aaamusic | On 05, Jan 2011

Singer songwriter Johnny Flynn is to appear at the Royal Court Theatre in The Heretic – a new play by Richard Bean from 4 February.

Johnny plays Ben Shotter, an Earth Sciences undergraduate in Richard Bean’s new black comedy, which uses the divisive issue of climate change to discuss what it means to be a scientist, questioning what we think we know and asking if the science really is settled.

The cast also includes James Fleet, Adrian Hood, Juliet Stevenson, Leah Whitaker and Lydia Wilson.

“I’m a scientist. I don’t ‘believe’ in anything.”

The study of climate science is the cool degree at the university where Dr Diane Cassell is a lead academic in Earth Sciences.

At odds with the orthodoxy over the cause of man-made climate change, she finds herself increasingly vilified and is forced to ask if the issue is becoming political as well as personal. Could the belief in anthropogenic global warming be the most attractive religion of the 21st century? What evidence do we need before deciding what to believe?

Johnny Flynn’s theatre credits include touring with the Propeller project. On film, he has appeared in Lotus Eaters and Crusade in Jeans. A singer/songwriter, who has had much recent success on the folk scene. His most recent album Been Listening was released last summer.

Richard Bean’s last play at the Royal Court was Harvest in 2005. His previous plays at the Royal Court include Toast, Honeymoon Suite and Under the Whaleback. His recent work elsewhere includes The Big Fellah for Out of Joint at the Lyric Hammersmith, England People Very Nice at the National Theatre, The English Game on tour and In the Club at Hampstead Theatre.

Jeremy Herrin is Deputy Artistic Director of the Royal Court, where he is currently directing EV Crowe’s Kin. His previous productions have include Anya Reiss’s Spur of the Moment, Bola Agbaje’s Off the Endz, Michael Wynne’s The Priory, Polly Stenham’s plays Tusk Tusk and That Face, as well as the UK premiere of David Hare’s The Vertical Hour.

The production is designed by Peter McKintosh, with lighting by Paul Pyant and sound by Emma Laxton.

The Heretic is in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court from 4 February – 19 March. Tickets £10 – £28 available online atwww.royalcourttheatre.com or from the Box Office 0207 565 5000