In a world destroyed by inaction of others, where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The Trials put those who did nothing to prevent the climate crisis in the defendant seat at Canberra Theatre Centre, 19-28 May.

In the role of judge, jury and potential executioner are a group of teenagers; the defendants are their parents. Set in a not-to-distant future, the climate crisis has escalated, the heat is near unbearable, and the air thick and hard to swallow. The damage is already done, and to stop the world from being completely uninhabitable, people need to take action, yesterday.

Producing the Australian premiere of the Dawn King play is the Canberra Youth Theatre with a cast of 12 youth actors and three adults. The first production of their 2023 season focuses on a real issue that young people and future generations will face, in the world they are inheriting. 

“I’ve been learning about it and trying to help do things my whole life, it’s been a really big part and that is one of the reasons I was drawn to this pay play because it seemed like a really interesting way to be part of the solution,” says Alexi Clark Mitchell.

Clark Mitchell plays the role of Chris, who is disinterested in the situation and much more interested in their co-juror Noah. While Chris represents those who are disconnected from the seriousness of it all, Noah is the opposite; he is passionate and wants people to be held responsible.

“The more I listened to their speeches, the more it humanises them and the harder I personally would find it to convict someone being guilty,” says Joshua James.

With a death sentence looming, the play explores the grey areas. They all agree that the parents on trial didn’t do enough to prevent climate change, but should they pay with their lives; would their individual contributions have been enough to change the outcome? James says he wants the audience to walk away with climate action in mind and hopefully change some of their behaviours.

“We’re not there yet, this is a place set in the future and the hope is that people will see this play and go ‘we don’t want to get to that point’.”

See The Trials at Canberra Theatre Centre, 19-28 May; canberratheatrecentre.com.au

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