Kyoto

 This is a piece of art that has really impressed me. It takes a number of existing shibboleths in modern society and turns them on its head. The story follows an oil company lobbyist who travels round the world finding ways to undermine climate change agreements before they are agreed to buy time for the oil companies to continue their work without binding international legal frameworks obstructing them. The play sets out upfront the point that securing global agreement and consensus was difficult in the halcyon days of the 1990s, let alone now, and that finding ways past our differences is extremely difficult. It is extremely fair to the arguments set out by the fossil fuel industry - the dependence of civilsation on cheap energy, and the ridiculous position of only rich (in 1990) countries controlling emissions and poor countries not needing to is really well set out. With a few twists this could easily have been a drama setting out the fossil fuel industry's whole position on climate change. 

This courage to clearly set out the other side's case powerfully is rather lacking these days. Kyoto sets out the clear points that sometimes an opposing force to a clear moral purposes can have a strong rationale, and that international agreements can sometimes achieve little, but can create touchpoints that future generations can refer back to. It also does the wonderful thing (James Graham does the same) of turning dry political machinations into exciting and thrilling drama. A long conversation about how countries should vote for resolutions (eventually unanimity is required) is fascinating and funny; but any BBC report about it at the time would surely have been dreary and grey. 

The acting is superb. Don Pearlman (played by Stephen Kunken) has the best part but all the other characters and actors who play them are exceptional. The play takes us through c.5 years of shifting alliances and goals which culminate in the Kyoto agreement in a way that is easily comprehensible. Tempest could have learnt a lot from watching this play's approach to sharing complex and confusing information at pace. 

I strongly recommend and would rewatch if possible. 

Seen at the Soho Place Theatre on Friday 7th February