An idyllic island in the midst of boiling oceans. Hot enough to cook a hotpot. One maverick entrepreneur sees a development opportunity and begins to devise the most absurd schemes for environmental protection.

Translated by Jeremy Tiang

International Climate Crisis Plays The Royal Court Theatre returns to the Edinburgh International Festival for a major new residency that will culminate in a week of lunchtime performances of new short plays written by some of the most significant international new voices. The five writers from Brazil, China, India, South Africa and Syria will share urgent perspectives from across the world on the global climate crisis through plays specially commissioned to premiere at the festival.

Download the programme here

Si’an Chen (China) Si’an Chen ( 陈思安 ) is a playwright, theatre director, poet, short story writer and literary translator. She was born in Inner Mongolia and now lives and works in Beijing. She has written six plays including Underpass which was performed as a rehearsed reading at the Royal Court Theatre in 2018; Drowning, 2012, Penghao Theatre, Beijing; Rabbit Hole, 2012, Trojan Theatre, Beijing; The Spacing of Silence, 2013, Beijing International Fringe Festival; Mountain Temple, 2015, published in Today Magazine; Fake Brand Life, 2019, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center.

Alongside to the performances, the writers will spend two weeks forging new relationships with other international artists in Edinburgh and collaborators from across the UK.

Each artist’s residency will also involve a visit to another partner organisation across the UK who has supported the development of their work. These include HighTide Festival, Leeds Playhouse, Live Theatre in Newcastle and the Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester.

This project is curated in partnership with and supported by the British Council.