I very much support protest. My concern is most of the audience who experienced this isn't going to think "Oh yeah...we should eliminate oil". They'll think "these annoying protesters ruined my evening". I don't think it helps propagate their message the way they hope it will. It kind of casts a negative image on them which may discourage people from the cause.

@djgamer1400

9 ай бұрын

Totally agree with you

@D-Fritz

9 ай бұрын

It’s not their fault that the audience is stupid.

@maurinet2291

9 ай бұрын

As Mickey Jo said, I don't think they care about what the audience thinks as much as they care about the exposure. And they've certainly thought through that piece of it in their choice of what and how to disrupt.

@paulsworld7614

9 ай бұрын

Their cause is stopping the destruction of Earth's ability to sustain life, their cause is preventing the murder/manslaughter of millions of people who will die as a result of food system failure and wars brought about by necessary mass migration. Why is this their cause? You need to seriously ask yourself why this isn't your cause!

@intotheunknown6736

9 ай бұрын

Google disruptive activism, the goal is for news coverage and to make the most noise possible. I've seen a lot of people saying this doesn't make people like stop oil, the truth is they don't care, and that's not what disruptive activism is about, and it's not its purpose at all. They say the same thing about street protests, about anything really. If it inconveniences people even 1% they cry and complain. Well activism isn't pretty, wont have an earth to watch the theatre on, or streets to drive on, the way things are headed.

I work in theatre, and so do many in my community. A friend of mine is on the crew of Les Mis. And I think it’s all well and good to try to stir public to your cause, but doing so by disrupting someone’s workplace is… less than ideal, shall we say. I can only imagine how frightening it was for those first few seconds to people who were just there literally doing their jobs. We are not a rich industry when it comes to those of us on the ground. As you say, pandemic was not kind to theatre. So, as much as I can feel sympathy to the cause, the target here was misguided. And, as someone who hails from a country where violent takeovers of theatre spaces was a lived reality, let’s just say this happening at my workplace would have been more than a bit triggering.

@intotheunknown6736

9 ай бұрын

I mean, the problem with this take is, you can say that about anything. Even a street protest puts people out. So should people do nothing and watch the world burn? Because every bit of protest inconveniences someone. In that case no one does anything. Also the majority of people in that audience were privileged, it was 100% the right audience, and you can tell by the way they were booed. Do people think Les Mes is based on fictional events? Let's watch show about revolution, yet ewwwww any form of civil unrest? Get away from us peasants. Let's stop romancing revolutions of the past.

They said it themselves, the show is about protesters against an uncaring government. That audience is not the government. These people need to stop punching down and start punching up. That is the entire point of Les Misérables. You didn’t have the students in the show padlock themselves to Thenardier’s inn, they went to the seat of power in Paris. So I disagree Mickey Jo, I think the protestors missed the irony of them suppressing a story of rebellion.

@Twananas

9 ай бұрын

Exactly! Target the incompetent government and stop annoying the general crowds.

@simosa5842

9 ай бұрын

This!

@D-Fritz

9 ай бұрын

So how many of those audience members would have left the show and gone on to protest against climate criminals had this not happened?

@blackieblong8334

9 ай бұрын

@@D-Fritz Probably more had this not happened.

@palmereldritch7777

9 ай бұрын

Protesting is a staged message and therefore theater by definition. If it took 5 persons and a bit of preparation to stage a protest that was reported worldwide, they did an excellent job of having their message amplified. The question should not be why they did this but why are not more people doing this. Climate change (as mentioned here already happening) was no laughing matter for 100.000's of people this year, many of whom died.... There's gonna be a great show on Apathy & Complacency coming out soon.

I feel sorry for the actors and crew. I completely agree with what you're saying.

I saw _Les Misérables_ on Broadway in November 1990. Homeless people were sitting near the entrance before the show, at intermission, and afterward, shunted off to one side so as not to make the patrons unduly uncomfortable. The playgoers gave the poor people a wide berth lest they catch poverty from them, or simply ignored them altogether. I don't think they got the meaning of _Les Misérables,_ or felt any connection between the people in the show and what was happening right in front of them, or realized what a revolutionary work Hugo's novel was. When I toured the lobby at intermission, no one was talking about the ideas presented; they just rabbited on about how entertaining the production was, how glorious the set and costumes were, and so on. Utterly clueless, they were.

@YotYotFive

9 ай бұрын

... Did you feed the homeless people in the street, or did you behave in exactly the same way as the other audience members while internally aspiring to moral superiority?

@palmereldritch7777

9 ай бұрын

@@YotYotFive You are great at making cheap snide remarks. Can i have your number in case the world goes down ? I know you'll have a solution at hand.

@YotYotFive

9 ай бұрын

@@palmereldritch7777 I don't claim to have solutions for the world going down. I just think it's kinda sanctimonious for someone to present themselves as a bleeding heart humanitarian while not actually doing any more to help the homeless than the other audience members he haughtily condemns. It's no great achievement to see Les Mis and claim you then understand "the plight of the poor".

@dogvom

9 ай бұрын

@@YotYotFive Well, no, I had a show to see. I gave them $10 each, and presumably they fed themselves. I didn't give them homes, either; the hotel I was staying wouldn't have appreciated it. Any other stupid questions?

The annoying thing about it is that it’s already out of the news cycle and has achieved literally nothing outside of some ‘gotcha’ posts on social media. JSO’s tactics are all about publicity with very little actual mobilisation to do anything - and aimed at the people who can’t do anything about it

@palmereldritch7777

9 ай бұрын

Protests are literally supposed to be publicity. If you want action you would call it a revolution. As for the people who "can't do anything about it". Yeah that IS the central problem. Can't or won't ? Apathy.

I can definitely have sympathy for the message they were sending by this protest. However, I think that they are continuously targeting the wrong people. These people, as far as we know, don't have any power over what is happening other than their vote. The politicians can actively do something about this, and they are only angering the people who MAY be able to vote someone else in if the current government does their job. I would inconvenience politicians way before I would ever consider taking an action like this. But I also get feeling like there is no point in protesting these politicians when they've made it clear that they do not care. And honestly, I don't know that non-politicians care enough either.

