Birmingham theatre company Stan's Cafe will turn its attention to the complex issue of plastic usage for The Many Lives Of PET #1, a “light-hearted yet thought-provoking” new production which will tour community venues in and around the city.
One of the most commonly used plastics is polyethylene terephthalate, also known as PET. Intended for single use, it's used to make a huge range of products including disposable water and drink bottles. What we do with them next is one of the big questions posed by Stan’s Cafe.
The company’s comedy-drama asks us to consider how we use plastic as our hero PET #1—previously food packaging, now mechanically recycled into a clear bottle—finds himself discarded and facing an uncertain future.
James Yarker, co-director of The Many Lives of PET #1, said, "learning about the origins and future of plastic has been fascinating, and turning this into an entertaining show has been fun.
“PET #1 and his friends are tragic figures in a way: they’re really useful but no one wants them around, and alternatives aren’t always much better. The solution is a bit of a riddle that we’re all trying to work out.”
Dr Christopher Windows-Yule, from the Birmingham Plastics Network at the University of Birmingham which commissioned the piece, commented, “the plastic waste crisis is one of the great, global challenges facing society today. But it's a massively complex subject, surrounded by all kinds of confusion and misinformation.
“This project communicates important messages and knowledge about plastics in a way that’s engaging and understandable. It might just help to drive the kind of action needed to address the crisis in a meaningful way.”
The Many Lives of PET #1 will open at The Exchange, Centenary Square, Birmingham on Saturday 29 March before visiting venues in Deritend (31 March), Quinton (1 April), Stirchley (2 April), Northfield (3 April), Handsworth (4 April), Kings Heath and Erdington (5 April), Moseley (7 April), Kingstanding (8 April), Hockley (9 April), Stourbridge (10 April), Coventry (11 April) and Balsall Heath (12 April).