The Enlightenment Cafe: New Atlantis, The Crystal

Immersive theatre on a cinematic scale
It’s the year 2050 and the polar ice caps have been gone for a good 30 years. Rising sea water levels have forced Miami’s residents to abandon the city and the CEOs of two major energy companies have been imprisoned for historic climate crimes. Meanwhile, back on our shores, water austerity has hit a drought-ridden London hard.
The organisation responsible for monitoring and tackling such crises is the UN-like intergovernmental body New Atlantis, and in the latest immersive theatre project from the award-winning LAS Theatre, you are its agents and you’re tasked with making a decision that could well decide the fate of the planet.
You decide the outcome
“The audience find themselves at a crucial moment for New Atlantis,” says creative producer Andy Franzkowiak. “The existing, brilliant, leader’s time is coming to an end, and the agents have been pulled together to vote for a new one.”
But don’t worry—you’re not expected to make this choice on your own. Your visit to New Atlantis’ HQ—fittingly held in the sustainable energy building The Crystal in Royal Victoria Docks—will be accompanied by a range of scientists, engineers, humanitarians and policy experts to help you out.
Environmental research
We’re particularly looking forward to hearing about oceanographer and BBC presenter Helen Czerski’s research, which involves her heading out on boats into the middle high storms to understand how ocean bubbles affect the atmosphere. But LAS Theatre has a whole host of well-respected researchers on board, including a team from Pennine Water to talk about how London could be entirely reengineered to save it from drought and flooding and space scientist Hugh Mortimer who was science advisor for Prometheus.
The future of climate change?
“There are elements of the Hollywood blockbuster to the situation,” says Franzkowiak, “but we’re not trying to create a dystopian vision. This is a world where climate change has continued as expected—it may have veered towards the more drastic end of any given scientific model, but it’s all about how we’re really going to have to adapt to these changes.”
Plenty of surprises 
Although we’ve been sworn to secrecy on a lot of the details—and wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise anyway—your choice will ultimately decide the way your evening ends. So choose wisely, and be ready for an amazing night of immersive entertainment, with just a smattering of education that could change the way you look at the simple stuff that comes out of your taps forever.