The world in the dock: who is to blame?
Tipping Point is a documentary theatre production that places the audience at the heart of a courtroom drama. In the dock sits the representative of one of the world’s largest energy multinationals, accused of complicity in one of the most devastating environmental disasters of our time. The explosion on an oil rig exposes the fragility of our systems, the unchecked power of the fossil fuel giants, and the lethal entanglement of greed and systemic negligence.
It is more than just an account of the greatest environmental disaster in the United States – it is a reflection on a world where nature struggles to survive under the relentless logic of capitalism.
The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon platform (2010) – the accident in the Gulf of Mexico, caused by British Petroleum (BP), has become a symbol of ecological disaster and corporate negligence. The explosion claimed the lives of 11 workers and oil spilled into the sea for 87 days. It is estimated that around 780 million litres of crude oil (around 4.9 million barrels) were released into the ocean.
The consequences were devastating: ecosystems destroyed, polluted coastlines and irreparable damage to local communities. The costs of clean-up, fines and compensation exceeded $65 billion – but no amount of money can bring back the lives lost or restore the destroyed environment. During the disaster, BP’s CEO, Tony Hayward, became the face of corporate irresponsibility. His public statements sparked outrage and fierce criticism, intensifying the negative reaction from the media and the public.
This production highlights the risks associated with the unchecked exploitation of natural resources and reveals the global challenges linked to transport, trade and our dependence on fossil fuels. It raises fundamental questions about corporate responsibility and the search for a balance between economic growth and environmental protection.
Project Transport: in response to the climate emergency, Slovenian director Tin Grabnar has brought together six puppet theatres for a European project exploring the impact of transport on the contemporary world. In the spirit of a six-part series, which can be viewed together or separately, each performance focuses on a specific issue linked to the consequences of global traffic and globalisation.
BIO
Founded in 1966 in Pilsen as a theatre aimed at younger audiences, the company changed its name to Divadlo Alfa in 1992, thereby emphasising its constant and progressive openness to new forms of performance, capable of reaching an ever-wider and more diverse audience.
Since 1967, it has organised the Skupova Plzeň festival, a showcase for Czech puppet theatre, and over the years has won several international awards for its original and innovative productions.
