9 JANUARY - 3 MAY 2025
“Sheer theatrical magic. Truly remarkable” - ★★★★★ Whats On Stage
Kyoto, the 'truly remarkable' (WhatsOnStage) new political thriller transfers to London's West End from 9 January 2025. Brought to you by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Good Chance, fresh from a critically acclaimed run in Stratford-upon-Avon, this 'tense and gripping' (Guardian) show brings a world of hope to @sohoplace for a strictly limited 16-week season.
Welcome to the Kyoto Conference Centre, 11 December 1997.
The nations of the world are in deadlock and 11 hours have passed since the UN’s landmark climate conference should have ended. Time is running out and agreement feels a world away. The greatest obstacle: American oil lobbyist and master strategist, Don Pearlman...
“Breakneck pacing and vivid performances.” - ★★★★ The Stage
Featuring a ‘barnstorming performance’ (FT) from Stephen Kunken (Billions and The Handmaid’s Tale), Kyoto sees Olivier award-winning directors Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin (Stranger Things: The First Shadow) reunite with Good Chance's Artistic Directors and playwrights Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson (The Jungle), for this sharp, searing and darkly comic story of the moment all nations tried to set aside their differences for the sake of the planet.
Hailed as 'rich and vital' (The i) and 'sheer theatrical magic' (WhatsOnStage), Kyoto seats you at the heart of the action, and shows that even in a climate of rapidly rising temperatures, the impossible really can become possible.
“Tense and gripping. This play about the diplomatic consequences
of commas deserves a string of exclamation marks.” - ★★★★ The Guardian
“Rich and vital.” - ★★★★ The I
“Such deftly handled material cuts through to the heart. And that, given the pressing need for collective action on climate, including by our politicians, is immensely heartening.” - Nature
“I hope Kyoto will have a discernible influence on millions around the world. I hope the play reaches audiences I could never dream of reaching through all the scientific papers I’ve ever written. And I hope it provides us with what mathematicians call an existence principle—proof that something difficult is possible. The existence principle in Kyoto is that humanity can and did come together in December 1997 and agreed to solve a seemingly intractable problem. See Kyoto if you can. It will inspire you to find your own way of changing our world for the better.
- Ben Santer, Scientific American
MEET THE TEAM
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@sohoplace, London
January - May 2025Stephen Kunken
Don PearlmanKristin Atherton
GermanyJenna Augen
ShirleyOlivia Barrowclough
SecretariatJorge Bosch
Raúl Estrada-OyuelaNancy Crane
USAAndrea Gatchalian
KiribatiTogo Igawa
JapanAïcha Kossoko
TanzaniaKwong Loke
ChinaDale Rapley
Bolin / Santer / GoreRaad Rawi
Saudi ArabiaFerdy Roberts
UK / HoughtonDuncan Wisbey
Fred SingerKaren Barredo, Jeffrey Chekai, Mark Hammersley, Moe Idris, Sibylla Meienberg
Off-Stage Cover -
Swan Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company
June - July 2024Stephen Kunken
Don PearlmanJude Akuwudike
TanzaniaJenna Augen
ShirleyOlivia Barrowclough
SecretariatJorge Bosch
Raúl Estrada-OyuelaNancy Crane
USAVincent Franklin
Fred SingerAndrea Gatchalian
KiribatiTogo Igawa
JapanKwong Loke
ChinaIngrid Oliver
Germany / Angela MerkelDale Rapley
Bolin / Santer / GoreRaad Rawi
Saudi ArabiaFerdy Roberts
UK / Houghton -
Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson
PlaywrightsStephen Daldry and Justin Martin
DirectorsMiriam Buether
Set DesignerNatalie Pryce
Costume DesignerAideen Malone
Lighting DesignerChristopher Reid
Sound DesignerAkhila Krishnan
Video DesignerPaul Englishby
ComposerJane Moriarty
Associate DirectorGemma Stockwood
DramaturgJulia Horan CDG
Casting DirectorZabarjad Salam (Budgie)
Dialect CoachIain Syme
Associate Video Designer and ProgrammerHannah Ursula Schmidt
Assistant DesignerThomas Tegento
Trainee Director
An RSC, Good Chance, Rachel Styne & Jessica Foung production. In association with Nica Burns.
The original production of Kyoto was generously supported by and is supported by The Dandu Foundation, The Ian McKellen Producer Grant, The Linbury Trust, The Crucible Foundation, Jessica Foung, and Alexander and Brenda Leff
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Press and Reviews
From our critically-acclaimed production The Jungle to award-winning odyssey of hope The Walk with Little Amal. Find out what people have said about our past projects.
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Our Story
In the summer of 2015, two British playwrights visited the Calais ‘Jungle’ refugee camp. There they found a spontaneous international community on our doorstep, thousands of people from over 25 countries living side-by-side, struggling for survival, waiting for their “good chance” to reach the UK.
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Making Theatre
We write, create and produce ground-breaking, heart-thumping theatre that “shakes hands with the world”. We explore the intricacies, commonalities and complications of living together now, exposing audiences to something new and provocative. Find out more about our other theatre work.