Kyoto – Soho Place

Rarely can a play genuinely be labelled as an “important piece of theatre”, but Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson’s Kyoto is firmly in that category.  Fresh from its critically acclaimed run in Stratford-upon-Avon, Kyoto offers a tense and challenging insight into the process of what John Prescott called “diplomacy by exhaustion”.  And rarely has a play been so topical. With wildfires raging and floods destroying communities, while some politicians and commentators continue to deny the existence of man-made climate change, Kyoto is a much-needed history lesson, a demonstration of what is diplomatically possible as well as a grim warning for the future if governments fail to act.

The nations of the world have got together to discuss climate change and attempt to agree to targets and timelines for change. There have been meetings and conferences resulting in vague statements over the previous decade with little progress. All these discussions lead to 11 December 1997 and the Kyoto Conference Centre. The deadlock of the previous ten years seems entrenched with little way forward, much of the gridlock engineered by American oil lobbyist and brilliant strategist, Don Pearlman, who is determined to ensure that no agreement is reached or at least that any wording is watered down to such an extent as to be meaningless, “Tonnes of words, but no text”. When the scientific evidence begins to gain traction, he pivots from undermining the credibility of the reports to attacking the scientist behind them. “If you can’t destroy the science,” he says, “destroy the scientist.”  The machinations between the delegations are tense and frantic, everyone focusing on individual national concerns. The US claim setting targets would destroy the American economy, the Kiribati delegate gives a passionate speech about how Micronesia will be under water if nothing is done. Saudi Arabia demands compensation for loss of oil revenue. With no meeting of minds and little apparent willingness to compromise, how can they cut through the noise and reach agreement for the good of the planet?

Giving an absolute masterclass performance as the Machiavellian Don Pearlman, Stephen Kunken leads an exceptional cast of performers who play the national delegates, oil company executives, scientists and journalists.  Jorge Bosch is terrific as Raúl Estrada-Oyuela, the Argentinian who challenges Pearlman. Jenna Augen also gives a great performance as Shirley, the US delegate, willing to find compromise but stymied by the divisions between the White House and Senate.

Direction by Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin is swift and sure. They bring constant movement, the pace and noise as frantic as the oncoming storm of climate change, as delegates rush around to side meetings in attempts to gain support for their positions then debate over semantics and punctuation deep into the early hours.  It’s a beautifully choreographed piece.  Murphy and Robertson’s writing is crisp, wry and darkly comic in places and all too believable.

The set – one of those large round UN conference tables with interpretation headsets and desk flags – puts the audience right at the heart of the action.  There’s a judicious use of video clips and live camera that links the events of the past to the present day.

Diplomacy is said to be the “art of the possible”.  With climate deniers increasingly gaining power, scientists being attacked and vilified, political positions becoming ever more divided, the world needs the “possible”, as eventually was demonstrated in Kyoto in December 1997. This is a do-not-miss production.

Kyoto is at the Soho Place Theatre until 3rd May.  Tickets are on sale from: https://sohoplace.org/

Reviewer: Carole Gordon

Reviewed: 17th January 2025

North West End UK Rating: