These experiences have a transformative impact on their lives by building skills, confidence and a sense of community that they can carry into all areas of their lives. Tonight you are joining us in Victoria Hall, one of the few remaining gold rush-era buildings and one that has served many purposes: a parish hall, a dance hall, a theatre and events space. This history of community use makes it an ideal venue to host the multiplicity of perspectives represented in Finnigan’s work. Thank you for being here and for affirming to WAYTCo’s youth members that their voices are valued and necessary in shaping cultural conversations. Enjoy the show!
A Note from the Director
Amelia Burke
Scenes from the Climate Era by David Finnigan is a play that I immediately recognised as essential for the WA Youth Theatre Company (WAYTCo) members to perform. This is because so many young people have been told that climate change is their problem to solve, their chance to turn the ship around. However, as the play quickly reveals, climate change was happening long before WAYTCo’s young members were born, it’s happening right now and it will continue to shape the future. I am eternally grateful to Anna Reece and the team at Perth Festival for believing in the resonance of Finnigan’s writing, for championing youth arts and for co-presenting the production as part of the 2026 Festival. A key stage of the creative process involved the cast selecting which scenes resonated most strongly with them, as the writer encourages flexibility depending on the context of the production. This has led the team to present a brand- new version of Scenes from the Climate Era . The age of the ensemble spans 12 to 24, as it was crucial that conversations about climate change included the full range of WAYTCo’s youth membership. The cast were supported by a team of professional creatives, and this collaborative model is core to WAYTCo’s way of working with young people – we empower young people to work alongside professional artists.
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