AN RSC, GOOD CHANCE, RACHEL STYNE AND JESSICA FOUNG PRODUCTION
9 JANUARY - 3 MAY 2025
“Sheer theatrical magic. Truly remarkable” - ★★★★★ WhatsOnStage
Hailed as a ‘genuinely daring’ (Evening Standard) ‘triumph’ (Telegraph), Kyoto has opened in London’s West End to rave reviews, an Olivier Award nomination for Best New Play and Best Supporting Actor, and is the ‘only play you need to see right now’ (Broadway World).
Brought to you by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Good Chance, transferring fresh from Stratford-upon-Avon, this ‘total thrill ride’ (Time Out) brings a world of hope to @sohoplace for a strictly limited season until 3 May.
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’ (Financial Times) by 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.
Both ‘gripping’ (The Times) and ‘extraordinarily funny’ (Variety), 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.
“A crucial piece of theatre that nudges the world a little.” - ★★★★★ WhatsOnStage, West End
“Kyoto is the only play you need to see right now.” - ★★★★★ Broadway World, West End
“Sensational on every level […] Kyoto is the first unmissable play of 2025 and that verdict may well be unanimous.” ★★★★★ All That Dazzles, West End
“Probably the most engaging, electric, urgent piece of theatre I’ve ever witnessed.” - Forbes, West End
“Tense and gripping. This play about the diplomatic consequences of commas deserves a string of exclamation marks.” - ★★★★ The Guardian, Stratford-upon-Avon
“Rich and vital.” - ★★★★ The I, Stratford-upon-Avon
“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, Stratford-upon-Avon
“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
Have you watched Kyoto and want to make your own “DISCERNIBLE” impact?
Not sure where to start? Already on your climate journey?
We’ve created a toolbox of ideas, big and small, at the intersection of personal, local and systemic change, to help us all take those next steps towards a sustainable future. Everyone’s different, so why not start with just one thing!
For those interested in the history that inspired the play, there is a wealth of brilliant books, such as Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy (Joanna Depledge), The Carbon War (Jeremy Leggett), Merchants of Doubt (Erik M. Conway, Naomi Oreskes), Survival Emissions (Prof. Mark Mwandosya), The Kyoto Protocol: International Climate Policy for the 21st Century (Sebastian Oberthür, Hermann E. Ott), The Kyoto Protocol: A Guide and Assessment (Michael Grubb, Christiaan Vrolijk, Duncan Brack) to name just a few, as well as many excellent documentaries, radio programmes and online sources. With heartfelt thanks to the real negotiators of Kyoto.
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
The West End production of Kyoto is an RSC, Good Chance, Rachel Styne & Jessica Foung production.
In association with Nica Burns.
The original production of Kyoto was co-produced by the RSC and Good Chance, and 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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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.