In one of the early scenes in Scenes from a Climate Era , simply titled ‘Tomorrow Morning’, one friend calls another to discuss what happened the night before. The one who picks up immediately panics and apologises for being rude about seeing the play, admitting that they just wanted to see “something fun” after work and a depressing play about the climate isn’t quite for them. The friend, it turns out, actually was calling to reveal they have herpes.
It’s only a short scene - one, maybe two minutes, certainly not the longest of the dozens that are fired at the audience over the course of 80 minutes - but it perfectly captures the vibe of Scenes from a Climate Era. The latest collaboration between Auckland Theatre Company and Silo Theatre is self-aware enough that this may not be the most appealing of subject matters, but it finds every opportunity it can to entertain. Written by Australian David Finnigan, but tweaked to include a multitude of local references, this work could best be compared to ATC’s similarly titled Scenes from a Yellow Peril .
While that work was a comparatively tight 14 scenes, you lose track of how many there are here, with most only lasting a few minutes before the location, staging, tone and performers seamlessly transition to another. It starts with a couple debating about whether it’s right to have a child and bring more emissions into the world. We then pivot to a duo of scientists in the 70s debating early climate science before a TV performance.
Two women dance at a nightclub after one of them has spent the day trying to block out the sun. A panel debates solar and wind farms in Northland. Chinese scientists try to stop an Antarctic glacier from collapsing into the sea.
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