Who Ya Gonna Call?

(in event of emergency)

“How do you imagine that feels?

To be the one person in your whole organisation who’s been tasked with saving the planet?”

In July 2022, the UK recorded its hottest temperatures ever, and the country almost ground to a halt. But we’ve known about climate change for years… so why are we this badly prepared?

In Who Ya Gonna Call?, this and other difficult questions are explored with the help of some buckets, some sand, a few old vinyl records, and a dash of black humour. Based on personal interviews with a range of Yorkshire-based sustainability professionals, this solo performance introduces some memorable characters and presents some modest proposals for positive change. And since nobody can act alone on climate change, the audience is invited to help out a bit…

Lasting about one hour, Who Ya Gonna Call? is designed to work as a conversation starter, so we recommend saving time for a Q&A discussion afterwards. We also offer a longer, follow-up workshop that can be used to unpack spectators’ responses to the performance, and to identify possible action points in your particular context.

"Who Ya Gonna Call? helps to unpack the awkward, unspoken issues that many of us might know of but struggle to articulate. The resulting performance is powerful and thought-provoking."

Jonathan Moxon - Executive Manager for Flood Risk & Climate Resilience, Leeds City Council

Who Ya Gonna Call? was developed as part of the UK Climate Resilience programme, in association with Leeds City Council and the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission (YHCC). We conducted interviews with a range of people affiliated with these organisations. We asked them what they saw as the major risks presented by a changing climate, in their particular professional contexts, and how those challenges are being addressed. What, in short, are we doing about this?

"An engaging and meticulously realised journey, [from] climate anxiety through the maze of responsibility… The play is a powerful example of the role performance has in highlighting the many facets of decision-making relevant to creating a socially informed and resilient UK."

Online review in newsletter of UK Climate Resilience programme

Venue requirements:

Who Ya Gonna Call? is designed to work flexibly in theatre spaces, community halls, or office settings. All we need is an open floor space, a willing audience, and the following:

Basic lighting cover, to include both stage and audience areas.
An ordinary, 3-pin electrical outlet, to plug in our record player.
Two desk-size tables (whatever you’ve got).
A floor area on which it is OK to spill some sand (if need be, we can bring a temporary floor covering – e.g. to place over carpeting).
One hour’s set-up time ahead of the show. Helping hands are much appreciated.

Get in touch

If you are interested in staging a performance of Who Ya Gonna Call?, or if have any questions, we would love to hear from you. Please fill out the enquiry form, and we’ll be in touch.

"A brilliant performance…"

Suraje Dessai, Professor of Climate Adaptation, University of Leeds

Credits

Who Ya Gonna Call? (in event of emergency)

Written and performed by Steve Scott-Bottoms.

Direction and dramaturgy by Simon Brewis.

Additional devising input by Caitlin Gleeson and Ellie Harrison.