Just Stop Oil activists staged a dramatic protest during a performance of The Tempest on Tuesday night, interrupting Hollywood legend Sigourney Weaver on stage at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane.
The activists halted the performance by unfurling a sign that read: “Over 1.5 degrees is a global shipwreck,” referencing the alarming announcement that 2024 had become the hottest year on record, with global temperatures exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The phrase also echoed the plot of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, in which a shipwreck plays a key role.
The protest occurred just after Weaver, who portrays the storm-wielding magician Prospero in the production, delivered the line, “Upon thy wicked dam, come forth!” At that moment, a confetti cannon was set off, and two activists, lecturer Hayley Walsh and mechanical engineer Richard Weir, stormed the stage.
Weaver, who had been performing in the production since its opening in December, was escorted off stage while the protesters faced a mix of boos and cheers from the audience. The protest is part of Just Stop Oil’s broader campaign, which has previously targeted art, Stonehenge, Taylor Swift’s jet, and even Charles Darwin’s grave in an effort to raise awareness of climate change.
