In response to the new T-charge introduced in central London and the fact the UK government is being taken to court for not complying with clean air standards, the Camden People's Theatre decided to ask young people how they felt about air pollution. Fog Everywhere, in collaboration with King's College Lung Biology Group and local students, is the result.
This is an experimental piece of theatre, as much about a love for London culture as it is specifically air pollution. It consists of multiple short vignettes, each one a new thought or idea on the subject meant to challenge the audience - from spoken word, to comedy, to songs and more. It's an inventive piece devised and performed by some inspirational young people who are mostly thoughtful, concerned and politically astute.
What at first is a number of disparate ideas in seemingly disconnected scenes eventually comes together as ideas recur and overlap. It results in some clever and striking imagery, the cast hauntingly enveloped in twisting swirls of dry ice. The culmination is a rap battle between those for and against tighter controls on air cleanliness - here are a group of young people delivering a political statement in a medium that's relevant to them, raw and honest. That's what makes youth theatre such a thrill to watch.
4/5
Watch: Fog Everywhere runs at the Camden People's Theatre until 11th November.
