As we head into The Great Big Green Week, we're shining a spotlight on something close to our hearts - the environment - and the incredible work our young people have been doing as they prepare for our upcoming Young Octagon production of The Trials.

Our Young Octagon cast and creative have spent the last few months diving deep into the climate crisis: researching the UK areas most at risk, exploring how extreme weather is escalating, and reflecting on what it means to grow up in a world shaped by environmental emergency. Their research has sparked bold conversations, imaginative thinking, and a fierce sense of responsibility. 

The Trials, written by Dawn King, asks a provocative question: Who pays for the end of the world? Set in the near future, the play imagines a courtroom where teenagers serve as jurors, tasked with deciding who is responsible for environmental collapse. Are they delivering justice, or simply seeking revenge? It's a gripping, urgent story and our young performers are diving into the story with lots of passion, curiosity, and courage. 

At the Octagon, we're committed to making environmentally sustainable theatre. Our Environmental Committee is working hard to help us become carbon neutral by 2038. Across our productions, we prioritise reusing and repurposing materials, ensuring we give sets, props, furniture and costumes a second life wherever possible. 

This August, The Trials will take to our main stage as a bold community production, led by our Young Octagon company (ages 16-21, or up to 25 for participants with additional needs) alongside adult community actors. These young performers are dedicated, ambitious, and ready to take on challenging work with professional directors and creatives. 

We can't wait to share more with you as we build towards this powerful production.