Exploring the apathy and inaction surrounding climate breakdown, Slow Violence is an absurd physical comedy theatre show set in a neglected travel agents office and will play at The Pleasance.
This fast paced two-hander starts with Peter’s induction in the Happy Holiday’s office where he’s learning that working life isn’t quite as he imagined. Alongside his highly enthusiastic and overbearing colleague Claire, they carry on working in their run down and dangerously hot office, attempting to ignore the floods and flames as they plough on with business as usual.
As the office (and the pair’s working relationship) farcically crumbles before the audiences’ eyes, the show gives them the opportunity to contemplate these indifferences and sparks timely conversations surrounding global warming.
Things aren’t looking good in the Happy Holiday’s office. The roof is leaking, the printer is on fire, and someone keeps turning the heating up. How long can Claire and Peter keep up the facade of business as usual? Will they learn how to fix their office before everything falls apart completely?
Co-creator and performer Laura Ryder said, “Slow Violence is an absurd comedy but at the heart of the show is our desire to encourage audiences to explore the apathy and inaction that exists in relation to climate change. In the same vein that Claire and Peter can’t continue to deny the fact that office is falling apart, nor can we keep pretending the world is not endangered. Whilst so much narrative around the climate emergency focuses on fear, our storytelling avoids doomy narratives and looks to give people a sense of empowerment by provoking conversation and creating ideas of community and connection.”
B Team are a Midlands based theatre company specialising in creating entertaining theatre about the environment that provokes conversation and change. Slow Violence is the second offering from the physical theatre company shedding light on environmental issues. It follows The Bee Project, a show for teenagers about bees, friendship and small acts of rebellion, which toured nationally in 2018-19 to great acclaim. Their next show, The Garden in My Living Room, a children show for ages 3 – 7, will open this autumn with a schools and community tour, before embarking on a national tour next spring.
Slow Violence was devised and created in 2019/20 and was commissioned by partners including China Plate, In Good Company, Warwick Arts Centre, Attenborough Arts Centre and Midlands Arts Centre. It’s supported by Derby Theatre, Big House (ERDF), New Perspectives, Camden People’s Theatre, University of Leeds Cultural Institute, Hawkwood, Strike A Light Festival and The Reckitt Arts Trust.
Slow Violence will play at The Pleasance Theatre 21– 25 March 2023.
