Module Directory

From extreme weather events to the destruction of marine habitats, from global warming to species extinction, planet Earth has now entered what many to believe to be its sixth mass extinction. While scientific experts and political leaders attempt to address these issues, this module asks what role theatre, performance and activism can play.

The module’s primary focus is ecological drama written from the mid 20^th century (the dawn of the nuclear age) to the present day. Through readings, rehearsals, discussion, performance and improvisation, we will examine a range of radical dramaturgies employed by key playwrights and theatre makers (including Caryl Churchill, David Finnigan, Ella Hickson, Dawn King, Lucy Kirkwood, Martha Loader, Duncan Macmillan, Katie Mitchell, Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson).

We will also explore protest theatre, activism and agitprop, tracing their origins back to the American environmental protest movement of the 1960s, and we will examine Extinction Rebellion’s recent performance activism. As well as looking forwards, we will also take a revisionist look at some seminal plays (e.g. Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People) that tackle issues of ecological crisis and dramatise the complexity of telling truth to power.

The aims of this module are:

• To provide students with a thorough understanding of the history and development of ecologically focused theatre, primarily through studying and performing excerpts from a number of play texts and examining the work of a number of influential eco-theatre makers and practitioners working both in the UK and internationally.


• To stimulate fresh thinking in this field and to nurture and support new ways of performing and creating ecologically aware drama.


• To develop an understanding of the practical and the aesthetic choices open to eco-theatre makers in the UK today and to encourage a working understanding of The Theatre Green Book.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of a wide range of dramaturgies employed by key playwrights and theatre makers in this field.


2. Have performed scene(s) from an extant eco-theatre play and have devised and performed an original new eco-theatre play or performance piece, critically reflecting on its creation.


3. Have gained a working knowledge of The Theatre Green Book (theatregreenbook.com) and the ability to explain how this knowledge would be applied to achieve Theatre Green Book Baseline Standard for a hypothetical future production of the students’ devised performance piece.

Syllabus information

Introducing Eco-Theatre: Key terms, concepts and historical developments

The role of humour in climate crisis drama: Lungs by Duncan Macmillan

Eco-Theatre’s Radical Dramaturgies (inc. Caryl Churchill’s Escaped Alone)

Eco-Theatre and Accountability: Dawn King’s The Trials

The world on trial: Kyoto by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson

Eco-Theatre and Responsibility: Martha Loader’s Albatross and Lucy Kirkwood’s The Children

Selecting excerpts of eco-theatre plays

Rehearsing excerpts of eco-theatre plays

Revisiting the Eco-Canon: An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen

Protest! Survive! Eco-Theatre and the role of performance activism

Eco-Theatre on an epic scale: Ella Hickson’s Oil

Climate Dramaturgy and The Theatre Green Book

Derangements of scale: David Finnigan’s Scenes from the Climate Era

Climate Justice

Creative workshop to release the eco stories students feel most passionately about

Devising and shaping eco-theatre performance pieces

This module will be delivered via:

• Seven 3-hour lectorials plus three 3-hour creative workshop classes in autumn term.
• Seven 3-hour lecturials plus three 3-hour creative workshop classes in spring term.

Plus one (voluntary) field trip to see a piece of eco-theatre during autumn term (field trip subject to availability and budget).