Learn all about the real history behind 'Kyoto'

The gripping political thriller set during the vital 1997 UN climate conference is coming to @sohoplace in the West End. Ahead of your trip, find out what really happened!

In December 1997, a group of United Nations delegates at the Kyoto Conference Centre had just hours left to agree a climate deal that might save the world. That’s the riveting subject for the explosive political thriller Kyoto, which is hitting the West End in spring 2025 following its acclaimed premiere earlier this year.

The show is written by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, the powerhouse duo behind the award-winning play The Jungle, about the Calais refugee camp, and it’s directed by another incredible double act: Stephen Daldry (The Crown, Tony and Olivier winner for The Inheritance, Oscar nominee for Billy Elliot, The Hours and The Reader) and Justin Martin (Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Prima Facie).

But what exactly did happen back in 1997, and how does that match up with this must-see new play? Ahead of planning your trip to see the show at @sohoplace, read our guide to the real history of Kyoto.

Book Kyoto tickets on London Theatre.

What is Kyoto about?

Kyoto puts us in the room where it happens – or rather happened – so that we can follow every twist and turn of these crucial negotiations. The assembled international diplomats are trying to reach an agreement on a global treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a vital aim that could help us to avert climate catastrophe.

It’s a massive undertaking, with representatives from 176 countries trying to find a consensus that everyone can agree on, and commit to – and time is running out.

Who are the characters in Kyoto?

We meet numerous key figures in Kyoto, including the British politician John Prescott, Germany’s Angela Merkel, the USA’s Al Gore, and conference chairman Raúl Estrada-Oyuela. Together they provide a snapshot of these very different nations’ approaches to this crucial issue, as well as the consequences. Another delegate represents the Alliance of Small Island States, who are already suffering from the climate crisis.

Does that tally with real life?

For the most part, yes! Plenty of the Kyoto characters are real-life political heavyweights, so part of the fun is getting to glimpse these public figures behind closed doors (or as the writers have imagined them, at any rate). You’ll definitely recognise lots of the big names, and probably know something about their commitment to environmental work – especially someone like Al Gore.

There is also one person you may not know, but who plays a key dramatic role here: Don Pearlman. He’s an American oil lobbyist and a cunning strategist, who once served in President Reagan’s administration, and who is working on behalf of shadowy petroleum companies to ruin the talks and protect the oil businesses’ commercial interests.

Where did the negotiations take place?

As the play’s title suggests: in Kyoto, Japan. The show guides us through the background to the all-important UN Climate Conference in Kyoto (the 1997 conference is known as ‘COP 3’, following the first two in 1995 and 1996), and the actual conference is just 10 frantic days, from 1-11 December.

What was the outcome of Kyoto?

Spoiler alert (although not really, since it’s actual history!): this landmark conference led to the “Kyoto Protocol”, an international treaty on tackling global warming by agreeing to reduce the most dangerous greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.

This agreement extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which committed nations to reducing greenhouse gas emissions – a key step in putting into action a response based on the widespread acceptance of overwhelming scientific evidence.

The Protocol put the onus for this action on wealthier developed countries, since they were historically more responsible for the climate crisis, and could afford to take greater steps. But, most importantly, it was a huge moment for international cooperation in the face of an existential threat – and getting it agreed was something of a diplomatic miracle.

Who plays the real people in Kyoto?

This outstanding co-production between Good Chance and the Royal Shakespeare Company premiered in summer 2024 at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. Many of that original cast are reprising their performances, once again relishing to chance to play real, and fascinating, people.

They include Stephen Kunken (who was Tony Award nominated for Enron) as Don Pearlman, Ferdy Roberts as John Prescott, Nancy Crane as the conference’s American representative, Jorge Bosch as Raúl Estrada-Oyuela, Dale Rapley as Al Gore, and Jenna Augen as Don’s wife Shirley.

They will be joined by several exciting new cast members for the West End run at @sohoplace, in central London.

Why is this real story still important?

Although Kyoto is a modern history play, detailing events from more than 25 years ago, it’s still an incredibly resonant and vital story. We now know, with greater certainty, just how urgent it is that we tackle climate change as a global society, and what the consequences could be of the climate crisis worsening.

Kyoto is a riveting portrait of that international diplomacy in action, with all of its quirks, challenges and occasional triumphs, as well as the forces that undermine such efforts – including those with vested interests who question scientific evidence.

It’s not just about the facts, but about emotion, belief and persuasion. That’s perhaps even more apparent at this fraught political moment, and in our “post-truth”, “fake news” era. By revisiting a fascinating chapter from the recent past, Kyoto also helps us to better understand our present, and to shape our future, as we try to work together to save our planet.

Book Kyoto tickets on London Theatre.

Photo credit: Kyoto (Photos by Manuel Harlan)