Rating: ★★★★
Venue: Southwark Playhouse Borough, London
Cast: Harry Japes, Rowan Miller, Rachel Greenwood, Dominique Vincent, Syam Stewart, Evie Desheva, Scarlett Molyneux, Josie Surminski, Nina Amos, Emma Judge, Thea Walcott McKay, Anne-Elizabeth Sowah, Hywel Simons, Kacey Ainsworth and Nancy Crane
A jury of young people sit in judgement of the older generation for failing to deal with the catastrophe of climate change, deciding who should be punished for not having taken action sooner. As the ones most affected by it, it surely makes sense that they should be the ones to decide the fate of individuals who could, and should, have done more. But as they start to deliberate, the question really becomes are they actually delivering justice, or just seeking revenge?
Climate change is the biggest threat to humanity and a dark shadow hanging over the potential future of our planet. Some deny the impacts they have on the world but at what cost? The Trials, set in the not-too-distant future takes the dark premise of what could be done to teach those who do not take climate change seriously a lesson and has put it on stage.
We see three defendants who each plead their case, each explaining the reasons for their impact and their carbon footprint being higher than the law of the time allows. The Jury deciding their fate is made up of twelve young adults who debate the moral implications of the defendant’s actions before ultimately deciding their fate. They are full of idealised theories, headstrong opinions and determination.
Performed by this year’s participants of the Southwark Playhouse Young Ensemble, a programme for 19-35 year olds to experience all aspects of performance. They take on this dark piece with all the youthful enthusiasm you would expect, they are fresh and energised throughout. The way they tackle the darker moments of tension mean the audience are drawn deeper into their reality. The piece itself is very pacey which means the 90 minutes flies by and does not feel like it drags. The use of video is very well thought out: the three defendants only ever appear on ‘police statement’ style videos which helps aid the disconnect we feel to their stories.
With a strong cast of twelve, it would be easy for some characters to fade into the background or be forgotten but that is not the case here. Every actor does well to make an impact with their role. They are a diverse group with some more introvert characters as well as some louder characters. In particular Harry Japes stands out as fiery Noah, a young man with strong opinions and a lot of pent-up anger following the loss of his mother which he blames on the ones in charge. Harry brings an intense energy to the role which aids the drama of the piece. Evie Desheva is outstanding as Amelia, a shy timid girl who does not want to have the power that has been bestowed upon them and struggles with the moral feelings around the choice that must be made. Evie’s talent for bringing emotion to the forefront of her performance was very special.
This was a wonderful performance of this piece which feels incredibly relevant to the world we are in. I look forward to see how members of this youth ensemble will move forward in their careers.
You can find out more about The Trials, here.
Review by Rosie
**photo credit: David Jensen**
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