What is Kill Climate Deniers about? Following our chat with Assistant Director Liam, (Read Part 1 here), we asked our Assistant Producer Aaron Dora to share some insight into what happens during the show.
The play smashes/rebuilds/resmashes/rebuilds the fourth wall like there’s no tomorrow. We meet Finig (a pseudonym for playwright David Finnigan) who reveals the intense journey ‘Kill Climate Deniers’ has gone through – the controversy fuelled by far-right climate deniers and public personalities following the initial cret\ative . Finig even shares insights into the threats received.
Example: “BRING IT ON YOU STINKING LITTLE BITCHES. BEEN RARING FOR SOME GOOD TARGET PRACTICE WITH SOME MOVIN TARGETS, IF YOU GET MY DRIFT. YEAH I DENY YOUR SCAM YOU PUNKS.”
So yeah. #freedomofspeech
The other story of Kill Climate Deniers however….
… begins with Environment Minister Gwen Malkin staring at the stars with her young daughter Cellabrina. She wonders what will happen if people are unable to see the stars anymore, and Malkin assures her they will still shine.
We are introduced to Catch, the leader of an eco-terrorist group, who declares that tonight is the night of a revolution.
Gwen Malkin is interviewed by talkback radio host Jalan Ones about her $75 billion plan to blot out the sun. It is an intricate plan involving helium balloons that spray with light-blocking gasses into the atmosphere. It’s safe to say that the interview doesn’t go so well.
As Catch sneaks into Parliament House before a Fleetwood Mac concert Malkin travels there with Bekken, her social-media savvy “typical millennial” press advisor. When they arrive at Parliament House, TV Journalist Beverly Ile interviews Malkin about her ‘blot out the sun’ plan.
Everyone is settled in for the concert when Catch and her terrorist group take the audience hostage. Parliament House is in lock down. The demand: take action on climate change, stop carbon emissions immediately, or they all die.
BUT. Malkin and Bekken, have gone to the bathroom and are oblivious to what’s happening… until they begin running into terrorists in the halls.
Catch broadcasts a message to the world via live television. She is picking out guests of note to the climate debate, including Ms Remely Clark, a mining executive, and Beverly Ile, when she realises that Malkin is missing.
Malkin creeps through parliament house, now armed. Bekken is close behind, capturing everything for social media.
And in the style of all good action flicks – think Die Hard or White House Down – a few small battles, and a couple of big ones thrown in for good measure play out – so many weapons and hurtful words. In a post-Game of Thrones world, we know no one is safe, and anything can happen at any moment.
You’ll just have to come along and find out.
Kill Climate Deniers is on at Metro Arts from Wed 15 – Sat 25 May. Book your tickets here.
ABOUT AARON
Aaron is an emerging theatre director and producer. He has recently taken a small hiatus from his BFA Drama studies at QUT to work as a Project Coordinator at Queensland Music Festival, where he is working in the programming team to produce the 2019 festival. In 2019, Aaron was the Artistic Director of Vena Cava Productions - QUT’s student theatre company. At the company, Aaron introduced Jason Klarwein as industry patron, and established Vena Cava as 2018 company in Residence at Metro Arts. This culminated in the presentation of the student theatre festival, Freshblood, in a takeover of 109 Edward Street. Aaron has studied Performance at Griffith University, and has undertaken Playwrighting and Voice & Movement intensives at Interlochen Centre for the Arts (MI, USA). He has assistant directed QUT student productions under the mentorship of Kate Wild and Jason Klarwein. Aaron won Best Director at the Beenleigh Festival of One Act Plays for The Girls in Grey.
