Climate change protesters disrupted a preview showing of Jeremy Strong’s new Broadway show on Thursday before being forcibly ejected.
During a revival of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, led by the Succession actor, activists brought the production to a stop during a major scene.
“I object to the silencing of scientists,” a protester said to the audience. “I am very, very sorry to interrupt your night and this amazing performance.” He then proceeded to warn about impending environmental chaos as members of the cast, including the Sopranos star Michael Imperioli pushed back.
“You need to leave, you’re interrupting,” he said while Strong stayed in character saying: “Let them speak.”
“No theatre on a dead planet!” the activist shouted as he was escorted to the exit.
Responsibility for the protest has been claimed by a group known as Extinction Rebellion NYC with a later post on X sharing the video. The group defines itself as “a global, non-partisan climate justice movement using non-violent direct action to pressure governments to act now”.
🚨#BREAKING - Rebels disrupted #AnEnemyOfThePeople on #Broadway. #Climate activists aren't the enemy; it's fossil fuel criminals like Exxon & Chevron. If we don’t #EndFossilFuels now, there'll be #NoTheatreOnADeadPlanet [THREAD] pic.twitter.com/9oFHSrzAMb
— Extinction Rebellion NYC 🌎 (@XR_NYC) March 15, 2024
“This play highlights that climate activists are not the enemy,” said the group’s spokesperson, Laura Robinson. “But why are we being treated as such? Non-violent climate protesters are being charged as if they have committed very violent acts. This is not sustainable and this is unacceptable.”
An Enemy of the People, which opens officially on Broadway next week, tells the story of a Dr Thomas Stockmann who finds harmful bacteria in the spas of a small town but his attempts to make others aware turn him into a pariah. Another version of the play, starring Matt Smith, is currently playing in the West End.
Imperioli, who plays Stockmann’s brother and mayor of the town, later made reference to the incident on Instagram. He wrote: “tonight was wild….no hard feelings extinction rebellion crew. michael is on your side but mayor stockmann is not.”
“Theater-as-usual won’t be possible on a planet in which humanity fails to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius,” a statement from the group read. “If activists don’t disrupt these shows, dangerous weather will make it impossible for the show to go on.”
Last October, a London performance of Les Misérables was similarly interrupted by Just Stop Oil protesters.
