Conviction

What’s it about?: Love. The Law. The Climate.
Where are we?: Up a bridge, in the streets, in a court-room, at the pub
Why now?: The climate catastrophe is happening. Families, generations divide. Gen Z are angry and at risk. The Law cracks down on protest. Politics struggles. What to do?
Synopsis: Maria, climate activist, pregnant, is arrested, tried for closing a vital motorway for two days. The disrupted public give evidence. Furious Gen Z activists tangle with the court. They’re also jokey, sorry for the disruption but the climate is bigger – and there is a way out, if only ‘they’ would concentrate, act. Jason loves Maria but tries to persuade her there’s a better way to get the message across. Will their baby be born in jail? Baby boomers worry they should have done more, sooner. Activists face the Law. Is Maria guilty or a hero? We, the audience, are the Jury. The planet heats.
Style mix: Contemporary musical theatre; rap/pop; musicalized verbatim
Energetic, dark, humorous, uplifting
Setting and action are abstract, driven by music/dance.
Who could do it?: Small to large-scale: small, mid-size theatres; found spaces; schools, colleges, festivals; the Inns of Court; the National/RSC.
Who’s attached?: P Burton-Morgan director
Candida Caldicot songwriter/composer
Ian Grant – book and lyrics
Kitch rap composer
Christopher Walker– music supervisor and composer
Conviction (under working title Time-bomb) was selected for presentation at BEAM2025: co-produced by Musical Theatre Networks, Mercury Musical Developments and Birmingham Hippodrome.