Fresh Perspectives on Climate and Creativity: TRASHedy at the Key Theatre
/Plays about the environment can be off-putting for many audiences – no-one wants to feel preached to, or shamed, or reminded of their own shortcomings when it comes to environmental impact. TRASHedy was devised over a decade ago with young people in mind, so the balance between message and engagement has been part of its design from the start. Created by German company performing:group, the show has toured internationally for more than ten years - its entire set fitting into a single suitcase. It remains sharp, relevant, and confidently staged. The production makes the most of its intentionally compact setup: animations are projected onto a screen made of taped-together paper sheets, and performers Lena Marie Kaiser and Daniel Mathéus use every inch of the space - often breaking the fourth wall to draw the audience in.
TRASHedy first caught our attention when Louise Garwood attended the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival on behalf of Jumped Up Theatre. She was struck by its energy, wit and clarity - and knew it had something important to say to young people in Peterborough. In partnership with Landmark Theatres, we were able to bring the show to The Key Theatre. TRASHedy is the first time Jumped Up Theatre has hosted an international tour, and the show became the centrepiece of a two-day programme exploring environmental issues through creativity and conversation - one day for the public, and one specially designed for students from Thomas Deacon Academy. Alongside the performance, pre-show workshops were held for young people led by PECT, Art Pop-Up and our very own New Creatives Youth Programme. After the show, the cast joined a Q&A open to all audience members who wanted to continue the conversation.
Here’s a closer look at what we did, who we worked with, and what it meant to the people who took part.
Young Audiences
“You surprised me in the best way possible”
“I LOVED THIS, WELL DONE!!”
On Monday 12th May, we invited students from Thomas Deacon Academy to the Key Theatre for a morning of creative workshops and conversations. For many, it was a first experience of this kind of theatre, and their responses were full of energy and enthusiasm.
“I’ve had so many students come and say they really enjoyed the show and workshops. The Q&A sparked so many conversations around buying power and consumerism in general and it really felt let a special moment for the students to talk to the cast. Such a fantastic morning, thank you for carving memories!”
A mixed group of young people and adults playing a recycling game, sorting objects into different categories.
New Creatives
As part of our ongoing participation programme, this year’s New Creatives Youth Programme cohort has been exploring the environment and sustainability through devised performance and creative workshops. Their work aligned naturally with TRASHedy, and they led pre-show sessions for other young people attending the event.
Young Reviewers
Young people are experts in their own experiences. They know what matters to them, what sparks their interest, and what makes theatre feel relevant. They understand better than anyone what speaks to their generation - which is exactly why we wanted to hear from them.
Here’s a snapshot of what they had to say:
“Throughout the play, I became mindful of what I spend my money on, and the little ways I can contribute to protect my environment.”
“It’s relatively easy to relax in a theatre, laugh, and forget all of your worries for a while, but shows like TRASHedy carry a message about our world that is too powerful to be glossed over; its meaning stayed with me, even after I’d walked out of The Key Theatre doors.”
“TRASHedy allowed me to think personally and politically. It made me consider how personal responsibility has an impact on consumer culture, in a technological, political, environmental and media-saturated society.”
Left to right: Martin Rascher, Marie-Lena Kaiser, Daniel Mathéus from performing:group with Jumped Up Theatre’s kate hall at the post show q&a
General Public
The public performance of TRASHedy sparked a strong response from audiences, who connected not only with the environmental themes, but with the precision, skill and originality of the performance itself, and reflected afterwards that they had an appetite for more socially engaged theatre here in Peterborough.
Reactions from the audience speak for themselves:
“Things like this are great for Peterborough”
“This was one of a kind!”
“The mixture of craft + media really brought the facts to life – won’t ever forget it”
“Loved watching the product of so much careful thought mixed with creativity”
“I need to do more research on products to buy”
“Challenged my perception of what theatre is”
“Fantastic show, clear message”
“I’d just like to see more shows like this here. No critiques”