Jake Mace
Covering climate anxiety and crisis, no one is coming to save us sets out to explore a friendship group watching a wildfire race towards them. Maddy is worried that no one is having fun at her party. Her sister Lily is worried that the world is falling apart… Capturing an important and overwhelming feeling in society today, this piece caught our attention right away.
We caught up with the show’s writer Lewis Hetherington for a pixelated pint to find out more about the show.
You can catch no one is coming to save us at 11:30 in Pleasance Courtyard – Beside from July 31st – August 13th. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.
Jake: Hi Lewis! Tell us about your show’s journey from creation to ending up at the EdFringe stage.
Lewis: I’ve long admired the work that Pepperdine Scotland brings to the EdFringe, it feels immediate, compelling, full of great stories and characters and asking big questions about the world we live in. I met Hollace, the director, about a year ago and we had a brilliant chat about how inspired we were by today’s young people facing the biggest challenges of our time with energy and passion – and then she asked if I’d write the show. I went to Malibu and had an incredible week of play and exploration with the young people exploring how the climate crisis is impacted their lives, so whilst it’s a fictional story, it’s all drawn from their hopes, fears and lived experience.
After working with the students, I went away to write the first draft, but not without asking each young performer to write me a letter about what they thought the play needed to include. I held onto these, knowing at some point I’d need that extra inspiration, that nudge along. I opened the letters and was so incredibly moved and energised by their insights and passion for these characters we’d created. It really helped me keep this play centred on people, not get dragged away into abstract thoughts and arguments.
We then had our first read through at Corran, in the Highlands, in the shadow of Ben Sgriol and with Highland cows looking through the windows of the village hall. It reminded me that theatre is about that act of imagination and wonder, trying to make sense of how we as humans fit into the wonder and majesty of the natural world.
And now we’re rehearsing in Glasgow, and it’s been a delight for me to hand the script over, take a step back, and watch Hollace and the cast bring it to vivid life with tons of heart and humour, and some beautiful and striking visual elements.
Jake: Tell us about the inspiration behind your show and why you think its themes are relevant to an audience in 2024.
Lewis: I was really struck by the increase of wildfires in California, it’s become a huge risk to human and natural wildlife. Forest fires have always existed by changes in global temperature, plus an increase in manmade fires have set the stage for rampant and relentless fires and destruction. We’re at a time of unprecedented environmental peril, but sometimes it feels overwhelming, so I wanted to make it feel human.
The play centres on a group of young people who get trapped in a wildfire and how the experience of that shapes the rest of their lives. It’s about how they try to live alongside this huge crisis, whilst still trying to find happiness, community, hope. Our ambition is to write something that connect to anyone, I’m really interested in making this a show for people who wouldn’t usually want to see a show about climate change by making this piece full of humour, brilliant characters and human drama that hooks you in.
Jake: What are you hoping the audience will walk away thinking/feeling, and how do you aim to achieve this on stage?
Lewis: I hope people walk away feeling full of feeling. I want people to feel moved, engaged and involved in the lives of these characters and think about how they might react in such situations. I want people to feel like it’s OK to be scared, overwhelmed, fatigued, at times even disengaged from the climate crisis. We’re all humans and we have to feel deeply, we have to be compassionate, we have to be more understanding than ever of our fellow humans and other living creatures – and I think theatre, as a live communal experience, has an incredible power to let us do that.
Jake: Now that we’re gearing up for Fringe season, what are you most excited for?
Lewis: Everything! Sharing this story. Seeing amazing work from companies and artists that I don’t know about yet. Meeting new friends and collaborators in the Pleasance Courtyard. Seeing the Fringe through the eyes of the cast who have never been here before. Sneaking off up Arthur’s Seat at some point to take everything in from a distance. Everything!
Jake: Fitting with the themes of our magazine, if your show was an alcoholic beverage (think cocktails, shots, beers, be creative!) what would it be?
Lewis: Oooh. Maybe a Whisky Sour? Smoky and intense but also with sweetness and warmth and a dash of lemon to surprise you. Tastes great on first sip but also lingers.
