Just Stop Oil disrupted a West End performance of The Tempest starring Sigourney Weaver on Monday night.
Two members of the climate protest group walked on stage carrying a sign that read: “Over 1.5 degrees is a global shipwreck.”
Hayley Walsh, a 42-year-old lecturer and mother of three, and Richard Weir, a 60-year-old mechanical engineer, launched a confetti cannon during the performance, and said: “we’ll have to stop the show ladies and gentlemen, sorry”.
Protestors interrupted the performance at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and was captured in a video shared on social media
Weaver, 75, who was sat on stage at the time, was escorted off as the crowd responded with a mixture of boos and some cheers.
The protesters’ message referenced the recent announcement that 2024 has been the warmest year on record globally, with average temperatures surpassing the critical threshold of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Walsh later explained why she decided to protest, saying she fears for her children’s future and is frustrated over the lack of meaningful action on climate change despite years of personal efforts.
She described the 1.5-degree temperature rise as a “global shipwreck” – a nod to the Shakespeare play they interrupted – and pointed to recent extreme weather events, including wildfires in California, deadly floods in Valencia, and widespread power outages in the UK as evidence of the climate crisis’ immediacy.
Weir, reflecting on his career in the shipyards of Tyneside, drew parallels between the government’s failure to address climate change and the decline of UK manufacturing due to inaction.
He warned that unless fossil fuel use is phased out by 2030, the impacts of the crisis on homes, crops, and neighborhoods will only worsen.
The protest briefly halted the performance, but Weaver later returned to the stage.
A 42-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man have since been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
