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Earthquakes [in London] shake up NASDA stage

It’s a play that urges us to use less.

A play that will make us think long and hard about global issues. A play that inspired Ara’s NASDA students to consider how they could approach the topic of sustainability and reduce the impacts [of this show] on our environment.

They have found a way: Ahead of the premier of Earthquakes in London all third year students went shopping together at some of Christchurch’s second hand stores to source all props and costumes with the aim to buy nothing new and have a waste free production by selling everything again once the production is finished.

Earthquakes in London is an epic rollercoaster of a play that was written by Mike Bartlett and premiered in London in 2010.

This fast paced NASDA production is directed by Holly Chappell-Eason and full of bad dreams, burlesque shows, social breakdown, population explosion and worldwide paranoia.

“I am loving working on this show. It is exciting, provocative and complex. It has everything you could dream of for studying actors, and they are doing an incredible job! I cannot wait for an audience to experience the extravaganza that is this work,” says Chappell-Eason.

Earthquakes in London follows the story of three sisters who all suffer from their dysfunctional father’s parenting abilities and individually deal with their own views on the predicted global catastrophe that lies ahead of them.

Sarah (played by Meredith Jackson) is the oldest daughter of prominent climate scientist Robert and his dead wife Grace. She is a cabinet minister and is working hard to put a halt to an airport expansion while struggling to keep her marriage to her unemployed husband alive. Jackson combines the different sides of Sarah really well and showcases the difficulties of dealing with such serious issues in an influential job.

The middle sister Freya (played by Ruby Clarke) is heavily pregnant and stressed about bringing a child into a world of uncertainty. She becomes more and more anxious throughout the show and Clarke draws the viewers in, displaying her desperation so vividly that the audience has no choice but empathise with her emotions.

The youngest of the three sisters is Jasmine (played by Caitie Heath-Anderson), who was kicked out of university and tries hard to get her eldest sister’s attention. The sassy, flirty and rebellious young woman is shaped by the fact that she has never met her father. Heath-Anderson fits the role perfectly. You could think it was written especially for her.

Overall, this combination of characters, scenes and decades is a must see production that will most definitely get you thinking about the future of humanity (or simply your own) and the impact mankind has on the environment.

Earthquakes in London - don’t let the title stop you joining our NASDA students in their latest vibrant and energetic production that will hold everyone in its grip for two hours.

Earthquakes, global warming and a global catastrophe – dark themes that create a dramatic story line but combined with modern references, singing and dancing make it a colourful and fun show to watch.

Earthquakes [in London] shake up NASDA stage1.jpg
NASDA's third year students created a vibrant and energetic production that is a must see.