It’s the 1980s and 1990s and as the terrifying impacts of global warming became ever more apparent, the United Nations summits on climate change are perhaps Earth’s only hope. Kyoto (premiering at the RSC and now in its second run at @SohoPlace) centres on those conferences but in particular the efforts of one man: real-life Republican oil lobbyist Don Pearlman (Stephen Kunken), to frustrate these summits and delay agreement.
Central to the whole show, Kunken said to London Theatre, “even when you play somebody who may not have fallen down on the right side of history, you never think of that person as a villain” – these words are embodied in his portrayal of Pearlman and in the script of Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson. The welcome the United States has provided Pearlman’s refugee parents fuels a fervent belief in the American dream that he feels any climate accord would threaten. Shadowy representatives of the Seven Sisters – the big oil companies – hover and fund his dissent.
This is a clever show about a pressing topic and was justifiably nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Play (ultimately losing out to Giant, about Roald Dahl).
The diplomacy at play in climate negotiations is important for us all to understand and is excitingly presented in a series of round tables. Argentinian diplomat Raúl Estrada-Oyuela is particularly well-drawn and Jorge Bosch also had an Olivier nomination for the role (again losing out to Giant).
The tiny island state of Kiribati too is clearly delineated, their delegate (Andrea Gatchalian) is strong, young and refusing to drown in silence. Other countries are presented more as composites, necessary to fit the play into a reasonable length of time but meaning some voices are subsumed.
To turn a series of conferences into a visceral, human and compelling piece of theatre is a triumph. However, I felt some of the comedic elements were not a good fit and detracted from the more serious themes.
The theatre @sohoplace is a flexible “in the round” theatre, however, this show is not and I suspect it was a disappointing experience for those seated behind the main action.
Kyoto will make you reflect on the people behind the snippets of conferences we see on the news and ponder your own role in protecting our planet. Will you choose the right side of history?
Red Bus Londinium Life 
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