Where platitudes often replace hope, Now We Are Earth invites us to believe in something better through our imaginations. Created by Nicole Beutler and produced in collaboration with Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, Dance On Ensemble, and Opera2Day and O.. it is the final show in the Rituals of Transformation trilogy, representing the alchemical stage where gold is formed, where reformation finally blooms into reward.
This opera addresses climate change not only with positivity but curiosity. It beckons viewers to innovate, to disrupt, and puts the power in their hands. Spread across five songs, the best way to describe the production is: intuitive. The music by Gary Shepherd feels elemental, the choreography a conversation, and the overall performance highly participatory. When the choir joins the stage from the audience, it feels as though you are performing with them. In the third song, when dancers break into a celebratory rhythm, you become part of that joy. The show makes you feel the freedom that comes with taking responsibility for our climate, guided by love for one another. It doesn’t preach—it simulates that reality in the theatre.
The metaphor of the rat is perhaps the most peculiar element. It challenges our perception of what we know, love, and hate. During the monologue, when the rat says, “And when the gigantic rat dreams, that all the little lights are eyes of other gigantic rats in the big sky,” I wondered—maybe restoring nature’s cycle would make it mirror us; no superior species, just harmony. The message was strong yet comforting – not a thump but a rest, a credit to the balance Beutler achieves through her brilliant direction. Atulya JAIN 27th May 2025
