In this new play by Timberlake Wertenbaker, a negotiator and an interpreter are summoned to a secret emergency meeting unlike any they have encountered before. Waiting for them are representatives of the natural world—including a chicken, a rat, and a snow leopard—who demand accountability for humanity’s treatment of the planet and its ecosystems.

As the discussions unfold, the animals challenge human assumptions about power, responsibility, and coexistence, raising questions about exploitation, environmental destruction, and the future of life on Earth. Blending political debate, philosophical inquiry, humour, and satire, the play imagines a world in which nature is finally able to speak for itself.

Written for Shakespeare’s Globe’s Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, the production marks the world premiere of a new work by the playwright of Our Country’s Good, The Love of the Nightingale, Jefferson’s Garden, and Little Brother.