Climate Change and Other Small Talk Podcast

Presented by The Cultch

Created by Sunny Drake

Produced in Association with Why Not Theatre and 9 companies around the World

Feeling overwhelmed by the looming threat of climate change? We’ve got you! Sunny Drake’s Climate Change and Other Small Talk is a theatrical podcast that is here to hold your hand through the scary stuff and entertain you at the same time.

Made by 9 creative teams around the world, these podcast episodes have got it all: from the witty to the wacky, and the serious to the silly.

It’s guaranteed to be fun and ignite your inner climate warrior all while offering global perspectives on the climate crisis.

There will be weird sound effects. An angry panda running a submarine. And a 500-year-old tree that… well we can’t give the rest away.

Launching Earth Day – April 22nd – subscribe to wherever you get your podcasts, so you never miss an episode. Learning about how to survive the apocalypse has never been so fun.

Learn more about the project and climate action at sunnydrake.com

Series Credits

Created by SUNNY DRAKE
Produced by SUNNY DRAKE PRODUCTIONS in association with WHY NOT THEATRE
Lead Producers: FANNY MARTIN and NAJLA NUBYANLUV
Concept Dramaturg: KEVIN MATTHEW WONG
Impact Producer & Climate Dramaturg: CHAPRECE HENRY
Communications Producer: DANIELA GERSTMANN
Central Audio Producers: HEATHER BROWN and RICHARD FEREN

Series Funding provided by:

See our website for full credits – it truly does take a village to raise a podcast

Episodes

Released every week for 9 weeks starting April 22, 2023.

Episode 1

Released April 22, 2023

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Absolutely Nothing Of Any Meaning

Sunny Drake

Soulpepper |

Why Not Theatre

A couple leave outraged reviews about products delivered by Amazon, while climate chaos swishes into their home… Their responses to their escalating crisis become increasingly absurd, topped only by the absurdity of Amazon’s tactics to thwart them.

Show Credits

Written by SUNNY DRAKE
Directed by WEYNI MENGESHA

Starring:
ANAND RAJARAM
LIISA REPO-MARTELL
and BAHAREH YARAGHI as Amazon
Sound design and music by RICHARD FEREN and OLIVIA SHORTT
Dramaturgy by KATHLEEN FLAHERTY, WEYNI MENGESHA and DONNA-MICHELLE ST. BERNARD

Episode produced by WHY NOT THEATRE and SUNNY DRAKE PRODUCTIONS with the generous support of SOULPEPPER THEATRE
Episode Producer: MICHELLE YAGI
Episode Production Manager: CRYSTAL LEE
Audio mixing by HEATHER BROWN
Recording engineer MATT RIDEOUT

Special thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council, The Arctic Circle Residency Program and fellow residents, Climate Change Theatre Action, ACTRA Toronto, Canadian Actors’ Equity Association, Volcano Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, Chantal Bilodeau, Chanelle Gallant, Alex Kelly and Isaac Lev Szmonko

Episode 2

Released April 26, 2023

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Nothing Happens

Ram Ganesh Kamatham | Bangalore, India

QTP

Somewhere in the Indian Ocean, a nuclear submarine carries out a deterrence patrol. Bizarre new orders arrive and two sonar operators must face existential threats. Will they rise to the challenge, or are they in over their heads?

Show Credits

Written by RAM GANESH KAMATHAM
Directed by PUJA SARUP

Starring (in order of appearance):
ALISTAR BENNIS as Petty Officer Joseph “Josh” Joshi
DILNAZ IRANI as Lieutenant Commander Pooja “Angry Panda” Panda
NAKUL BHALLA as Rear Admiral Amar “Ackbar” Anthony

Sound design, music and audio mixing by VARRUNN BANGERA

Episode Produced by QTP ENTERTAINMENT PRIVATE LIMITED (India) with support from SUNNY DRAKE PRODUCTIONS
Episode Producer and Production Manager TORAL SHAH
Recording Studio OCTAVIUS (Bombay)

Episode 3

Released May 3, 2023

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Does The Sky Fall On Everyone

Pyemwa Deshi | Lagos, Nigeria

Thespian Muse

A showdown between an environmental activist and a local community leader overseeing the felling of a 500 year old tree. Who will have the last word?

