STREET Theatre Group

The crude oil mechanicals

Like our illustrious Shakespearian ancestors (namedropping, I know….) we are a group of simple working and non-working folk with limited thespian experience but plenty of enthusiasm. We are less mercenary than our forbears, our aim is to engage with audiences in bringing to life dilemmas around climate change. We have taken to the streets with stories involving protagonists with different relationships to climate change, both victims, champions, perpetrators, and, like most of us, people in between. We involve the audiences in our stories, encouraging both action and reflection. We may use outlandish costumes and masks.

Previous Actions

Till Divest Do Us Part

On 22 March 2022, Divest East Sussex and XR Lewes staged a mock wedding outside County Hall in Lewes, to protest East Sussex County Coucil’s ongoing refusal to stop investing in the giant fossil fuel (oil, coal & gas) companies that are driving the climate crisis.

Barclays Action July 2019

We were born in July 2019, inspired by the Barclays Action Group, part of Lewes XR. Within two memorable weeks, our group formed, we dreamed up, worked on, wrote and performed “Mr Barclay and the Earth” We presented this play twice on Cliffe Bridge on 20^th July 2019. Please look at the pictures, and even the video if you have time, but in brief, an innocent customer is lured by Mr Barclay, the friendly, community-minded local banker, to open an account. The transaction is interrupted by the Fracking Team employed by Mr Barclay to frack for oil in Cliffe High Street. Despite Mr Barclay’s attempts to argue his green credentials, we witness a struggle between the dark and lethal monster obsessed by money who is Mr Barclay’s pet, and the beautiful earth itself, who is lassooed and tormented by the monster. The protests of the audience chase away Barclay and his frackers. Frack off, Barclay!

October Rebellion, Central London – Trafalgar Square, Horseguards Parade, The Sanctuary (outside Westminster Abbey)

Mr Barclays was itself a rehearsal to get the company prepared for the big one. We devised and produced a new play, “Mr Everybody and the Banker”, a play in three scenes, to support the October Rebellion. At 9am on Wednesday 9^th October, six members of the Crudes gathered in Victoria Embankment Gardens, assembled their props, including the now legendary Fracking Tower, and marched to join the mayhem of the October Rebellion. We performed our play in three settings, raising morale amongst the encampments where people were being arrested, sometimes even during the play. It was an amazing experience performing for some very courageous people.

The story in brief — Mr Everybody starts the play as a naïve but concerned bystander. He has a voyage of discovery, starting at his local bank, crossing the English countryside and eventually reaching the North Pole. He meets the Banker everywhere, busy wreaking ecological havoc. As the Banker tries to befuddle him with excuses and misinformation, Mr Everybody is aided by the superhero Science Flash, who hurls truth bombs to shatter these lies. The Banker in turn calls on his superhero, Propagandor, with his bewitching lies. A monumental battle ensues, with the superheroes hurling truth and lies at each other. However the yells of the audience turn the tide. Mr Everybody is welcomed into XR.

School Hill, Lewes, December 12^t^h

Returning to our home town, we performed Mr Everybody during Late Night Shopping for the people of Lewes, raising our voices to drown out the brass band playing festive carols. We played at the top of School Hill, just down the road from (but not too disrespectfully close to) the War Memorial. Another iconic venue!

Lockdown

This year has presented a series of challenges. First of all, some of us felt big despair about climate change following the Election results. Secondly, we realised that our aim for 2019, of informing and firing up the public about climate change, had been largely achieved. Everyone knows about it now. So what is the role now of an XR Street Theatre that aims to tell stories to support change?

Please join us

If you are looking forward to a time when we can safely roam our streets in proximity, if you are inspired by what you have seen here, and can imagine a role for yourself in the Crudes, either on the stage, supporting, or making costumes or props, please do contact us: Mechanicals@xrlewes.org

Thanks to all of our XR members who have contributed to these productions!