'A Citizens' Assembly' by Andy Smith

Event details

A collaboration with applied arts practitioner Lynsey O'Sullivan, A CITIZENS' ASSEMBLY is the latest and most ambitious work in theatre-maker Andy Smith’s PLAYS FOR THE PEOPLE project. 

The play tells a story of some people in a room who have met to discuss this issue. The assembled audience play the people in the play. The set is the room they are in.

Through three acts opinions and positions are offered. Conversations and arguments around the themes and ideas take place. In the third act a discussion happens concerning what might happen next.

​Developed through conversations with individuals and organisations, including climate scientists at The Tyndall Centre for climate change research at The University of Manchester, and with the support of The Dukes Theatre, Lancaster, A CITIZENS' ASSEMBLY uses the form of the PLAYS FOR THE PEOPLE project to explore and consider this important but sometimes overwhelming issue through a collective act of play. 

We are the citizens! This is our assembly! We are the actors in this story!

What are we doing about the climate emergency? What are we not doing? What more could we be doing? What more should we be doing? 

Be part of the story and join the debate with A Citizens’ Assembly, a new work by acclaimed theatre maker Andy Smith created in collaboration with applied arts practitioner Lynsey O’Sullivan. Part of a series of works called Plays For The People: plays written to be performed by the people in the room.

‘Smith’s optimism is infectious’ – Total Theatre. 

Recommended age 14+

Developed with the support of The Dukes Theatre Lancaster, The Social Responsibility Fund and The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at The University of Manchester

https://www.andysmiththeatre.com

Overview of A Citizen's Assembly by Andy Smith

About the speaker

Andy Smith

Andy Smith is an acclaimed theatre-maker based in the North-West of England. His most recent works include the plays The Preston Bill (2015) SUMMIT(2018), as well as the performance work COMMONISM (2018)), a collaboration with the Norwegian artist Amund Sjølie Sveen. Andy has also collaborated with the theatre maker Tim Crouch since 2004, co-directing (along with Karl James) a number of plays including An Oak Tree, The Author and most recently Truth's A Dog Must To Kennel. 

 For the last six years he has been developing a longer form project called PLAYS FOR THE PEOPLE. Rather than be performed by actors for an audience, these short works are for audiences and groups of people to meet and read together. Each play aims to present ideas, questions and dilemmas around their themes, encourage discussion between participants. The latest and most ambitious of these works is A CITIZENS' ASSEMBLY, which tells a story about a group of people meeting to discuss the climate emergency. Created in collaboration with applied arts practitioner Lynsey O'Sullivan, this is the work which will form the centre of the activity proposed here.