“It’s 2061. A coastal town is quiet, deserted by those seeking higher ground. As three siblings clear out their grandma’s belongings, they find a diary left behind that will change everything. Locked within are journals and love letters set amidst a world of climate chaos. With the audience’s help, the family secrets are spilled. When the floodgates open and revelations come to light, will this family sink or swim? Join Edinburgh’s favourite premiere experimental theatre company, Theatre Paradok, as we cast an eye to the future to address the most pressing issue of our present.”
Creating Floodgate amidst the hottest summer on record has been a bit surreal at times. On one hand, it has been a relief to see so many people calling for climate action due to the extreme weather. However, it has been truly terrifying to have the climate crisis unfold in front of our eyes, to see how unprepared we really are. If we needed another reminder of why Floodgate exists, that was it. The default response to climate change is one of apathy, nihilism, and fear, or a disturbing cocktail of the three. It was clear to us from the start that we needed to encourage a different way of thinking.
Set in 2081, where gigantic walls line the British coastline and the lucky few reside in protected safe-towns, Floodgate gives a glimpse of a dark, apocalyptic future. As three siblings read their grandma’s diary and look into their past, the audience takes a glimpse into their potential future. But through a cunning shattering of the fourth wall, this dystopia is revealed as preventable and the power to change this story is placed in the hands of the audience.
Floodgate is an unmissable piece of climate sci-fi to catch this summer. Instead of preaching guilt, it urges the audience to be hopeful and take action! The climate crisis is the most urgent issue of our time and, by this point, a lot of us know it. Floodgate is a show about how we can carve out hope from this mess – and why we must.
Floodgate is at 8pm 22-27th August at The Space @Niddry St
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/floodgate