Show Credits

Written by PYEMWA DESHI
Directed by OMOYE UZAMERE

Starring:
TAIWO AJAI-LYCETT as the olive tree
DEYEMI OKANLAWON as Nanpet
OMOYE UZAMERE as Delphine

With additional voices by CHIOMA B.B.B. OKPALA, OSAYI UZAMERE, AITUARI OGIAMIEN, VICTORIA WYA, TONI THOMAS, CHUBB OKOBAH & PYEMWA DESHI

Sound Design, music and recording engineer CHUBB OKOBAH

Episode Produced by THESPIAN MUSE PRODUCTION COMPANY with support from SUNNY DRAKE PRODUCTIONS
Episode Producer OMOYE UZAMERE
Episode Production Manager ADAOHA NJEMANZE
Episode Production Assistant GIFT OKPA FRANCIS

Special thanks to NOVVA MEDIA, NUUGAME ENTERTAINMENT, HOMEGROWN OZONE, OREDO ENTERTAINMENT.

Episode 4

Released May 10, 2023

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How Nanna and Pop Learnt About Climate Change (The Hard Way)

Marie Munkara | Lands of the Larrakia People/ Darwin, Australia

Darwin Community Arts

Nan and Pop are horrified to learn about climate change from their granddaughter. Should they get their hearing aids adjusted or did she just talk about cows’ farting?

Show Credits

Written by MARIE MUNKARA
Directed by RACHAEL CHISHOLM

Starring:
MARIE MUNKARA as Nanna
PETE HAYES as Pop
RACHAEL CHISHOLM as Daughter
NYASHA OGDEN as Granddaughter

Sound design, music, audio mixing and recording engineer MATTHEW CUNLIFFE

Episode Produced by DARWIN COMMUNITY ARTS with support from SUNNY DRAKE PRODUCTIONS
Episode Producers ANNA WEEKES and TANIA LIEMAN

Episode 5

Released May 17, 2023

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Sympathy For Miss Waters

Bruce Gibbons Fell | Viña del Mar, Chile

Cocodrilo Triste

A real estate agent manages to sell a coastal mansion, even though waves will eventually lap in to the bedroom – “It’s a soundtrack to sleep by”. What lengths will the realtor go to after she’s fired for selling it way below price? And who was the mysterious buyer?

Show Credits

Written and Directed by BRUCE GIBBONS FELL

Starring: CAMILA LE-BERT as Marina Marino

Sound design, music, audio mixing and recording engineer BENJAMIN MCCARTHY

Episode Produced by COCODRILO TRISTE with support from SUNNY DRAKE PRODUCTIONS
Episode Producer and Production Manager BRUCE GIBBONS FELL

Special thanks to CARLOS BRIONES

Episode 6

Released May 24, 2023

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Rolling Hills, Green Pastures

Carmen Aguirre | Vancouver, Canada

Electric Company Theatre - Live event May 29!

Esperanza Soto welcomes new recruits to a U.S. drone centre. Run entirely on wind energy, the centre is part of the U.S. Army’s Green Military Movement. One of the drone operators is a climate refugee from Vancouver. What choices will she make when climate refugees attempt to cross the border from Mexico?

