danielle Henry. The premise being that the normal schedule of events is upturned so Naomi steps into the breach, using her time to discuss subjects such as climate change and extinction science.
Clocking in at a little over an hour, it is a hard hitting and thought provoking piece. Facts that two-thirds of the wildlife has been lost in as little time span as 50 years is shocking. It’s facts we’ve heard before, but there is something unique about the delivery in the low-lighting and within the monologue of the production that really adds a punch to the message. That not withstanding, it is interspersed with lighter moments and some audience interaction which takes nothing away from the delivery.
A slideshow of fauna and flora which are at critical endangerment, or have become recently extinct are shown which begs the question of how we stop these events from happening. We are told in the production that its not an inevitable scenario if changes are made, but we are left (perhaps purposefully) to muse on how.
Its a production which is poignant, emotive, thought-provoking and very necessary. It is on until Saturday and tickets are available here: https://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/productions/a-play-for-the-living-in-a-time-of-extinction/
