How are you planning to save the world? The clock’s ticking...
The Climate Queens are ready to fight for their future with the help of a little drag magic - but the hot-headed, cold-hearted Alex Acid has other ideas. Fuelled by desperation, greed and a good dollop of corporate interest, will Acid reign? When your voice is drowned out, is it easier to just light a fuse and watch the world burn?
ACID’S REIGN is a new musical queering and querying the climate discourse, exploring the stories we tell about the climate crisis and the compromises we make to tell them.
The musical runs as a double bill alongside Oh My Pain, My Beautiful Pain! at the Pleasance Theatre in London from Thursday 6th February - Saturday 1st March 2025.
Ahead of the run we sat down with Joshua Oakes-Rogers who will play Alex Acid to learn more about the show.
Acid’s Reign is a show that is trying to untie the knot of emotions we all feel when faced with the topic of climate change. How do we approach a subject that feels too big for an individual to handle? How do we make significant changes when we are so small and the world is so big? How can we make the big players listen? Alex is the character that really embodies misguided actions with good intentions. He wants to be a meaningful voice in the journey to saving the world, but has a tendency to believe his own hype. I think he’s someone we can all relate to.
What drew you to this piece?
For me, I think what makes this show so special is that it offers more questions than answers. With theatre about big issues, it can be tempting to want to answer everything,to resolve it neatly. Acid’s Reign doesn’t try to do that. It’s about flawed people who are just trying their best. It’s also camp and glitzy and the songs are all bangers.
How did you approach blending the styles in the piece together for your performance?
I just wanted to learn as much as possible from the other company members. We have a really mixed bag of performers who are all experts in different styles we use in the show. We have drag performers and theatre kids all doing the most. Blending what I know with what is new to me was the most exciting part of developing the character.
How do you mentally and physically prepare for a run?
Sleep hygiene is big. I put my phone away an hour before bed in exchange for comfy PJs and a cup of herbal tea. Drink an insane amount of water to keep the voice hydrated. Keep your stamina up however works best for you, whether that’s the gym or team sports or synchronised swimming. Whatever makes you feel capable. And I put plenty of time aside to work with my vocal coach to make sure I am in good shape. Mentally, I find the best thing you can do is trust the process and enjoy it.
Why do you think this is a piece for a 2025 audience?
Because it makes the scary world we live in accessible. It’s a show about the climate that makes you want to whip your hair back and forth instead of tearing it out.
Where did your arts career begin?
I am never sure how to answer this question. Officially it was when I got a small part in a Sky 1 series as a teenager but really I started acting as a child playing make believe. I don’t remember wanting to do anything else and I have never given any other option much thought.
What was the first piece of theatre you saw that had an impact on you?
I know it’s basic but Wicked. I saw the original cast when I was a child and it blew my tiny little mind. It was the first soundtrack of a musical I learned all the words to. I find it shocking that there is a ‘sing along’ version to the film - like I’ve known these lyrics since I was 10, hold my drink.
What gives you inspiration?
People. Not just the people I work with, but people you pass in the street. People you meet at parties, people you buy coffee from. Sometimes I’ll have the most amazing little interactions with someone and literally think “I am going to use that”. Being an actor is basically just stealing behaviour from everyone around you.
What do you hope an audience takes away from seeing Acid's Reign?
Confidence. About who they are, about what they can do, about what they wear, about what they care about. I want people to feel powerful.
Acid’s Reign runs at the Pleasance Theatre in London from Thursday 6th February - Saturday 1st March 2025. Tickets are available from https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/acids-reign
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