WELCOME TO REUSABLE THEATRE
Reusable Theatre was established to create awareness-raising productions that can pop up for performance wherever there is a need. We are not currently making new work.
We make our scripts freely available so that anyone, anywhere, can recreate our productions with their own team.
If you are interested in producing your own version of This Play Will Solve Climate Change, please email reusabletheatre@gmail.com
WORKSHOPS
Our mission is to use theatre to inspire climate action.
As part of this, we offer workshops to groups of people interested in exploring the climate emergency through theatre.
These have included working with both ESOL classes and drama groups. We are particularly keen to engage with communities who feel their voices are underrepresented in climate discussions.
If you would be interested in booking one of our workshops, please get in touch on the email address below. We are sometimes able to offer workshops for free or reduced rates, depending on circumstances.
reusabletheatre@gmail.com
Past Productions
This Play Will Solve Climate Change
This Play Will Solve Climate Change was first performed as part of a Festival of New Work at the White Bear Theatre, Kennington, in August 2019.
“The undiluted humanity of this piece is what drives it, what creates such a compelling watch, and what makes it work so well.”
★★★★ London Pub Theatres Magazine
Photo by Andrew Spicer
This Play Will Solve Climate Change was also performed in a “pay-what-you-can” showing at Streatham Library in September 2019.
It was then performed at the John Lyon's Theatre, City Lit, for two performances in December 2019.
Photo by Nik Rivers
Audience feedback
At every performance, we ask our audiences for feedback. Here are some of their comments.
Photo by Andrew Spicer
How did this play make you feel?
Hopeful, part of a “community”, that we’re all in this together and we can do something.
It made me feel less alone, sad, uplifted and hopeful.
I loved that there were children . . . that it asked the audience important questions, variety of storytelling methods.
Concerned, wanting to act and tackle powers working against the climate movement, worried for future.
Sad and angry. Inspired to take action. It made me think of how we willingly blind ourselves. It’s so inspiring.
Very moved and sad, connected, angry, despondent, motivated, helpless, hopeless, searching.
Informed, hopeful, and a sense of urgency.
Like I’m not alone in this – we need more shows like this one – PLEASE!
Hopeful and determined to do more to help.
Photo by Nik Rivers
What did you like about this play?
The way that fact heavy info was presented in a way that wasn’t mind boggling. A lightness to it.
The cleanness and simplicity of the set up was good. It wasn’t overkill or too much.
The message, the pace, the shape of different parts, the cast, how inclusive it was.
Diversity of experiences, lives and perceptions represented. Nicely reflected some of the internal debates that many have about their life choices.
THE GLOBAAAAL QUIZ!!
We drew our facts for This Play Will Solve Climate Change from many different sources.
The climate emergency is a difficult topic about which to present facts, because statistics are often manipulated by people with different agendas and things are changing all the time. We try to be accurate and truthful in everything we present here and in our performances; if you find any errors or out-of-date information, please do email us!
The play contains a quiz – The Globaaaal Quiz!! – and here is a list of where we found our facts for questions.
THE GLOBAAAAL QUIZ!!
Question 1
Which of these items can you recycle:
(a) pizza boxes (b) plastic straws (c) aerosol cans
Answer: (c)
Source: Dial A Bin
Question 2
In what year did a scientist first predict that increasing C02 in the atmosphere was likely to result in global warming?
(a) 1896 (b) 1926 (c) 1976
Answer: (a)
Source: The Climate Reality Project
Question 3
What percentage of scientists agree that human-caused climate change is happening here and now?
(a) 17% (b) 57% (c) 97%
Answer: (c)
Source: Rebellion Earth
N.B. However, in July the Guardian published an article which reported that scientific consensus was now likely to have reached 99% due to a new report: The Guardian Newspaper
Question 4
How many companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions?
(a) 1,000 (b) 100 (c) 2,500
Answer: (b)
Source: The Guardian Newspaper
Question 5
How much money do the top five oil companies spend per year lobbying to delay, control or block policies to tackle climate change?
(a) £1m (b) £5m (c) £153m
Answer: (c)
Source: Influence Map
Question 6
These oil companies were projected to increase investment to £94 billion this year. What percentage of that did they plan to direct at low carbon projects?
(a) 3% (b) 27% (c) 50%
Answer: (a) Source: The Guardian Newspaper
Question 7
What percentage of human-caused climate change is a result of animal agriculture when the loss of carbon sinks, respiration and methane are properly accounted for?
Answer: 51% (or 25% excluding carbon sinks etc)
Source: Cowspiracy
Question 8
How many species are currently threatened with extinction?
Answer: more than 28,000
Source: International Union for Conservation
NB However, a new report recently estimated that as many as 1,000,000 species could be at risk:
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Question 9
What is the current level of global warming?
Answer: 1.1°C above pre-industrial era
Source: World Meteorological Association
Question 10
What target was agreed at the 2016 Paris Accord?
Answer: 1.5°C (or ‘well below 2°C’)
Source: UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Question 11
According to the UN IPCC report, how many years do we have left to avert catastrophic climate change?
Answer: 11 years
Source: The Guardian Newspaper
WHO WE ARE
Rosanna Preston
Actor / Creative Producer
Rosanna Preston has returned to acting after an extended break and has been training at the City Lit over the past year. Recent roles include Polina in The Seagull (Woodhouse Players), the King of France (and other roles) in Henry V and Mrs Higgins in Pygmalion (Tower Theatre), Trowle in Chester Mystery Plays (St Saviour's Church), Wife in Let us Make the Flames of the Revolution Rage Furiously and Atossa in The Persians (Theatro Technis), and Zelda in An Afternoon in Zelda's Silence, Centre17. Rosanna played Helen in the film Box. Her directing credits include Hard To Find (Stoke Newington Lit Fest) and Visitors (Woodhouse Players).
