With it being 2025, climate change is a very real threat and we are already starting to experience the impacts of it. I am always impressed by theatre companies that choose to highlight important issues in their work and Center Heart Theater Company are doing exactly this, with their new show ‘The Sound of Water’. As part of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, the company will be using theatre as a platform to talk about climate change and the impact on agriculture, which has been felt personally by writer and director Julia Ott. I recently had the opportunity to ask Julia some questions about the show, which is heading to theSpaceUK during the second and third weeks of the festival.
What inspired you to create a show that centres on climate change and the scarcity of agricultural resources?
I grew up in a small mountain town in Idaho and I have directly seen the impact that climate change is having on rural communities. In the last few years, I have seen my home be affected by fires, droughts, and mudslides and have watched as people try to rebuild their lives. “The Sound of Water” was created out of a desire to better educate people on how climate change is affecting the day to day lives of everyday people.
In ‘The Sound of Water’ you reflect on what a future without access to water would look like. To what extent are you hoping to alert audiences to the realities of climate change in your work?
I hope audiences walk away with a new sense of urgency to connect with the people they love most. Yes, this show depicts the harsh realities of climate change, but I don’t want audiences to walk away hopeless. Instead, I want them to go out and have a conversation with their loved ones about how the climate crisis impacts their daily lives and how we will only solve the issue by continuing to have hope for the future.
Center Heart Theater Company’s work ‘focuses on how humans connect through the art of movement and music, rather than language’. How have you woven this performance style into the show?
Movement and music is at the center of this show. In order to visually represent the natural world, we have created big movement sequences that depict the central character, Katherine, descending deep down into a canyon. We are also using a series of movement sequences to show two characters growing closer with each other and potentially falling in love. Love is a universal feeling and I would rather explore how to visually represent that, than hear people talk about it. All of these movement moments will be layered with music and different sound scapes to help create the environment of the desert landscape.
What can you tell me about the central character of Katherine?
Katherine has spent her whole life on the farm and has not had much interaction with the outside world. She feels most herself when isolated out in nature, specifically in the canyon system right outside their property. Katherine is searching for a way to transcend her body and become one with the Earth, but she is bound to it by the ones she loves most.
If you were to summarise ‘The Sound of Water’ in one word, what would it be and why?
If I were to summarise “The Sound of Water” in one word, I would use connection. We are not going to solve climate change by guilting people into action, we are going to work towards a solution by connecting with the people around us and realizing this issue impacts all of us.
If you look ahead to the end of August, what is one thing that you would like to have achieved by the end of your two week run at theSpaceUK?
By the end of the two weeks, I hope to have achieved a few sold out shows and good reviews. I also hope to make connections with other artists whose work centers around climate change and activism.
Climate change activism at the Edinburgh Fringe
‘The Sound of Water’ certainly sounds like a really poignant piece of theatre, that will encourage some important discussions between audience members. You can catch the show at Venue 45 at theSpace @ Venue 45 from 11th to 23rd August (not 17th). Performances start daily at 11:05, with tickets available via the festival’s website.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
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