@niamhl6964

9 ай бұрын

They literally did protest in front of the government, they do that quite regularly but it's never on the news, so they do stuff like this to actually call attention to their cause! We need to do something about climate change immediately, and it's a good reminder that nothing (including theatre and the arts) will exist if we don't do something.

@ImaginaryMdA

9 ай бұрын

Politicians have been protested to and even "inconvenienced" nothing works. People have set themselves on fire for climate action, did you hear about that? No, because nothing else is working. "Oh, I guess people don't care enough. I guess we can't do anything." isn't a viable answer. That answer leads to an untold number of deaths.

@amandahealey2216

9 ай бұрын

Yeah, the only one that made sense was that millionaire's boat, or something like that

@dad675

9 ай бұрын

So, have you stopped using your car?

@paulsworld7614

9 ай бұрын

​@@dad675No but I've bought an electric car and my electricity provider uses almost exclusively renewable energy.

The fear point made me think of the little Gavroche who I can see a few performers go to protect when they didn't know what was going on 🥺

@PS-DLMA

9 ай бұрын

Omg yes! Jeez hadnt thought the stress on the adults running to the stage would have been overwhelming but they would generally know the group. But i cant imagine how scary for the boy

@PS-DLMA

9 ай бұрын

I re watched the footage, paid close attention to Gavroche ans was really impressed at how the adult cast protected him

Protest is inherently disruptive. If it wasn't, could it even be called a protest?

@StijnHommes

9 ай бұрын

Yes, but it should be disruptive to the people who they are protesting against -- the government. Not to random people who are minding their own business.

@ChargingStag

2 ай бұрын

I believe it could indeed - as far as I can see in the definitions, protests are not defined by disruption. Disruption just seems to be an optional added extra

As you said in the video - it is not simply the theatre ticket price that is at stake here. The theatre will refund or change tickets but the hotel, the train, the restaurant used by the theatregoer won't. Tickets are so expensive nowadays (almost 4 times as expensive as when I was in London) and has become a luxury for the majority of theatregoers. I think the decision not to continue with the show may have been something to do with the musician's union as they don't allow their members to work over a certain amount of hours - I may be totally off the mark there, who knows. I think if it had been a play then it would have resumed. I have every sympathy with the Just Stop Oil movement as I think this world is going to be a very different place for our children, and not in a good way - but I also have empathy for the theatregoers. It is a difficult one. This will mean absolutely nothing to the majority of the current political party in power - a few people have lost a bit of money, so what? Who cares! We do! We care that people are losing hard-earned money in this climate through no fault of their own and we care that the world is heading in the direction it is going. Why won't they sit up and listen?

I feel like there was a better way to capitalize on the protest themes of Les Mis. Maybe give a call to action to people outside the theater after the show. But, yeah, they definitely seem to be more focused on disruptive publicity than genuinely reaching out to people and educating them on climate change.

One of the first things I thought was literally oh so mickeys got another theatre drama video to make

@Chelseabee55

9 ай бұрын

Haha he can never just enjoy a trip to NYC without the west end falling apart!

I used to work in an area that had semi-frequent protests and also mass surface light-rail transit. I relied on that transit to get to work and to get home. There were many times that the protesters for a variety of issues decided that they wanted to block the light rail as part of their protest. And it was like...I AGREE with you guys, I already vote in favor of our shared interests, but you're keeping me from getting HOME. I don't understand the endgame of protests where they lash out at people at large regardless of whether they are in any way related to the issue that they've taken up, the only effect that I've ever seen come about from it is people resenting the protesters, and that can't be great for getting people to support their cause who didn't already. It doesn't change anyone's mind, it doesn't change anyone's votes, and it doesn't inconvenience or disrupt anyone who's actually going to be able to singularly change anything about what they don't like.

@Yubsie

9 ай бұрын

Blocking PUBLIC MASS TRANSIT seems like the opposite of productive for anti-oil protests

@CinnamonQuills

9 ай бұрын

@@Yubsie RIGHT? In my case it wasn't always oil, though. It was a wide variety of issues, each one of which had a group that wanted to lie down in the street and disrupt commuters over. Many were environmental, some were social justice, some were protests against specific local government officials or policies. I couldn't even tell you specifically what they all were, they blurred together after a while, and if it doesn't even stand out because it's so common that undoes the only point that the whole thing is supposed to have, to make people pay attention.

@emma.328

9 ай бұрын

Had a similar issue with environmental protestors at my local public transport. While I agree with their sentiment, I need to get work on time. I (and many others) just took ubers that day which is very much against what environmentalists would want. Don't you want to support public transport? Instead a whole lot of us just took ubers that day because there are penaties if you don't show up to work on time.

@Chelseabee55

9 ай бұрын

Yes absolutely. Alienating people who can’t make the changes themselves does nothing for their cause. They need to protest at 10 Downing but they are too cowardly for that

As much as I sympathize with the protestors I don't think this was a good look for them. I doubt it's going to get the attention of who it needs too, the politicians. I think, like you say, that the audience will have spent alot of money and in some cases travelled a long distance to watch the show and it may have been a once in a lifetime thing. If I'd had been there I would have been tempted to boo them too. Not because, to make it very clear, like I said I disagree with what they are protesting about. I also think that it not only would have been scary for the actor's but the audience too.

@michaeladkins6

9 ай бұрын

I dint think the torys give a crap. vote them out!

Yes go to a play or gig where people are trying to get away from real life for an hour or two . I think it was disgraceful and they should be ashamed of themselves. I would understand if there was politicians you know the ones who can actually make a difference there . I'm going to see it soon and l know how much tickets are and not only that but hotels ubers etc . The only thing they are doing is making people hate them and this distracts people from their message

@geo3898

9 ай бұрын

People vote for the politicians... disrupt and annoy the common people and they might actually start voting in people who will help the current issue. All successful protests were disruptive in some way and affected the common people. Plus they have attacked politicians as well but it's not as popular on the news.

@rhonab6698

9 ай бұрын

@@geo3898 respectfully, if people are still voting for tories after all this time and the sheer number of fuck ups and scandals, annoying them isn't going to make them switch from voting tory, especially when the tories are condemning the people annoying them - that's just gonna make people want to keep voting tory more.

