In a dramatic scene worthy of the Bard himself, a London stage performance by Hollywood legend Sigourney Weaver was brought to an abrupt halt when two Just Stop Oil activists stormed the Theatre Royal Drury Lane during Monday evening’s performance of “The Tempest.”
The “Alien” star, who had been mid-scene and seated in a chair on stage, was whisked away by theater staff after the protesters launched a confetti cannon and climbed onto the boards. The disruption prompted a voice to announce, “We’ll have to stop the show, ladies and gents, sorry,” according to BBC News.
The activists, wielding an orange banner declaring “Over 1.5 degrees is a global shipwreck” – a pointed reference to both Shakespeare‘s tale of a doomed vessel and recent climate data – were met with a mixed chorus of boos and scattered cheers from the West End audience. The protest lasted less than a minute before the pair were escorted off stage.
Just Stop Oil, known for their headline-grabbing demonstrations at cultural landmarks including the Chelsea Flower Show, the Proms and Stonehenge, tied their theatrical intervention to recent climate findings showing global temperatures exceeded the internationally agreed 1.5C target in 2024. The group is demanding the U.K. government implement a complete phase-out of fossil fuels by 2030.
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The environmental campaigners have made a habit of disrupting high-profile events to draw attention to their cause, with the National Gallery among their previous targets. This latest demonstration played out against the backdrop of mounting concerns from scientists who warn that surpassing the 1.5-degree threshold could trigger devastating environmental consequences.