Just as a classic rock band takes the stage in Parliament House, 96 armed eco-terrorists storm the building and take the government hostage. They threaten to execute everyone unless Australia ends global warming.
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That is the plot for Kill Climate Deniers, a script that IO Performance will stage from November 2-6 and again from November 10-13.
Producer and director Grace Roberts said she heard about the waves the script was making when it first premiered in Canberra.
"[Chris Jackson and I] sought out the script, and I gave it a read and immediately fell in love with it," she said.
"The play itself is really fun, despite the title. It's quite violent ... but it's a black comedy.
"The thing I love most about the script is that it is not just one-sided ... it presents both sides of the argument really quite eloquently."
When IO met with the writer of the script, David Finnigan, he agreed the company could put on the show, but with a few conditions. The show could not be longer than an hour-and-a-half and the script needed to be edited and cut.
"The script itself is quite long because it has informational pages that are peppered throughout it about climate change, the corporations, and the controversy when the play first got published and the politicians reactions in the ACT, and the media storm that happened after he wrote it," Roberts said.
"What I have done is taken really poignant points and put that throughout the play to break up the action of the story."
However, the biggest request was that any proceeds Finnigan would have received as the writer would go to a climate charity instead.
Audience members will have the chance to vote on the charity they wish the money to go to - out of three picked by IO - before the show. The charity with the most votes at the end will receive the donation.
The performance has a lot of information to convey so to help in that process, Roberts used different styles of media including projections and voiceovers.
Kill Climate Deniers also has an all-female cast, which was discussed at length and a deliberate choice.
"We came to the conclusion that it would be a completely different story if there were [male characters] because of the nature of masculinity and how that portrays in the space," Roberts said.
"We believe the importance of the conversation is at the forefront, rather than the aggression or masculinity."
The show is recommended for those 16 and older as it has coarse language and graphic violence. Tickets can be found at ioperformanceco.com.
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Dana Anderson
On a Friday night you may see me at the theatre, a festival, an exhibition, or in the corner of one of my favourite establishments reading a novel. So, it makes sense I am the arts and what's on reporter for The Examiner. To contact me about a story please send an email to dana.anderson@examiner.com.au
On a Friday night you may see me at the theatre, a festival, an exhibition, or in the corner of one of my favourite establishments reading a novel. So, it makes sense I am the arts and what's on reporter for The Examiner. To contact me about a story please send an email to dana.anderson@examiner.com.au
