REVIEW: So…you knew? By Bartolomeo Bartolini at Barons Court Theatre 11 – 15 July 2023

‘Global warming, climate conspiracies and forty years with a Rubik cube’ ★★★ ½
 
1982. “William”, a scientist working for Ecson Wobil (no, that is not a typo) is researching the risks of fossil fuel emissions and climate change. He reports his disturbing evidence to his CEO. William is given a bonus and offered a job in PR, however his scientific status is used to enhance the company’s attempts to deny the climate crisis.

Tracking the acceleration of global warming, the show brings us to the present day and takes us beyond, sharing the terrifying consequences of continuing to do little to tackle the impending catastrophe. It also shares William’s personal journey as he marries and has a child (who gives him the Rubik cube). As time passes his marriage falls apart and his relationship with his daughter disintegrates, as she grows up to be a climate activist.

This one-man show was, in effect, a series of images or vignettes, with snatches of scenes to drive the story forward. It combined physical comedy, fast paced multimedia images and sounds, snippets from Greta Thunberg speeches and extracts from a televised US congress hearing.

Bartolomeo Bartolini was a bundle of hyperactive energy. He effortlessly carried off the physical comedy that was at the heart of the show. Kudos to whoever put together the technical aspects of the show, which was a feat in itself.

This is one of those shows that is genuinely marmite. It was unashamedly preachy, which put off my companion, a journalist committed to the issues who has been reporting on them for more than 30 years.

For me, the absurdist approach lessoned the sharp edges of the show’s didacticism. However, the chaotic, snapshot approach to the story telling meant it was difficult to understand why a scientist of William’s standing would agree to be used to promote his bosses’ climate crisis denying agenda. Portraying the duplicitous company bosses as cartoon characters at times took away from rather than enhanced the powerful message of the play.

The show could do with some serious trimming. It lost its way about two-thirds into the show, introducing unnecessary characters and scenes that did not shed light on the issues or advance the story enough to warrant their inclusion. These scenes and characters seemed to be there for cheap laughs and to provide an opportunity to indulge in crude, schoolboy humour.

If you are easily offended this show is not for you. But it deals with an important – and some would argue THE most important – issue of our time.

So…you knew? By Bartolomeo Bartolini, Barons Court Theatre, 11 – 15 July 2023, https://app.lineupnow.com/event/so-you-knew

Reviewer: Srabani Sen

Srabani is a theatre actress and playwright. As an actress she has performed at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (The Globe), the Arcola, Southwark Playhouse, The Pleasance and numerous fringe theatres, in a range of roles from Shakespeare to plays by new and emerging writers. She has written several short and full-length plays. Her play Tawaif was longlisted for the ETPEP Finborough award, and her play Vijaya was shortlisted for the Sultan Padamsee Playwrights Award in Mumbai.