The warm and immediately interactive nature of this production cannot but fail to engage its audience, who excitedly take up the challenge of forming their own mini protestor’s figure in Plasticine to add to the rest on stage before the action begins. As such, we are part of the performance from the off, which is an inventive and often humorous mix of storytelling and direct audience address, mixed in with clever elements of improvisation and multiple role-playing. Lucy Crimmens’ bold design complements the production very well; the stage is filled with giant colourful Lego blocks, used to good effect to indicate multiple locations and reinforce a sense of play.

This is essentially a production about protest: very well researched and structured, and interesting in the ways in which it informs us how to – covering everything from avoiding police brutality to, finally and inevitably, occupying an oil rig. It is a didactic show about hope and empowerment, undeniably Brechtian in both its avoidance of catharsis and its final message that spurs its audience on to create change. All this, however, is achieved not through lecture or academic analysis, but through play.

This is achieved to excellent effect by the engaging cast comprising co-director Daniel Bye as well as actors Jack Bennett and Kathryn Beaumont. The trio tell the story of two protestors, using names and facts from two people drawn from the audience. On this particular day, things almost become too postmodern as both audience members happen to be actors, so the actors on stage end up acting as actors, a humorous situation well acknowledged as the story progresses. The two characters journey from small acts of protest to the final oil rig occupation, almost inevitably falling in love along the way. The surprising twist at the end does much to highlight the complex issues abundant in the world of protesting. Idealism is confronted with realism, and the fall out is affecting – importantly, I left with a sense that I had learned and understood the issues in a way that was new.