@geo3898

9 ай бұрын

@@rhonab6698 i don't disagree but it's better than doing nothing. You never know who you might influence

@litchie5836

9 ай бұрын

@@geo3898 doing something that pisses off and alienates the people you are trying to convince literally is worse than doing nothing. Do we have any evidence of a stunt like this changing a single person's mind for the better? I've met people who got more anti-environmentalist because of this kind of thing, but never the other way around.

@geo3898

9 ай бұрын

@@litchie5836 yes we do the gay liberation movement basically depended on these kind of protests (people tying themselves to monuments, blocking roads etc etc) as well as lobbying politicians and educating the public. All types of efforts are needed and useful. I'm not saying everything JSO is doing is right but they are going after everyone but of course the media wants to further alienate them so only shares the protests and efforts that affect the common people and not events that directly affect politicians.

The just stop oil movement frustrates me. I largely agree with their viewpoint and what they are trying to achieve, but when it comes down to it, their methods do more to piss people off than actually reach their goals. While the themes of les mis are obviously fitting for a real-life protest, these people once again have just pissed people off rather than achieving anything. I don't know what the answer is. I hope the cast/crew are all ok and not too scarred by the stage invasion.

@Marculator

9 ай бұрын

Yeah, I agree. I mean, sometimes I wonder if they're actually the complete opposite of what they say they are and they're an oil company in disguise.

@phoenixfritzinger9185

9 ай бұрын

@@Marculatorone of their top donors is a heir to the Getty family fortune (they were oil barons like a century ago and still have all that money) I guess there’s worse ways to express your daddy issues

@CinnamonQuills

9 ай бұрын

@Marculator22 Just Stop Oil is funded by a Los Angeles based slush fund for climate activism primarily funded by actors, directors, and "philanthropists" (trust fund kids). People with an abundance of money who think that "disruption" is the way to get attention for a cause and that that disruption should happen in ways that get the most public attention rather than being aimed at people and places that are actually relevant or might have the power to change anything because they're never personally in a position where anything inconveniences them. If their Les Miz show is interrupted it's an exciting diversion from their routine and they can just get front row center tickets the next night, it's not like it would ever be the only opportunity that *they'd* have to see a show like that. They support disrupting transportation because they aren't going to lose their job if they're not there on time. They support people gluing themselves to art and throwing paint on storefronts because it's other people taking the fall for them, and if it happened to them they'd have no problem funding the damage being cleaned up.

@kimberlyrose01

9 ай бұрын

They got their attention, but the people who need to hear this weren't listening. And it gives those people an excuse to ignore anyone advocating for change, because they can paint all climate-awareness activists as disruptive. We absolutely need massive structural change to mitigate the climate crisis. Vandalizing paintings and stopping performances isn't going to bring that about.

@rustytrain12345

9 ай бұрын

Im, sorry but every time they do this stunts they lose me hello I know your there I agree with most of what you say but no I don't agree that storming the stage is the right thing to do and every protest you do gets your 5 mind of fame but the next day we're board and over it. My mum introduced me to the theatre she is now 76 and can't walk amazingly well every year we have a special 4 day event and hit as many shows as we can I want to loving look back at these good times not have my mermeries spoilt by this lot.

what were they trying to achieve other than publicity? I think climate change is a huge problem and needs to be seriously dealt with yesterday but actions like this just make people angry and in my opinion, makes them not even want to hear the message. the protest itself becomes the story rather than what is happening to the planet. i am sure it is exciting and exhilarating for the protesters and they must feel proud of themselves, but does this really educate people or make them receptive to the message? I think not. Those who don't think climate change is a serious issue will just associate the issue with illegal actions such as this and be even less likely to be convinced to care about the issue. find ways to talk to people as mature adults to encourage them to care about climate change and vote for politicians who will work to mitigate the problem.

@michaeladkins6

9 ай бұрын

People who dont think climate change is a serious issue are causing harm to us all.

It wasnt safe for them to jump on stage like that. Who knows if a huge set piece was coming down just as they jumped on stage. They could of injured someone in the orchestra and so many things could go wrong. This was not the time to do it, they could for example wait outside the theatre after the show so it wouldn't be as disruptive....I dont know, i dont think this was the right thing to do

@mikekaraoke

9 ай бұрын

I 100% agree, very idiotic!

There are ways to make our collective home better, but these protestors have gone too far with it as of late

Thank you for discussing this. I feel very bad for the cast. It must have been very frightening. I think the protest was counterproductive. It’s the wrong target. Many in the audience likely sympathize with and want someone to address this issue, but activities like this turn people off from an important cause.

@julianasuplee6900

9 ай бұрын

Completely agree. I think the protest backfired.

@Chelseabee55

9 ай бұрын

@@julianasuplee6900most of their protests do. Like interrupting London public transit. Which is exactly what we need more of in order for people to be less car reliant!

@Chelseabee55

9 ай бұрын

Who is paying for the refunded tickets? I hope it’s Just Stop Oil and not the theatre

@gdroberts8163

9 ай бұрын

@@Chelseabee55 It's likely that the theater set up an additional performance and comped the audience. I would think they would offer a credit rather than full refund to anyone else. If they refunded everyone it would be at theater's expense. No doubt the theater and production could sue the protesters too.

Yeah I can't say I agree. Showing disdain for the protestors who are interrupting a production does not mean you "have no sympathy for that whatsoever." For ex, I support their cause completely, but their choice of venue is both counterproductive and inappropriate. Imagine targeting a demographic most likely to already be sympathetic toward your agenda? Not only that, but those very same people have spent significant sums to witness a comparable story that is told in a far more compelling way? This of course is in addition to the other points you mentioned, like supporting the theatre industry post-pandemic and respecting the cast and crew.

The remarkable thing about this is that while they continue to target the wrong people the theatre might have been the worst place for it because we know the government doesn’t give a damn. Didn’t ALW, a tory, need to kick off and threaten to go to jail during the pandemic for them to even pretend to care?

I think people forget that this venue will have had lots of counter terrorism training (due to its location etc) and although this was not one of those incidents, they will be trained to expect the worst and jump into action. This must have been TERRIFYING for a few short seconds until they could confirm what was happening.

