Dr Martin James

I’ve never managed to get to a show at the RSC Stratford so I was delighted to get tickets for the world premier of “Kyoto.”

I didn’t expect much, the premise wasn’t exactly my thing (or so I thought) with the show being about a climate accord and the processual build up to it. I was expecting scientific sermonising – which was certainly there – although the story turned out to be a thoroughly human one. As with all dramas centered on people power, politics and their corrupting influences were at the heart of this satirical tale. It made it familial and indeed Shakespearian, with a sense of a tragedy unfolding due “post-truth” design and the frailties imposed upon humanity by its own greed and limitless ambition. These forces always seem more able and willing than those opposed to them.

We will eventually tackle climate change. When it’s too late sadly.

Anyway this was an amazing show, as captivating as it was entertaining. It received a considered review in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-02251-6