Even for the least cynical person regarding climate change, envisioning a world where everywhere is affected by environmental damage may be a stretch of the imagination. But for those living in Greater London, the possibility of the Thames Barrier failing to stop flooding isn’t so far-fetched – and the likelihood of everything within the M25 being submerged isn’t something that can only happen in the Netherlands….

Written and perfomed by Charlotte Eyres, Dani’s Inferno can be described as a one-woman musical, but that would be reductive. It’s certainly the sort of show that once upon a time would ‘do the business’ at London’s Vault Festival, with lots of crossover appeal. The show begins with the eponymous Dani trying to help others to safety during the exodus of London. One flat however, catches her attention – the party taking place there making a defiant stand against the notion that ‘the end of the world is nigh’.

As Dani, Eyres is funny and self-deprecating, who while trying to do the right thing, hasn’t previously considered that not everyone is ‘on the same page’ regarding the climate, current events and whether they want to be ‘saved’. This leads to some challenging moments for Dani. The party guests cover a wide spectrum of social attitudes and Eyres’ keen eye and ear fleshes out the ‘truthfulness’ in a potentially absurd stuation.

As for the songs that Eyres sings, they expand upon the things running through Dani’s mind, as she takes stock of her own conflicted desires, while navigating the ‘disbelief’ and ‘resistance’ from the guests. Using the impending ‘doomsday’ as a catalyst for focusing on what people think as important, we’re reminded of the effect of the lockdowns in recent years and the stock that people placed in socialising – even at the detriment of their long-term health and well-being. In the show’s ‘end of the world’ scenario, the differences of opinion regarding religion, climate change, consumerism and many other subject have palpable consequences.

On the basis of this show, Eyres is somebody to watch in years to come, with her original take on difficult subjects with humour and versatility.

© Michael Davis 2024

Dani’s Inferno ran at SE Fest 2024; firstly at the Brockley Jack Studio Theatre on 3rd and 4th September and later at the Bridge House Theatre on 5th September.