In regard to why they didn't continue the show: actors in the US revival of Les Mis said that the show was so long that sometimes they would have curtain call in silence because contractually they only had the orchestra for a set amount of time and if the show ran long for some reason they'd have to go. I don't know how it works on the West End, but if it's at all similar, that delay could have presented problems in performing the back half of the show.

While I'm heavily about freedom of speech and the right to protest, I think there are ethical ways of achieving this. This government is a shambles and clearly devoid of shame, but I do get where the protesting is coming from, just not how its necessarily being carried out. Especially after everything this industry is still going through.

I'm definitely in two minds about the whole thing, because I absolutely sympathise with the theatre, the production, all of the performers, and the audience who have likely planned especially to go and see the show, who now have to reschedule potentially months later, or even years give how expensive hotels are, not to mention the financial hit the company and the theatre will take having to refund tens of thousands of pounds, possibly even over £100,000 worth of money taken in from ticket sales. That all said, the issue being highlighted is very real, and whilst the manner in which they're choosing to convey their message leaves a lot to be desired (the arts have nothing to do with climate change, nor do they provide the necessary coverage to really make sure they're heard), we do need to sit back and think "something needs to be done to save the planet". The best way of getting the government's attention though would be to disrupt events that would be consequential to THEM, like literally the same day as that performance it was the Tory party conference in Manchester, and I don't understand why they couldn't direct their protest in that kind of direction rather than at an event that very few of the Tories would really give two shits about. Even a football match would have been a much better platform, at least there ti would just be a short delay and the match would be allowed to go on.

@potterlover96

9 ай бұрын

Couldn't have said it better myself

@palmereldritch7777

9 ай бұрын

Let's not kid ourselves, we all have something to do with climate change. And this year, i think climate change had something to do with all of us in the world. And if you didn't get that message reaching you somewhere this year, mental health is in a crisis as well.

@StijnHommes

9 ай бұрын

So, what the "protesters" actually achieved is more car rides and plane trips being planned to return to the show in the future.... Exactly what they were trying to avoid. Just a second of thinking would've made them reconsider, but there was no thinking involved by the "protesters".

@intotheunknown6736

9 ай бұрын

Okay but my issue with this argument is this; why are individuals not held accountable at all? Torries won because the majority voted them IN, the current government will not listen and does not care, protesting to them is useless. You need to protest to the PEOPLE, because the only way we're going to save the planet is to vote governments like this OUT. So when people say, why not protest to the the government? Have you lot be listening? They do not care, it's a waste of time. You need to be targeting the voters. People who watch the arts, and have an appreciation for it are meant to be more liberal.... unless it inconveniences them.

When I told my dad about this, he thought it was awful for actors and all that. But he raised a good point - what if no one filmed it💀

@Midlander83

9 ай бұрын

JSO filmed it themselves - they always bring someone to do that (because of the reasons you imply), and pretty much the first footage to appear was on their own Twitter account. They’re certainly effective at getting noticed! Was this the right target - probably not. Although thinking about it, there is a certain irony in the way we glorify historical protestors but condemn today’s when so much is at stake. It’s a valid point JSO are trying to make here, but as others have said, the action will alienate people and the government won’t care.

I have been excitedly awaiting this video since seeing the news article yesterday! 👏☕️😂

I'm going to see Les Misérables in about a week. I'm really looking forward to seeing the show, as Les Misérables was my first musical that I saw as a child over 20 years ago and it awakened my passion for musicals. I will be traveling by train from Germany for environmental reasons (although it is more expensive than flying). I am not rich, live in a small apartment, don't have a car, pay attention to the environment as much as I can. What exactly do you want from musicalgoers like me, JSO? I know that we absolutely have to protect the environment and deal with climate change. I vote - in Germany - for parties that stand for that. Address politics, corporations, really rich people. You are right in what you say, but say it to the right people!

Interesting take on the situation. I am, however, concerned that this type of protest will actually marginalise their cause, eg " brainwashed idiots ruining my theatre experience/stopping me from getting home/defacing public property, their ideas must also be stupid"

I felt really bad for actors and they tried to do a show. I saw a news and the oil protesters. Protesters, they need to stop and not to break in the theater.

Firstly, can I applaud you for taking the time to give such a well thought out, nuanced discussion of the issue rather than just leaping to one side. The comment you made about the irony of people booing young people protesting at a show about young people protesting was an extremely valid one. That said, lspreading You didn't mention their goals until half way through this video. The BBC article only mentions their goals in a boxout after about 5 paragraphs and the main article only mentions them in the last line. People are talking about Just Stop Oil, but they're not talking about their goals. I have no issue with climate protestors causing disruption - I have gone on marches myself. But it has to be focused on getting results. Just Stop Oil seem to be entirely focused on taking action, and not really thinking about the results those actions will achieve. The only real result here is ensuring a room of 1000 people who might have been sympathetic never support them in future.

I absolutely agree with your opinions about the event. I'll start by saying that I've done the math and continuing the performance would mean the show would run until around 11:00pm so perhaps cancelling was the better choice (especially considering train strikes and whatnot) As for the protest itself, using Les Mis (a show partially about a protest) as a platform for your protest is a great idea. Shows that tackle social injustice and corruption are usually a good choice for activism. However, there are better ways to do these things than padlock yourself to a West End stage while a performance is taking place. A good example for a better way to tackle social issues using the context of a show would be the 2016 event that took place during a performance of Hamilton on Broadway which was attended by then vice-president-elect Mike Pence. At the end of the performance, during the curtain call, Brandon Victor Dixon who played Aaron Burr, gave a speech about the role immigrants took in building the country and the importance of inclusivity against the comments made by Donald Trump following his win at the 2016 elections. A similar thing happened a couple months ago at the "HaBima" theatre in Tel Aviv when at the end of a performance of "Kazablan", a show about inequality in society and the importance of democracy (among other things), one of the leading actors in the show gave a speech about the anti-democratic actions of the goverment and the mistreatment of protestors in the street by the Israeli police. I'm sure that if Just Stop Oil were to reach out to the production and ask to speak about their cause at curtain call, the production would've been happy to oblige, especially given the fact that (from what I know) the Sondheim is one of the greener theatres in the West End. Not only will that cause less disruption AND be safer to all parties involved, but it would also be more beneficial to JSO as it would give them the platform they needed without the controversies surrounding it. I'm sure many of the people in attendance are against climate change and in favour of fighting it, and I do believe that if it was done differently, it would've been better to all parties involved.

