Kyoto (play)
{{short description|2024 play}}
{{Needs plot|date=February 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox play
| name = Kyoto
| image = KyotoPoster.jpg
| caption = West End Promotional Poster
| writer = Joe Robertson
Joe Murphy
| based_on =
| director =
| music =
| date of premiere = {{start date|2024|06|18|df=yes}}
| place = Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
}}
Kyoto is a play by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, produced and acted by Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and Good Chance originally in Swan Theatre in 2024, then @sohoplace in 2025.
The play dramatizes how Big Oil, having learned about the risk of climate change, use legal tricks and misinformation through their representative Don Pearlman in an attempt to protect their profits. Through the determination of key representatives agreement is reached – the Kyoto Protocol.
Production history
= Stratford-upon-Avon (2024) =
The play was presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Good Chance. The world premiere was at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon running from 18 June until 13 July 2024 (with a press night on 25 June). The play was directed by Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin.{{Cite news |last=Lawson |first=Mark |date=25 June 2024 |title=Kyoto review – 1997 protocol on climate crisis fuels gripping theatre at the RSC |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/article/2024/jun/26/kyoto-review-swan-theatre-stratford-upon-avon-stephen-kunken |access-date=31 January 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |date=26 June 2024 |title=Kyoto review – sheer theatrical magic in the RSC's Swan Theatre |url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/kyoto-review-sheer-theatrical-magic-in-the-rscs-swan-theatre_1609415/ |access-date=31 January 2025}}
= West End (2025) =
Following the success of the Stratford-upon Avon run, the production transferred to London's West End at @sohoplace running from 9 January to 3 May 2025 (with a press night on 16 January).{{Cite web |date=2 October 2024 |title=RSC's Kyoto to transfer to @sohoplace theatre in London {{!}} West End Theatre |url=https://www.westendtheatre.com/252739/news/rscs-kyoto-to-transfer-to-sohoplace-theatre-in-london/ |access-date=31 January 2025 |website=www.westendtheatre.com |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |date=26 January 2025 |title=Kyoto reviews at @Sohoplace Theatre in London {{!}} West End Theatre |url=https://www.westendtheatre.com/272053/news/reviews/kyoto-reviews-at-sohoplace-theatre-in-london/ |access-date=31 January 2025 |website=www.westendtheatre.com |language=en-GB}}
Cast and characters
| class="wikitable"
|+ ! rowspan="2" |Character |
| 2024
!2025 |
|---|
| Don Pearlman
| colspan="2" align="center" |Stephen Kunken |
| Shirley Pearlman
| colspan="2" align="center" |Jenna Augen |
| Raul Estrada
| colspan="2" align="center" |Jorge Bosch |
| Fred Singer
| align="center" |Vincent Franklin | align="center" |Duncan Wisbey |
| Bert Bolin
| colspan="2"align="center" |Dale Rapley |
| Secretariat
| colspan="2" align="center" |Olivia Barrowclough |
| Kiribati
| colspan="2" align="center" |Andrea Gatchalian |
| Germany - Angela Merkel
| align="center" |Ingrid Oliver | align="center" |Kristin Atherton |
| Saudi Arabia
| colspan="2" align="center" |Raad Rawi |
| China
| colspan="2" align="center" |Kwong Loke |
| Tanzania
| align="center" |Jude Akuwudike | align="center" |Aïcha Kossoko |
| USA
| colspan="2" align="center" |Nancy Crane |
| UK - John Prescott
| colspan="2" align="center" |Ferdy Roberts |
| Japan
| colspan="2" align="center" |Togo Igawa |
There were many delegates{{Cite web |title=COP3 Kyoto delegate list {{!}} Official website of COP3 |url=https://unfccc.int/cop3/fccc/listpart/delcount.pdf |access-date=19 March 2025 |website=unfccc.int |language=en-GB}} at COP3, two are specifically identified in the play.