Siobhan Spooner
Actor
Siobhan Spooner has always loved acting. She took several advanced acting and screen acting courses at City Lit and she recently completed their Access to HE Drama diploma. She also studied at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and The Showreel. She recently acted in two short films The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Nik’s Choice. She played Poppy Price in Warp and Woof at the Union Theatre. She also narrated The Turning Seasons for The Max Bruch Trio. Siobhan is delighted to be in This Play Will Solve Climate Change and to be part of the global effort to try to save our planet.
Cecilia Stassi
Actor
Cecilia Stassi is an Italian performer based in the UK. She trained in Commedia dell'arte, music and contemporary dance in Italy and continued her training in England. She completed the Access course at City Lit in 2017 and is currently training in World Performance at East15 Drama School, with a focus on physical theatre and music. Her theatre credits include Tyresias in Bacchae at La Cometa (Rome), Alice in Alice in Wonderland at MAT (Viterbo) and Rose in The Chrysalids at the John Lyon Theatre (London). She also appeared in the independent film Katrina's Dream, a Swiss-Italian production, and performed at other venues such as Teatro Giuseppe Verdi (Viterbo), Teatro Argentina (Rome), and the Clifton Theatre (Southend-On-Sea), as well as the Brazilian Embassy in London, as part of dance and musical ensembles.
Anca Vaida
Actor
Anca Vaida is a Romanian actress who trained at East 15 drama school. Some notable projects since graduating include Sorry, My Compassion is on the Blink at the Pleasance Theatre, MUM! at Theatre 503, "Corpus Christi" at the Arcola theatre and Sex Magick at Baron's Court Theatre. Besides stage acting, Anca has had several roles on screen, including playing Marina in Angela alongside Mark Holden. Her short film Can We Order First has just been selected for the Berlin Short Film Festival. In her spare time when not acting, Anca is also a doctor.
Freya Caines
Actor
Freya Caines is seven years old and likes rollerblading.
Mina Caines
Actor
Mina Caines is eleven years old and likes comics.
Laura Baggaley
Director
Laura Baggaley is a theatre director and writer. She read English at Oxford and took an MA in Text and Performance Studies at King’s College London and RADA, then pursued further director training at the National Theatre Studio. She has directed at numerous different venues including the Open Air Theatre Regent’s Park, Southwark Playhouse, the King’s Head, and the Arts Theatre Cambridge, and worked as Staff Director at the National Theatre. Her productions have ranged from Shakespeare to new writing, plays in translation, large-scale community projects and devised work. She was Associate Artist with Company of Angels (now called Boundless) and then served as a Trustee with them for eight years. She also teaches acting at City Lit and has directed eight student productions in the John Lyon Theatre.
Michael Caines
Composer
Michael Caines has written music for various media, including a defunct BBC children's channel, a couple of podcasts and various theatrical performances.
Alice Catanzaro
Stage Manager
Alice Catanzaro started in the theatre as an actor. After training for few years, between Italy and London, and participating in various projects, she decided to move backstage. Alice has been training as a Stage Manager at City Lit over the past year and half. She has been Assistant Stage Manager, Deputy Stage Manager and Sound Operator for various productions for the City Lit theatre company.
Kenneth McLoone
Graphic Designer
Kenneth McLoone is a skilled Graphic Designer with over twenty years experience in print magazine design, art direction, book design, website design and app prototyping.
Reading & Research
Here are some of the key pieces of writing that have influenced us
Articles
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/series/the-polluters
https://issuu.com/ippr/docs/inheriting_the_earth_july19/2?ff
http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/despairing-about-climate-crisis/
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/01/magazine/climate-change-losing-earth.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305750X16304867
Books
The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells
Short Films
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIqJ05Dv8BM
Longer Films
Cowspiracy
TAKING ACTION
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” - Anne Frank
More than anything else, we want to encourage people to take action! When it comes to tackling the climate emergency, here are some simple starting points . . .
If you'd like a new idea for every week of the year, sign up for regular 'easy action' emails at:
OR
use the button in the top right hand corner to download our free booklet, '52 Eco Actions'!
Write to your MP
Ask what personal action they intend to take to combat the climate emergency. For example:
- Ask them to write to the leader of their party drawing attention to the issue
- Ask them to make environment a key policy at the next election
- Ask them to turn up and vote at the next environment debate
- Ask them to put forward environmental questions at PMQs
Find your MP here:
Join the climate movement
You could sign up to the Climate Coalition mailing list. They’ll keep you informed about major marches, lobby days, petitions etc:
https://www.theclimatecoalition.org
You could join your local Extinction Rebellion group and meet other people near you who want to make a difference:
Support one of the many environmental charities by signing petitions, donating or just spreading the word:
Influence your institutions
Ask your school to sign up to the Eco Schools scheme:
https://www.eco-schools.org.uk/about/howitworks/
Ask your church to sign up to the Eco Church scheme:
https://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk
Ask your synagogue to sign up to the Eco Synagogue scheme:
Or set up an Eco Committee at your workplace and get your colleagues on board to green things up!
Talk, Talk, Talk
Perhaps the most important thing we can all do is to normalise the conversation about the climate and ecological emergencies. The more we talk about it, the harder the crisis is to ignore. When it becomes normal to expect systemic change, the government and other leaders will have to respond.
Climate Outreach has a brilliant free handbook, 'How to Have Conversations about Climate Change'. Download it, and get talking!
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