@danielrobinson7350

9 ай бұрын

I doubt Cameron Mackintosh would have been ok with that.

Fully agree with everything you've said! Especially towards the end. So well spoken, couldn't describe that better myself.

I suspect that the reason they didn’t have time to complete the performance will be the cost of overtime payments - especially for musicians. When I worked at Regent’s Park theatre my understanding with rain delays was that plays had a longer time we could pause for than musicals because of this (everyone else was on buyouts).

I agree with you about everything apart from the point about audience members not getting the message of the musical if they were booing the protesters. They have a right to be pissed off at the situation, and it doesn't mean they don't identify with the story. Heck, they weren’t even given time to understand the message of the musical because they only saw about half an hour of it before it was interrupted!

What happens is instead of helping their caused it hurts them its the opposite effect. They are about as annoying as a herpie on the lip.

As someone who took a dream trip to London from The States several years ago (specifically to see shows), I would have been CRUSHED if this had happened at one of our shows. Not the time or place for this kind of protest. Ironic? Yes. If this was a revolution against how much money Cameron Mackintosh makes, I could even understand that (joke, btw), as he and the producers are the ones who took the financial hit from this. More than one theater lover was robbed of the joy of being swept away for 2 and 1/2 hours; that kid who one day might say "I became an actor (singer/dancer/lighting designer) because of the impact of Les Miz..." I hope they are prosecuted to the full extent of the law...maybe someone will write a musical about them one day...

@ImaginaryMdA

9 ай бұрын

A few hundred people didn't get to watch a theatre performance, and I'm sure they were CRUSHED. You'll never believe how CRUSHED all the victims of the climate emergency are going to be. Or their parents.

@AmuseicDCTS

9 ай бұрын

I can't help but agree. I was in London just a week before this happened, specifically to see Les Mis (and other shows). This was something I've been dreaming about for more than 10 years and I was finally in a financial situation that I was able to make it happen, but it was still a significant expense. I would have been so pissed off if these protesters arrived a week earlier. I recognize the importance of their cause, but this is not the way.

9:43 No it was not the right thing! It was absolutely out of order!

No theatre on a dead planet.

Could not agree more with everything you said 👏 and very well said too 👏

I always appreciate your thoughtful commentary on subjects like this. I don't know where I fall, but I like the way you discuss both sides evenhandedly. Also, your discursions into ticket prices and the logistics of chaining oneself to a set are the best. This is the level of investigative journalism I've come to expect from you! XD

Thanks for your thoughts. The moments while your frozen trying to figure out fight or flight are extremely intense.

They should protest in streets or anywhere except events. They did it before in the Chelsea Flower Show and it was so disgusting that they were throwing orange dust on the flowers that participants had worked so hard to grow and display into the show!

All their doing is pissing people off who could actually help/would join there are so many better ways to go about proving a point

While I wholeheartedly believe that everyone should have the freedom to protest, I cannot stand or stand with Just Stop Oil as a movement. I believe in climate change 100% and I do honestly believe that the UK as a country should have a big play in doing everything we can to fight against climate change, but the way that JSO have been using their platform to protest is completely out of line. Firstly - almost every time they protest, they’re targeting the wrong people. 99% of their protest placements target working class people who don’t have nearly enough power to make any sort of change other than their vote. Instead of choosing political events or deciding to protest where it can clearly be seen or inconvenience the high levels or government, they choose places and events that will aggravate the lives of people just trying to get on with their day, and all it does it turn people against them. Secondly - I think they’re absolutely disgusting in how they choose to protest. In this case, it’s ruining a rather expensive evening for people who have spent a lot of money on theatre tickets, restaurants, hotels, travels, and for some, this might be a one-time situation if they haven’t got the money to do it again, or it may ruin a personal celebration or experience that they can’t get back. In other instances, they’re blocking roads and traffic, supergluing themselves to roads or transport links, and completely upending people’s days. For some, it may mean not getting to work on time, not being able to get home to pick their kids up from school. For others, it may mean causing serious damage to their personal lives - last year, a woman had her elderly mother in the car who had a stroke and she was trying to rush her to hospital, and protesters blocking the road refused to let her through as she was crying and begging to let her pass, it’s disgusting behaviour. It’s now starting to put the protestors in harm as people on the roads are refusing to stop driving and almost run them down to get through, plus they’re not doing anything for the planet by blocking the traffic and having several hundred cars stand still with their engines running I do believe something needs to be done about the climate and oil companies, but they really need to rethink their strategies and placement to make sure they’re not inconveniencing the people at the bottom of the chain, but instead aiming for the high level oil executives and politicians who can actually action something to make a change.

@dad675

9 ай бұрын

So have you stopped using your car? Just asking.

@keirafontana

9 ай бұрын

@@dad675 I don’t own a car, I get around via public transport because I live in London and public transport is far cheaper, easier and overall better for the planet, thanks

New cast as well. Those poor actors and crew :(

You have an incredibly nuanced take, love it!

I was at this showing. While I understand the intention, as an American I can’t emphasize the total fear I felt for a moment that it was a shooting in the making. By the time I finally realized it was an unarmed protest I was already in a state of panic and any support for their movement I could’ve mustered was out the window. There are ways to garner support for your cause, and frankly this isn’t one of them. It just makes people mad at what’s a just cause

Brilliant as ever.

Not only are they targetting the wrong type of people entirely, missing the point that on Les Mis people are going straight to the people with power not common folk, they're also endangering themselves and the actors because this is a show with people, sets and the stage moving, so if one person is in the wrong place it could be catastrophic.

@user-pq4fc1mc7q

9 ай бұрын

The students in Les Mis didn't go directly to he king to demand a republic? There's even a song wherein the women complain about how they have had to suffer the most losses

Thanks!

wow cool gallery wall.

