Funny thing about climate change...
Dogstar has teamed up with one of Sweden’s leading independent theatre companies, Profilteatern, to present a new comedy, Let’s Inherit the Earth, by Morna Pearson, addressing perhaps humanity’s greatest existential threat outside The White House – climate change.
The Scottish tour opens on October 9 and heads to Skye on October 17 and 18.
Edinburgh-based Pearson is one of Scotland’s most original and witty playwrights. It is a busy time, too, for director Ben Harrison, who returns to direct his fourth production for Dogstar. Harrison, Pearson and Swedish designer Ulla Karlsson will bring the play’s anarchic world of crisis to life with songs, music and sound from Jonny Hardie and lighting by Martin Ogland.
Let’s Inherit the Earth is Pearson’s dark, funny, absurdist satire on human responses to climate change, from the arch materialists who deny it, to the preppers obsessed with getting ready for it, come hell or high water!
It’s 2031. Adele has just hit number one with her new album, 43. Somewhere in the Caribbean, three turtles are staring in disbelief and helplessness at the expanding patch of seaweed which threatens to destroy their habitat. The seaweed spreads towards luxury beach-front condominiums, owned by the super-rich Mucklefannys of the Highlands and the Storskinkas of Sweden. Their concern is the threat to the value of their properties and the quality of their cocktails.
In Moray, Jane and Grant have stocked up on weaponry, an inflatable canoe and Marmite in case of an ‘event’. Sure enough, the North Sea floods in and the geography of northern Europe is transformed.
The forests of Sweden are on fire. Josef, Tove and their child Lukas are frantically packing as the fire approaches. Lukas asks about granny stuck upstairs.
The refugees from the fire and the flood meet in the wilderness, unsure of what country they are actually in. No sign of granny.
The turtles swim for safety as the condo owners welcome the sea lapping at their balconies – saves them the walk to the beach.
Let’s Inherit the Earth is supported Creative Scotland, Swedish Arts Council, Västerbottensteatern.