Kyoto (play)

Kyoto is a play by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, produced and acted by Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and Good Chance originally in Swan Theatre in 2024, then @sohoplace in 2025.

Kyoto
West End Promotional Poster
Written by	Joe Robertson Joe Murphy
Date premiered	18 June 2024 (2024-06-18)
Place premiered	Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

The play dramatizes how Big Oil, having learned about the risk of climate change, use legal tricks and misinformation through their representative Don Pearlman in an attempt to protect their profits. Through the determination of key representatives agreement is reached – the Kyoto Protocol.

Production history

Stratford-upon-Avon (2024)

The play was presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Good Chance. The world premiere was at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon running from 18 June until 13 July 2024 (with a press night on 25 June). The play was directed by Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin.^[1][2]

West End (2025)

Following the success of the Stratford-upon Avon run, the production transferred to London's West End at @sohoplace running from 9 January to 3 May 2025 (with a press night on 16 January).^[3][4]

Cast and characters

Character	Stratford-upon-Avon[5]	West End[6]
	2024	2025
Don Pearlman	Stephen Kunken
Shirley Pearlman	Jenna Augen
Raul Estrada	Jorge Bosch
Fred Singer	Vincent Franklin	Duncan Wisbey
Bert Bolin	Dale Rapley
Secretariat	Olivia Barrowclough
Kiribati	Andrea Gatchalian
Germany - Angela Merkel	Ingrid Oliver	Kristin Atherton
Saudi Arabia	Raad Rawi
China	Kwong Loke
Tanzania	Jude Akuwudike	Aïcha Kossoko
USA	Nancy Crane
UK - John Prescott	Ferdy Roberts
Japan	Togo Igawa

There were many delegates^[7] at COP3, two are specifically identified in the play.