“Maybe they had a pre show meal, maybe they bought merch”😂I heard about this when it happened, sorry for everyone involved in the show and audience members that the performance was interrupted and the show couldn’t continue, totally get your point and hadn’t thought of that if I’m honest

Given that this is the week of the Conservative Party conference, it feels like Just Stop Oil went for the low hanging fruit that is a theatre, rather than actually confronting those with the power to do something. Good choice of show though, and good timing news cycle wise.

I agree with what you’re saying. It’s poetic in a way that the JSO chose this musical and that song to get their message across. I will say, instead of being so focused on media attention, they should focus on instead coming up with solutions and working with small communities to use alternative sources. That way, they show they have compromises and they get media attention for it.

protests are meant to be disruptive. that said, they also need to be targeted to a degree. if there wasn't someone there who could actually do something about what was being protested about you really just end up eroding any goodwill your cause has

That’s is so bad 😮

THANK YOU for saying this! It is such heavy irony that the audience didn’t seem to understand that they were witnessing an uprising. People don’t seem to realise that if we don’t have an inhabitable planet then literally nothing matters, including theatre. Fighting for the climate is compatible with caring about the future of the arts!

i think a lot of people go to show just for the music and grandeur. i’m sure people go for the message but les mis is a block buster show and that’s what people wanna see.

Spot on x

I was disappointed to hear you characterise public inaction as apathy, rather than a sense of powerlessness. This protest did nothing to make the patrons of the Les Mis show feel empowered to act to stop climate change, it does nothing to make the public feel empowered to act to stop climate change, and it does nothing to indicate to politicians that actually have power that their *constituents* as a *collective* want them to act with that power. This protest is worse than useless - it's harmful to the cause.

I don’t care what the government is convening for, target them if you want them to do their jobs, not people just trying to make a living in the theater and trying to enjoy an evening of theatre.

So cool meeting you at Broadway flea market!

Not good. Everyone has a cause and everyone is entitled to fight for their cause but what did this do? Did they think this is going to stop oil/help their cause? We had them (a version of) in our city and their brilliant idea was to stop traffic on all of the main commute routes in the city at rush hour. (I hope one of them had a family member whose surgeon couldn't get to work on time.) What did it do? Make them heard? We hear them. Do they think it changed anyone's mind? No, it made them late for work and ... not very charmed by them. I think the ones who stopped the show last night should be charged with public mischief and if any damage was one, charged with vandalism.

Thanks

“That’s hardly a spoiler it happens a lot”😂

I appreciate your nuanced analysis of this event. I understand the objective of JSO in creating disruption to gain media attention - I don’t have an issue with the message, but I have an issue with holding innocent people hostage to achieve this. Morally, they should be charged with recovering the expenses of the show due to their stunt. Aileen Getty can foot the bill for this.

So late but totally agree with everything you said! It really sucks that the performance was disrupted - I also have a lot of empathy for both performers and audience. Some of the people will not get to see it again, may have saved for ages and that sucks. So I understand people expressing that disappointment. And I also think it makes complete sense to have discussions about whether it is an *effective* tactic for their aims. I don't know anywhere near enough about the outcomes of different forms of protest to have a firm opinion on that (it certainly got attention at least!). But I saw so many comments along the lines of "Sure, protest but don't disrupt others!" Which I find overwhelmingly ironic given its LES MIS, and completely ludicrous. Its protest. You're disrupting because the non disruptive channels are not working (see; our broken voting system, cronyism etc). It's ok to cause people inconvenience in protest. This kind of language about disruption is straight out of the tory playbook and ignores history, and I'm terrified that it's spreading. Again, whether this will be effective for their end goal is up for debate. But what we do know for sure is these people are doing this because they think if they don't, the world will be destroyed. There will be no Les Mis. There will be no theatre. There will be no arts, no society as we know it or maybe even at all, if climate change keeps going as it has been, and I just find it so hard to get my head around people knowing that but thinking missing out on seeing a show is "too far".

I would like to bring up that the main financier of that protest group is an oil heiress which is even more ironic.

I'd like to have seen them try this at a Patti Lupone concert!!

This is definitely one of the most nuanced takes on this I’ve seen. And thanks for pointing out the absolute irony of audience members booing protesters! Had I been in the audience I’d have been disappointed, frustrated - and I certainly feel for people who won’t have a chance to use their replacement ticket - but it’s so clear that these kids in JSO are desperate, and with very good reason - I just can’t bring myself to be angry with them. They’re trying to reach every community they can, and we have to hope that the quieter audience members were listening.

@overlydramaticpanda

9 ай бұрын

The problem is that JSO *continuously* target the wrong people. Instead of, say, going after MPs who actually have the ability to make substantial changes to our country's environmental policies, they instead insist on making life a little bit harder and a little bit worse for the average person and, given their target venues so far, ironically probably largely those who are already sympathetic to their message. They're basically shooting themselves in the foot every single time they pull a stunt like this. It's not exactly inexpensive to go to the theatre - some of those people in that audience would doubtless have travelled, maybe even specifically to see Les Mis, which...you know...well done JSO for causing people to waste money in a cost-of-living crisis... Everyone else in that auditorium was just looking for a good time for a few hours. There are far *far* more effective things JSO could be doing; as it is, far more people are likely to be turned off their message by their actions rather than drawn to it. You can be desperate to make a change and be heard and still do so in a sensible manner - JSO are not sensible and it's ultimately doing quite a lot more to harm to their cause than anything else. As for it being ironic to boo them...actually no. Honestly, Mickey Jo misses the point here a little bit too by trying to draw what's ultimately a false equivalence between two very different methods of protest. Enjolras doesn't try to make life unnecessarily difficult for Valjean and Cosette while they're just going about their business, nor does he constantly tell Gavroche that it's the street urchins' fault that everything's so awful while leaving the government out of the matter entirely. What does he do? He works to get them (and others like them) on his side. The rebellion in Les Mis actually seeks to target those who truly have the power; it is a rebellion directly against the oppressive system of government and those within the system who help to prop it up. Who exactly in that audience could be said to be the equivalent of that? No matter how you look at it, the fact is that JSO continuously target the little people with their antics.

