Belgrade to kick off City of Culture programme with climate change play

Belgrade Theatre is kicking off Coventry's City of Culture programme with a digital performance of the climate change play, Like There's No Tomorrow, which has been commissioned by the National Theatre.

In 2020, in recognition of the Belgrade Theatre 's ground-breaking co-creation Theatre in Education practices, the National Theatre commissioned the Belgrade 's Young Company to create a piece of theatre about climate change as part of its NT Connections Programme.

This was the first play to be commissioned from, and co-created by, young people rather than adult professional playwrights.

The words and ideas of Coventry 's Young People on this key issue are now being amplified around the country through the NT Connections Festival 2021, in which 20 different youth groups from Plymouth to Falkirk are staging the play in various formats, both live and digital.

As part of the festival, Like There 's No Tomorrow returns to the Belgrade with a new digital version from the Belgrade Young Company, which will be available to view online from 19 May until 13 June.

Tickets are free, with an optional donation to support the Belgrade. Ten per cent of all the online donations will also go to support the vital work of the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust.

Like There 's No Tomorrow is a work that has emerged from Belgrade's leading participatory work and pioneering co-creation process adopting aspects of Theatre in Education - first pioneered by the theatre in 1965.

Justine Themen one of the Belgrade 's three artistic directors, who co-created and directed the original stage version of Like There 's No Tomorrow with Claire Procter in 2020, said: “We chose to make a piece about climate change because it is the urgent issue of our time - and what better way to have impact than to be reaching and inspiring young people across the country.

"We are so delighted that the play has been chosen for performance by 20 youth groups from Plymouth to Falkirk and is also being performed by one of our own youth theatres.

"The play was co-created with our 2020 Young Company, a group of young people aged 13 to 26 showing particular flare for theatre making and an interest in climate change.

"As a result, the play is a rich reflection of young peoples thoughts and ideas about the crisis that the world finds itself in - plenty of fear, but also plenty of hope. We hope the show helps people to understand the urgent need for global thinking and systemic change and to think about how they can contribute. ”

Pictured: Actress Maymoonah, who plays Tipper in Like There's No Tomorrow