Janie Dee, the two-time Olivier Award-winning actress and musical theatre star, is bringing her passion for environmental awareness to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer with Janie Dee’s Beautiful World Cabaret. Set to run at the Pleasance Dome from July 31st to August 26th, 2024, this innovative show promises to blend entertainment with education, addressing the pressing issue of climate change through song, spoken word, and guest appearances.
“I started the London Climate Change Festival in 2020 to bring information, inspiration and hope,” Dee explains, reflecting on the origins of her environmental advocacy. “I then pulled together a whole host of incredible people and created Song for Nature for Sky Arts. I then felt sure that a live event would amplify the effect, so Beautiful World Cabaret was born!”
The show, which Dee describes as “an unexpected twist on the traditional cabaret that’s radical yet informative,” will feature a diverse range of music from artists including Sondheim, Sting, Peggy Lee, and Vivaldi. Dee’s versatility as a performer will be on full display as she shifts between cabaret and spoken word, exploring how we can be more mindful of the world we inhabit.
“It’s a playfully informative and inspirational journey of humanity and nature through song that is, at its heart, always hopeful,” Dee shares. The actress’s commitment to the cause is deeply personal, stemming from her own realisation about consumption and waste. “I’ve been passionate about the conscious effort to reduce waste and limit my own use of plastics.”
The format allows for a unique blend of entertainment and education. “Like any cabaret, you start off, and then you introduce everybody,” Dee explains. “For me, cabaret is spontaneous. So although it’s scripted, there’s room for spontaneity, because the audience is there. If somebody says something to me, I will talk back to them.”
In addition to the musical performances, the show will feature a rotating lineup of guest speakers, each bringing their own expertise on environmental issues. “We have a sort of five to seven minute interview with guests,” Dee says. “If that guest is able to come to Edinburgh, we’ll be going to the Heart of New Haven to have discussions with that guest about their work.”
These guests range from scientists and activists to writers and celebrities, all united in their commitment to environmental causes. “I’m asking Professor Brian Cox, Alan Titchmarsh, Matthew Evans who wrote ‘Soil,’ and Luke Douglas-Home, who’s running around the coast of Britain picking up plastic,” Dee reveals, highlighting the diverse perspectives the show will offer.
Dee’s approach to environmental advocacy is rooted in personal action and community engagement. “I think just getting together and talking about it is most important… take a picnic blanket, put it on the grass and have a chat to your friends. Just talk about it. See what you come up with,” she suggests. “When you’re with other people, there’s an enthusiasm and it starts to help you to take action.”
The actress is particularly focused on the issue of waste at the Edinburgh Fringe. “The plastic is the thing,” she emphasises. “Drink out of reusable cups. It would make so much less of an issue in Edinburgh.” Dee is even reaching out to the Students Union to discuss alternatives to single-use plastics during the festival.
Despite the serious subject matter, Dee assures that the show will be entertaining. “I’ve chosen things that are absolutely beautiful and stunning and funny,” she says. “It’s my personal story of the ups and downs of showbiz and motherhood, and caring about something much bigger, that you have absolutely no power over except what you do yourself.”
As Dee prepares to bring her Beautiful World Cabaret to Edinburgh, she remains hopeful about the impact it can have. “Even if just one person per show changed the way they lived their lives, what an amazing thing that would be,” she reflects. With its unique blend of entertainment and environmental consciousness, Janie Dee’s Beautiful World Cabaret promises to be a thought-provoking and inspiring addition to this year’s Fringe lineup.