@Midlander83

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comment - and I actually agree with most of what you’ve said here; JSO could choose better targets and I absolutely do feel sorry for the audience. I don’t think it’s an entirely false equivalence on the protest front though; Enjolras does heavily imply that Marius should put the cause above his love for Cosette, for instance, and chooses the day of a funeral for his uprising without much regard for that event. Sure, it’s not the same, but I think the point is that we tend to romanticise protest movements of the past (the Suffragettes are a classic example here) and aren’t always willing to see the parallels with disruptive protest today. You appear to be right on JSO’s targets of choice being counterproductive though - it’s interesting that Dale Vince has just announced he won’t be funding them anymore as he thinks they’re playing into the government’s hands.

@overlydramaticpanda

9 ай бұрын

@@Midlander83 Ah, but I'd then argue that Marius is a member of the core group leading the rebellion at the time he meets Cosette (i.e. he'd already chosen to put the students' cause above everything else in his life; Enjolras is just holding him to that), and the funeral in question is one being held for a man stated to be sympathetic to the plight of the poor of Paris/France and thus presumably wouldn't really mind his funeral being used to launch a rebellion in support of tearing down the oppressive system (though I'm sure he'd much rather the rebellion ended differently). But then I feel I'm just being nitpicky for the sake of it... I feel like I should say, I don't have an issue with public protesting, even disruptive protesting - I've even attended a few (and would like to attend more but for the fact that I'm perpetually treading water with regards to my overdraft so...travel's not exactly easy). And ironically, I'm fairly sure that it was being introduced to Les Mis when I was 4 years old and loving it from then on that had the largest hand in making me that way. But I'm also very much of the belief that protests get a lot more done and are a lot more effective when they're thought through sensibly and target the right people (i.e. those at the top, not those in the middle/at the bottom). Even the Suffragettes who went to extremes largely targeted people in actual positions of power rather than lashing out willy-nilly. To use this instance as a prime example, the fact that the CPC was happening and JSO chose to target a *West End theatre* instead is utterly baffling to me, to the point where I genuinely question whether there was any degree of rational thought put into the decision. To put it bluntly, all their protests reek of individual "15 minutes of fame" attention-seeking rather than serious desire for lasting change and that is not an image they should want to be projecting. Seriously, how much more impact would they have had going to the Tory conference en masse and protesting there, directly against those responsible for our piss-poor current environmental policies..? I don't know the donor in question or his politics in general but I honestly can't blame him for backing out. It may sound hyperbolic but if the news were to break tomorrow that the leaders of JSO were Tory puppets, I genuinely could very easily believe it; they certainly couldn't do any more to harm their cause than they're currently doing if they *were* working for the current Tory government...

@Midlander83

9 ай бұрын

@@overlydramaticpanda haha, I know what you mean - I suspect govt ministers are thrilled with some of these protest antics. The Suffragettes did target shops, theatres (including an attempted arson attack in the Theatre Royal Dublin), and art galleries as well as the postal system, all of which would have affected and angered civilians with no say on the matter of suffrage. The most obvious parallel with them and JSO is that they managed to raise the profile of an issue whilst at the same time decreasing support for their cause in the short term. The difference is, the women’s suffrage movement had time on its side; the environment does not. That’s why I agree with you that JSO need to choose their targets more carefully. I suppose their reasoning in not targeting the CPC was that they’d be expected there and probably wouldn’t have got into the building. But yes, something else, anything, to draw more attention to the government’s failure, is obviously the way to go.

The irony of you showing support for Just Stop Oil (no issue with that) whilst also having flown to New York is not lost on me

@MadameCorgi

9 ай бұрын

I wonder how jso protesters go about their transportation? Remember that guy who drove to the station to glue himself to a train? Their actions are so half baked I bet a few are hypocrites too

Honestly I don’t really see the point of them storming the stage in protest? What was the outcome they were looking for? Like yea you got the word out but now you’ve got a bunch of people who don’t like you because you ruined their night out, are going to tell their friends they don’t like you, and now no one is on your side. I feel like if they had literally just protested outside the theatre you would have been able to get the same message across with much less backlash. I honestly don’t know what they thought was going to happen or why they thought this was a good idea

@MadameCorgi

9 ай бұрын

Yeah,they could have made the same amount of news coverage just marching the iles or for briefly invading the stage. Didn't have to completely ruin things for people

I've enjoyed your stagy (or is it stagey? I'm American, sue me) yew tewb channel for a couple of years now, but always considered it light and a bit frivolous. When i started to watch this video I was hoping you would understand the reasons for the protest and understand that the group is about getting publicity. I'm so proud of you! I'm surprised at the number of people here saying this is political. Wanting the planet to remain livable is not political. But this is how those in power keep their power and their bad activities. They get us to go after each other and not after THEM. It's humans vs corporations. It's ironic that many sci fi movies understand this, but we still live fighting amongst ourselves. So, what do you think about Some Like It Hot closing so soon? I hope you see it again on this trip. I'm going up from Baltimore next month to see this amazing show, and well the show that somehow beat it for best musical. I haven't see it yet, but it just doesn't look great. But I love Jeanine Tesori's work in Fun Home, so we shall see. I think SLIT is among the top 10 Broadway shows ever, and I'm stunned that it's closing so soon. Sadly, I think it's racism and transphobia that has impacted ticket sales.

In the Netherlands, we had similar protests happen in the late 60s. They're now collectively known as Actie Tomaat (action tomato) and are considered iconic. However, those protests were actually protests against the theatre industry and the content of these specific shows. This had nothing to do with Les Mis and it only serves to make people antagonistic to the climate justice goals. I'm not a fan.

They also stopped a ballet performance at Sadlers Wells in London.

A balanced sum up of what happeed

"Maybe they had a preshow meal, maybe they bought merch" lol

There was a JSO protest on stage in June at Glyndebourne Opera Festival, so Les Mis not quite the first one

I was surprised the stage manager only dropped in the show cloth and didn't deploy people to ensure the protestors were not in the way and dropped the iron in. With the damage they have caused to other places with their powder paint and other substances the first thing I thought of when the show cloth came down was that it was at risk of being damaged.

I wonder if this was secretly a false flag...

