A comforting meditation on what it means to inherit a dying world.
Nicole Latchana’s ‘A Practical Guide on How to Save the World When No One F***ing Else Is’ (shortened to ‘A Practical Guide’) is Tara Young Company’s latest production. Spawned from a collaborative, devising process and written in just four weeks, the play examines how it feels to be a young person living in the climate crisis, navigating the weight of political activism and one’s own (inter)personal conflicts. The play is a veritable patchwork of 21st Century, Gen Z anxieties, as a climate change action group are left to decide on the best way to tackle the climate crisis. Left by their nihilistic leader, Jeff, often mentioned but never seen, his protégés rebel against his apathetic advice, which is to stop caring because the world is burning anyway.
The play starts with a moment of meditative reflection, with a vast looming coloured cube hanging down, innovatively designed by Alys Whitehead paired perfectly with the eerie, atmospheric noises designed by Conrad Kira.
The ensemble of distinctive characters, performed thoughtfully and compellingly by the young company, have to reconcile their feelings of voicelessness and hopelessness with their faith that they can build a better world. Though some characters have a stronger arc than others, the play becomes a comforting meditation on what it means to inherit a dying world, and the importance of care and community.
The story’s comprehensive approach to the stresses and conflicts of 21st century climate action is perhaps both its merit and its weakness. The play explores a plethora of reasons why young people are experiencing existential dread, political apathy and are lacking community. The administrative, financial and political obstacles of effective climate action are shown in the group’s struggle to keep their meeting space. We also see themes touching on the loneliness of capitalism, the moral conflicts of where to place your energy and attention, the exhaustion of wading through intellectualised discourse, the battle against nihilism, the need to secure your own economic future amidst rising rent prices, the implications of protest for people of colour and more. All of these paths were impressively and authentically explored, mounting to a comprehensive picture of young people’s overwhelm.
However, exploring the inner minds of so many characters meant that it was at points difficult to chart a central conflict, and made the play feel unfocused at points. In exploring some of these themes so cohesively, each issue slightly lost its potency.
Despite this, the play’s message of the importance of care and community emerges beautifully, especially in its dynamic, punchy transitions, directed by Gavin Joseph, which create a different plane of theatrical reality. The movement, directed by Mateus Daniel, and the united sense of ensemble crafts a space where under-explored emotions and unarticulated grievances are shared with the audience, helping us understand the importance of having an outlet.
The play was at its strongest when the subtext exposed the characters and their emotional struggles, showing interpersonal dynamics. For example, a non-verbal scene in which the comedic character Gagan has an emotional breakdown was very powerful. Gurjot Dhaliwal gave a commendable, nuanced portrayal of Gagan, and was a standout performer.
‘A Practical Guide’ ends on a galvanising note, equipping us with information and a renewed sense that it is possible to build a better world – a vital message in today’s culture. The play gave an important reminder that in the practicality of saving the world, we cannot neglect our communities, each other or our emotional selves. It showcased the balming effect of feeling like you are part of something bigger than yourself. This is, incidentally, also what it felt like to watch the play.