Page 19 - 368649 LP250851 NE Volume Magazine (170mm x 245mm 52pp) November 2022

STAGE
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ARC in Stockton will play host to The Wicked Problem on Wednesday 16th November, a show from the vanguard of climate theatre which places the audience at the centre of the subject matter. There is a rich vein of performance and innovation with a participatory edge flowing through both Stockton as a town and the ARC as a venue at any given time, a tradition The Wicked Problem promises to follow closely. With climate crisis guaranteed to grow exponentially as a topic of contemporary relevance, the show anchors itself around the ‘geographical privilege’ of the fact that, as with most inequalities, those with the least will bear the heaviest burden, channelling into the subject from this angle. Set in a 2061 devastated by planetary disaster, the show certainly carries a thematic heaviness, but not at the expense of entertainment or engagement. This is achieved via an array of characters of varying backgrounds from across the world, taking the form of witnesses in the trial of a man who has potentially contravened a ‘climate law’. The interactive format formally affords the opportunity to, and indeed requires, the audience to debate the moral implications of the choices taken by the central character in the face of still mercifully unimaginable upheaval, before passing judgement as to whether or not they are guilty. The verdict determines the direction, in the style of a ‘choose your own adventure’ story; always an intriguing and potentially riveting concept for the stage. Like any sci-fi worth its salt, or futurist fiction of any genre stripe, The Wicked Problem interrogates the issues of the present by imagining what the seeds planted today will sprout many decades hence, in the context of climate change in this case. Immersing the audience in the experience enhances the intensity and gravity of the matter, with much scope for intellectual stimulation and philosophising. By the same tokens of communality and inclusiveness as those ideas espoused within the show’s content, the presentation will operate under ARC’s ‘Pay What You Decide’ banner. The Wicked Problem is presented by Ergon Theatre, one of the UK’s foremost arts stables on the subject of climate disaster. The company’s mission statement strives to marry the arts and sciences in the interest of education and empowerment, trusting deeply in the role of performance in pursuing climate justice and broadcasting the views and beliefs of the scientific community to the wider public, and vice versa. MICHAEL JOHNSON
Visit: arconline.co.uk
COMEDY
Very much a pot of gold in human form, Irish writer, actress, and stand-up comedian Joanne McNally is the gift that keeps on giving. And her newest gift is a revisit to her irreverent and critically acclaimed show, The Prosecco Express. Due to a relentless ageing process, Joanne finds that suddenly she is in her late thirties with no husband, no children, no pension and, truthfully, no plan. As such, she has a lot of questions: if she doesn’t birth any offspring, who will be the ones obligated to watch her die so that she doesn’t have to do it alone? Is it possible for her to start a GoFundMe page to get a golden tomb built for single people to be buried in with others, or do all singles get thrown into a mass grave and get covered in cat hair? On Sunday 27th November at Tyne Theatre and Opera House, McNally will look at how and if her life has progressed in what is an hysterical and honest look into mature and single life. GEORGINA SHINE
Tickets: £21.00 Advance | Visit: tynetheatreandoperahouse.uk
hysterical. There will also be a yet-to-be-announced act joining the line-up, so keep your eyes peeled for that announcement. To witness this line-up, audiences should head to Bishop Auckland Town Hall on Friday 18th November. GEORGINA SHINE
Tickets: £8.00 Advance | Visit: hilaritybites.co.uk
JOANNE MCNALLY
AT TYNE THEATRE, NEWCASTLE
THE WICKED PROBLEM
AT ARC, STOCKTON
1. Alex Hewitt
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