Personally I would say they would have done better to of shown up at the start and end of each session and hand out flyers. The printing costs would have been less then the tickets, you could have some interesting commentary about the link between the play and current day, not to mention how slow getting into the theater or waiting in your seats is that I would want to read a flyer. That is just my suggestion for someone looking at this and wanting to copy. I will say though that I don't really hold this against them and I know what they are doing, the point isn't to get the topic in the headlines and it did that. This video shows it worked, I doubt climate change would of been on a theater channel. Even if someone says "I absolutely agree we should stop oil but this protest was counterproductive and selfish" that has gotten someone to publicly say they do not support oil which is what they want. I find it hard that someone will go well I previously refused to support the oil industry but because I couldn't see the end of a musical I am now going to change banks and my investment portfolio into climate damaging companies.

I completely disagree with your point about the audience having no sympathy towards the protesters. I saved up loads of money to see Les mis with a friend years ago and we knew nothing about the show and we just went coz we knew it was a big deal. I was watching it for the first time - I was not swooped up and at no point did I think 'i strongly believe in what's happening on stage' regardless if it's based in fact. You're there to be entertained regardless if you've seen it a millions times or don't know anything about it - it does not mean I care about the story enough that I want to be part of it or witness a real protest.

@heartlknj

9 ай бұрын

Although it sounds like les mis just wasn’t your cup of tea, doesnt your pov prove that the audience likely had no sympathy towards the protestors.

@D-Fritz

9 ай бұрын

What a thrilling comment describing the failures of the material.

@clevm002

9 ай бұрын

@@D-Fritz ... it's the entertainment industry. Some people just go there to escape, switch off, enjoy the music.. it's the individual's experience and interpretation as they pay the money to be there. Not everyone sits there observing every nuanced moment and thinks about it. It's not a failure on the material at all... it's allowed to be enjoyed in different ways.

@D-Fritz

9 ай бұрын

@@clevm002 nah, loser take.

@clevm002

9 ай бұрын

@@D-Fritz what a thrilling comment.

I think it's not the perfect protest but thats something that's almost impossible to achieve. It's a beautiful on the nose, for this musical thing. And yes it sucks for both audience and cast members, everyone who works there, but if you look at the news and how many people are talking about this, the stunt worked. Yes people might not be on their side but I hope they are thinking about climate change

@MadameCorgi

9 ай бұрын

They could have made the same news coverage and better pr by going on at the end or walking through them isles

Well, it "Had their name on it".

The suffragettes took v similar actions in their day - given the position of your government these protests will escalate

@Midlander83

9 ай бұрын

I feel JSO will play a similar role to the Suffragettes - disrupting, perhaps decreasing support for the cause in the short term, but at the same time putting it at the forefront of the public mind so that the moderates have space to be heard. There is far more climate -related reporting today than there was ten years ago. The big difference of course is the time sensitivity of this crisis.

When you started I was afraid this would put me off you 😂 But as usual you have a kind, balanced and empathetic take and I agree.

Awful for the actors absolutely, agree that a decent amount of the audience were probably of that middle class bracket however, if this has been me an my husband we would normally attend a mid week show book time off and stay over night as a birthday or anniversary gift. If this happened to us I would be absolutely devastated so although I agree with the cause don't think they are gaining much in these more hurtful actions

Gotta say, this is the most respectful, nuanced and factual take I've seen about this situation. Compared to the public bullying the news has done, this is refreshing. All sides are getting buggered, except the government. They are the real problem.

Protest is disruptive. By design, in order to be effective, it needs to disrupt. Do you know what else was disruptive? The French Revolution. Since we enjoy the fruits of social change movements, the actions required to win them are retroactively deemed necessary and good. But while those movements are happening in real-time, most people will finger-wag and criticize protestors for being too disruptive. It happens every time.

I know at least in the US for Equity actors they can only work a certain number of hours per week and per day, so maybe thats why they couldn't continue the show

As far as I know, theatres have to lower the curtain or even be empty by 11pm.

they keep saying that they picked les mis because of the similar themes of rebellion, but how did they expect people to make this connection and support them if they didn't allow people to watch the show? not everybody walks into a show knowing what the entire plot is LOL i think it would be better received if they hopped in at the end? or maybe stood outside the theatre singing the song?just ideas that do not piss everybody off idk

I was mad about it, but at the same time I thought good on them, they were very clever with that choice of musical. So overall very conflicted. As you said it’s the irony of it

Imagine how worrying it would have been for the actors and there are a few kids in the show and there would’ve been a gavroche on the stage they probably would be even more worried and scared

Here's the thing, there are a bunch of shows that talk about rebellion or acting out against cruelty or injustice. What's gonna stop them from entering MATILDA for all they care. It might cause injuries from the sudden since there are a lot of stunts in the show and in other shows. I understand there cause and I reason with it but leave West end alone. :(

PADLOCKED THEMSELEVES TO THE SET??????!!!!!! That is so, so incredibly stupid and dangerous, and I say that as someone who works in the industry. A theater's stage is surprisingly dangerous if you have no business being there, and have no idea!!! The moving set pieces, cables, potentially loose props, the drop off the front of the stage itself (It's taller than you think, and it can f*** you up! Don't ask me how I know!) Heck, at a theater I used to work at, the pit elevator was actually part of the show and moved frequently during the course of it! There is heavy machinery involved in most productions...be that the fly system itself or set pieces... The actors and crew have tech rehearsals to work out how to move around the stage safely. I'm furious on behalf of the cast and crew! If you want to be a show-disrupting jerk and do your little protest, do it from the house! Even then, it's still probably not a good idea, because if the protest causes a panic in the audience, people could get seriously hurt! But I digress! The stage is no place for you if you are not cast, crew, or otherwise authorized personnel! Period!

Didn’t they disrupt a performance of Matthew Bourne’s R&J at Sadler’s Wells recently also? Simply terrifying experience for the cast, crew and audience I’m sure. If they want people to understand their protest then I think they are going about it the completely wrong way to drum up support.

I agree with what they are trying to say but they way they are doing it is not fair to the audience and definitely with the cast and backstage crew. I would not have kept myself together I would have be terrified. This is not getting more people to be on their side at all however I agree with almost everything you said, and I get why they did it. I agree that their movement is so so important just not how they are doing it.