To mark COP26, The Old Vic and the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh announce Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax will be offered free to schools as part of In Camera: Playback.
Following the Old Vic: In Camera and In Camera: Playback earlier this year, The Old Vic and The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh are delighted to be offering all schools free access to two streams of the production on Mon 01 and Tue 02 Nov 2021.
Originally live streamed directly into homes from the iconic Old Vic stage with the empty auditorium as a backdrop, the production stars Jamael Westman (Hamilton, West End) as the Once-ler and Audrey Brisson, David Ricardo Pearce and Ben Thompson as The Lorax. Other cast includes: Chanelle Anthony, Aretha Ayeh, Richard Katz, Melanie La Barrie and Silas Wyatt-Barke.
David Greig and Charlie Fink’s Olivier Award-nominated adaptation, directed by Max Webster, is inventively transformed into a semi-staged pint-size version to keep young (and older) minds entertained, enchanted and empowered with its central message of protecting the planet.
These In Camera: Playback performances of the live recording will be offered to schools across the globe for free on Mon 01 and Tue 02 Nov 2021 with schools from the COP26 host nation of Scotland particularly encouraged to book. From Mon 11 Oct 2021, teachers will have the opportunity to book for one of the two performances which will be streamed at 9.30am (GMT), and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
As global leaders map out COVID-19 recovery plans, they collectively have a unique opportunity to factor sustainability and green-recovery at the heart of them – and we all have the chance to do the same; to have important conversations around our role in protecting the planet, and to take this moment to reset and examine how we can live more sustainably.
‘Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better.
It’s not.’
Dr. Seuss Enterprises continues to promote this ethos and used the author’s birthday to take positive action, removing six of his books from circulation, and reiterating their commitment to supporting all children and families with messages of hope, inspiration, inclusion and friendship.
Matthew Warchus, Old Vic Artistic Director, said: ‘We first presented our hugely popular production of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax back in 2015 and I still regard David Greig’s dazzling adaptation as one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. It’s a hugely entertaining and urgently relevant parable about how all of us, adult and child alike, can play our part in saving the planet.’
David Greig, The Lyceum, Edinburgh Artistic Director, said: ‘We are delighted to be partners with The Old Vic in bringing Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax to Scottish Schools to coincide with the hosting of COP26 in Glasgow this November. It’s a vital topic and this musical for audiences young and old tells an important story in a charming and accessible way.’
