Young Everyman Playhouse to Stage UK's First Carbon Neutral Play

Award-winning Young Everyman Playhouse (YEP) will continue to break boundaries this spring by creating the UK's first carbon neutral play. The production, The Environmentalists, is devised by YEP, telling the story of the environment and their concerns for its future in their own words. YEP can't change the climate by themselves but maybe, just maybe, they can change the way you think about it. The play runs at the Everyman from 2 to 5 March.

YEP have had had great success in the past tackling the key issues of the day. Last year their production Until They Kick Us Out shone a light on our political system through the prism of young people, inspiring one of their cohort to become the youngest person to stand as a candidate in the 2015 General Election.

The Environmentalists sees YEP back on stage with their biggest challenge to date: to make you care about the environment with a fast-paced and confronting piece that is both terrifyingly hilarious and heart-wrenching. Expect an unexpected take on environmental issues guaranteed to make you laugh uncomfortably.

As well as tackling the issues of climate change, The Environmentalists will bring attention to the impact our daily lives have on the environment by creating the UK's first carbon neutral play. To do this the stage, costumes and props will all be recycled from previous productions and LED lighting will be used to minimise the carbon footprint of the play.

However, the largest contributor to a play's effect on the environment is the audience travelling to see it. Audiences will be encouraged to walk, cycle, use public transport or join one of the walking buses laid on by the theatre to reduce their carbon impact. YEP have been working with Nick Doran and Fiona Brannigan from the University of Liverpool, experts in calculating the carbon output of businesses to ensure the carbon neutrality of the play is fully verified.

Matt Rutter, Director of Young Everyman Playhouse, said: "We were talking about the environment and how it seemed like such a big topic people felt they couldn't make an impact as an individual so stopped trying. We wanted to create a show that could inspire the younger generation to take action, to be more aware of the impact we're all having on our environment and to act as a collective to achieve change."

YEP Member Keeley Ray said: "Being a part of The Environmentalists has definitely motivated me to make my own individual contributions towards helping tackle climate change. We're doing the show in the hope that our collective efforts inspire others to change."

The last human alive looks out across the world of water, stood on the last plot of land. Singing out to humanity his song is a warning song. How did it come to this and what could we have done to save ourselves?

But all is not lost. Plant a seed; a small showing of hope, when all looks too far gone, even the smallest of gestures can have a global effect.

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