Show Credits

Written and directed by CARMEN AGUIRRE

Starring:
MONTSERRAT VIDELA SAMPER as Esperanza Soto
LILI ROBINSON as The Drone Operator
CHARLIE DEMERS as The Floor Supervisor and Friend

Sound design and music by JOELYSA PANKANEA

Episode Produced by ELECTRIC COMPANY THEATRE with support from SUNNY DRAKE PRODUCTIONS
Episode Producers CARLA RITCHIE and NATALIE LEFEBVRE GNAM
Episode Production Manager CARLA RITCHIE
Audio mixing by HEATHER BROWN and RICHARD FEREN
Recording engineer MONARCH STUDIOS

Special thanks to BC Arts Council, City of Vancouver Cultural Services, Canada Council for the Arts, Monarch Studios, and Progress Lab

Episode 7

Released May 31, 2023

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To Best The Beast

Krishnee Bhotooa | Port Louis, Mauritius

Caudan Arts Centre

A day in the lives of Mayor Toad, big boss Peahen and a hard-working assistant Ant. They launch a clean energy project designed to better lives. But when Tortois asks some difficult questions about who gets the benefits and who feels the impacts, sparks are sure to fly.

Show Credits

Written by KRISHNEE BHOTOOA
Directed by ASHISH BEESOONDIAL

Starring:
YAKSHINEE PURHOOA as Tortoise
SONIA MAISSIN as Mrs Peahen
ASHISH BEESOONDIAL as Ant
ESTELLE LASÉMILLANTE as Mayor Toad

Sound design, audio mixing and recording engineer KOOSHAL DWARKA
Additional audio mixing RICHARD FEREN

Episode produced by CAUDAN ARTS CENTRE with support from SUNNY DRAKE PRODUCTIONS

Episode 8

Released June 7, 2023

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Ride or Die

Tara Beagan | Mohkínsstsisi/Calgary, Canada

Downstage Theatre

Though Win and his Grams are growing weary of life in a temporary camp, they never tire of each others’ jokes. In a world of floods and fires, they are family, and Win will get his Grams to her lucky spot at bingo through hell and highwater.

Show Credits

Written by TARA BEAGAN
Directed by PATRICK BEAGAN

Starring:
DUSTIN FRANK as Win
TRACEY NEPINAK as Mums
MICHELLE THRUSH as Michelle

Sound design and music composition by MADDIE BAUTISTA

Episode Produced by DOWNSTAGE THEATRE with support from SUNNY DRAKE PRODUCTIONS
Recording engineer and Dialogue Editor BRIAN BERGUM
Artistic Director for Downstage CLARE PREUSS
Managing Director for Downstage and Episode Producer DANIELLE WHYTE
Associate Producer for Downstage BIANCA MIRANDA
Community Programs Director for Downstage ELSHA YEYESUSWORK
Production Manager and Technical Director for Downstage ADAM KOSTIUK

Special thanks to Lacey Hill for the use of her song “Love Wins,” and to Downstage’s funders: Canada Council for the Arts, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Calgary Arts Development and the Rozsa Foundation

Episode 9

Released June 14, 2023

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In The Dumps

Shauntay Grant | Kjipuktuk/Halifax, Canada

Zuppa

A father takes his eleven-year-old son on a road trip to protest decades of environmental racism in their rural Black Nova Scotian community. They shift between playful and serious as they discuss ways of bringing about meaningful change, in the wake of the Africville apology.

Show Credits

Written by SHAUNTAY GRANT
Directed by MIKE PAYETTE *

Starring:
JACOB SAMPSON as Dad *
NY LANGDON as Nate

with
LILIONA QUARMYNE as Mom
BEN STONE as the Security Guard *

Sound design, music and audio mixing by JACKSON FAIRFAX-PERRY

Dramaturgy by JACOB SAMPSON and MYEKAH PAYNE

Episode Produced by ZUPPA and with support from SUNNY DRAKE PRODUCTIONS
Episode Producer & Production Manager BEN STONE
Recording engineers BEN CREELMAN at VILLAGE SOUND, JACKSON FAIRFAX-PERRY and LUKE BATIOT

* Jacob Sampson and Ben Stone are members of ACTRA Maritimes and were engaged under Music Code 2011
* Mike Payette is a member of The Canadian Actors’ Equity Association and was engaged under the D.O.T. Agreement

Special thanks to Arts Nova Scotia, Halifax Culture and Events, ACTRA Maritimes, and the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association

In the Dumps was produced in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia), the territory of the Mi’kmaq.