Well, that’s the last time I complain about the punctuality of the 36 from Harrogate to Leeds. Last night I got on board a shuttle from Leeds Bus Station and didn’t arrive at Allerton Bywater until 27 years later in 2050. I must be in line for a heck of a payout in compensation, although, come to think of it, it was free, even without my bus pass.
The reason for the Marty McFly bus ride was to see the theatrical experience staged by the National Youth Theatre and LEEDS2023. It involved a leisurely wander around the nature park to see what the world may be like in 2050 which is the year that the Paris Agreement on climate change is due to be fully implemented.
As anyone who has even glanced at a newspaper, or the tv will know, we are still a million miles away from getting the job done and, although I probably won’t be around to collect my winnings, I am willing to bet that we will still be no closer come the day. I am here to review the piece as art rather than discuss the ins and outs of the subject, but – and you just knew that there was going to be a ‘but’ there – the problem can’t be solved without universal goodwill and is far more complex than the signing of a piece of paper or setting up pressure groups with snappy names. How could any politician commit their country to doing anything at all which will take the life span of several changes of government, some of different persuasions, to achieve. Just think of the world leaders who were present in 2015, and how their countries are so different in their thinking and political leadership eight years later, and that’s not counting the ones with the same structure who haven’t budged an inch. On to the crux of the matter.
The Government Minister and his spin doctor
When I saw this production, referred to as ‘immersive theatre’, I felt a shiver run down my back. I have only been to one of those before and the audience was almost compelled to become part of the action. I’m a Yorkshireman and if I pay good money to see actors I am not going to do it myself and, had I wanted to perform in a play, I would have gone to RADA rather than Leeds College of Commerce. The audience participation here was much more subtle than the previous one in that the setting was the 2050 Nestfest where we bird lovers gathered together to reminisce about the days when you could view the creatures live rather than merely a virtual version.
The only way to see birds in 2050?
We were welcomed by the organiser of Nestfest 2050 who went through the species lost since the last event and welcomed on to the stage, the government minister responsible for climate change. It came as no surprise to find that he was the pantomime villain who, with the constant prompting of his spin doctor, came up with the reasons why the target had not been met but pledging his commitment to remain committed to it. There were several hecklers in the audience who were giving him a hard time and it soon became clear that these were some of the 100 or so young performers in the piece. Many more were to reveal themselves at various points throughout the evening, some enacting their stories as we were ushered from one part of the reserve to the next.
Actors telling their stories en route
As things got darker, in more ways than one, we were approached by hawkers selling glittery sandbags to protect against the impending catastrophic deluges or pushing seats on spacecraft to take us to Mars in order to start a new life there.
The whole thing was held together by the story of Skylar who was the granddaughter of a climate activist who underwent state persecution in order to protect her, and the rest of the world, from impending doom. This was particularly effective towards the end of the play when we were all present at grandmother’s funeral, the eulogy of which was accompanied by a large flock of illuminated birds. Up until that point, the column of audience members had been in talkative mode but the procession from the cemetery back to the original assembly point of the evening was conducted in almost total silence. Incredibly moving.
Skylar in front of the mining equipment
If all this sounds unbearably doom-laden then fear not, it did end on an optimistic note. For those of you not from round these parts, St Aidan’s RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) Nature Park, is on the site of what was once a large coal mine. It now has wetlands, lakes and other features conducive to birds treating it as a natural habitat. The message being that if the right conditions exist, the birds will arrive in their numbers again.
There was also a happy coincidence in that September was chosen to cause as little disruption as possible to migrating species, and not to interfere with the nesting season, although there were a few squadrons of birds in V shape formation overhead on their way south. It also meant that the 7.45pm kick-off was at dusk and the 9.15pm finish was in total darkness. This not only acted as a lighting effect to accentuate the climate extremes and impending disaster, but provided an amazing sunset in beautiful surroundings.
Sunset at St Aidan’s
The acting, both by the main characters and the pop-up performers en route, was very effective if, as you would expect, a bit preachy at times, and the effects, both visual and sonic, superb. There was a huge piece of mining machinery kept as a nod to the site’s past, which provided a backdrop to Skylar’s opening address thus giving it a downbeat feel, but was utilised as a screen at the end on which was projected a video piece depicting the coal mining past and the hope for the future. I also liked the way in which Skylar was clad in a hi-viz yellow jacket which, in the opening speech made her look like a miner, whereas at the closing monologue it echoed the yellow of the canaries which would have been taken down the pit to warn of dangerous levels of gas build up. That is brilliantly clever on so many levels.
Skylar in front of the colliery machinery, in canary yellow
Fortunately the weather was extremely kind to us, and promises to be so for the rest of the run which ends on Saturday, 9th September. I understand that there are a limited number of tickets left but I would recommend that you get your hands on one if you can. Don’t worry about the walk, it is pretty easy and there are plenty of stops along the way. There are also lots of marshalls to assist where necessary, the odd bench should you need a break, and food and drink stalls at the start/finish area. Wheelchair and child buggies are fine as most of the route is on hard pathways, in fact they were given priority as there is no great rush from one performance area to the next. There are several ways to get there including the free Shuttle buses from Temple Green Park and Ride and another from Stands 27 and 28 of Leeds Bus Station.
Everyone involved, actors, technicians, creatives and, very importantly, the volunteers who made sure that everyone was safe and able to enjoy the experience, deserve the greatest of praise.
For further details and to book, please go to https://leeds2023.co.uk where you will also find the complete programme for the remainder of the Year of Culture.
For more about St Aidan’s RSPB Reserve please see https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/st-aidans/
Photographs by Stan Graham
One last thing. Please rest at ease as on the way back to Leeds Bus Station, Marty McFly, who was driving, didn’t have to get to 88mph in order to deliver us back to 2023.
Tyke It To The Limit 