Do we really want to change things — or do we just like the idea of helping?
Photo: Arcola Theatre, A Fine Idea, presented by ice&fire
Human rights theatre company ice&fire presents the world premiere of A Fine Idea, inspired by political economist Jason Hickel’s bestseller The Divide.
The play at the Arcola Theatre, 10 June - 4 July 2026, iswritten by Christine Bacon, ice&fire’s co-artistic director.
Spanning continents and decades, A Fine Idea travels from post-war idealism to today’s overlapping crises, unpicking the history of aid, power and good intentions. At a moment when global inequality is reaching historic extremes, the play confronts the question at the heart of it all: Do we really want to change things — or do we just like the idea of helping.
“Without us here, though, can you imagine how much worse it would be?'
It’s 2026. After years circling the globe delivering aid, Jo has built a career supporting those most in need - a good person doing good things.
But 75 years after her grandfather got the idea of “international development” into President Truman’s inaugural speech, global inequality is worse than ever. Eight billionaires now hold the same wealth as the poorest half of humanity.
And when Jo meets an activist who is fighting with her life for her nation’s future, she can’t shake the feeling that the system she passionately believes in might be part of the problem.
Christine Bacon said:
“At ice&fire we are motivated by working towards a world where human rights matter. Reading The Divide essentially re-wired my brain and left me reeling with the scale of global inequality, but also with my own ignorance about the forces behind it. Bringing this story to the stage invites a non-specialist audience into that expansive conversation and into a story that challenges us to rethink some of our culture’s most widely held beliefs about charity and justice.”
Jason Hickel said:
"I wrote The Divide to tell the story of anti-colonial struggle - a 500 year fight for our collective humanity, which continues to this very day. I'm thrilled to see this story take shape now in theatre, bringing life and texture to a narrative that words alone can never hope to capture."
Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, London E8 3DL, Mon - Sat 7pm; Sat matinees 3.30pm Box office:www.arcolatheatre.com/event/a-fine-idea/Tickets: £15 - £29
NOTES:
“ice&fire explores human rights stories through performance. We put human rights at the core of everything we do to make accessible theatre for a wide range of audiences across the UK.
“From full-scale productions to making small pieces with vulnerable groups, our theatre-making is renowned as provocative, principled and innovative.
“We believe that through theatre we can bring unparalleled understanding and empathy to some of the world’s most urgent issues. We want to empower people and communities to express their rights through the power of sharing stories and transporting performance.
“We are committed to using theatre to inspire audiences and artists alike to create positive change in the world by upholding and fighting for human rights. We were recognised by the Liberty Human Rights (Arts) Awards for our contribution to building a human rights culture in the UK). www.iceandfire.co.ukInstagram / Facebook: @iceandfire
Bacon was a core member of Actors for Refugees Australia, until she moved to the UK in 2004 to complete an MSc in Forced Migration at Oxford University. She founded ice&fire‘s outreach network Actors for Human Rights and has developed multiple performance and participation projects for the company. Christine is a trustee of Student Action For Refugees and works part-time as an immigration adviser. Plays for ice&fire include On the Record (with Noah Birksted-Breen), Rendition Monologues, The Illegals, Broke, Seven Years with Hard Labour, Souvenirs, The Island Nation, Lost and Found, My Skype Family, #ArmingtheWorld (with Ben Chessell), What Do I Know (with Amina Atiq) and The People Woke Up.
Charlotte Westenra, director, is a director and dramaturg. Her most recent show Agreement won the BWW Irish Award for Best Director, Best Play and Best New Play. It was nominated for the International Award at the Stage Awards and Best Play at the UK Theatre Awards. Hillary Clinton said it was “absolutely captivating” and Alastair Campbell named it the “Cultural Event of 2023” on the Rest is Politics podcast. Other credits include The Wicker Husband (“Westenra's perfectly nuanced production”, WhatsOnStage), The Return of the Soldier at New Wolsey and Hope Mill (“Delicately directed… Full of heart and achingly beautiful”, Opening Night), Titanic for the Mac, Belfast (“Westenra directs the cast with superb attention to nuance”, The Guardian), Lower Ninth for Donmar at Trafalgar (“To judge by the tension, humour and sudden surprises that Charlotte Westenra conjures in her production... she has an exciting future ahead of her”, Daily Telegraph) and Kiss of the Spider Woman at Donmar Warehouse (“Westenra’s direction is tender, unflinching and full of visual flair. Spellbinding.”, Time Out). www.charlottewestenra.com
Hickel is a political economist and author. He is ICREA Professor at the Institute for Environmental Science & Technology (ICTA) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona. His work focuses on global inequality and ecological economics. Less is More (2020) was named a book of the year by the Financial Times and New Scientist. His earlier research on colonialism and anti-colonial movements is explored in Democracy as Death (2015).
Hickel serves on advisory bodies including the US National Academy of Sciences Climate and Macroeconomics Roundtable and the Green New Deal for Europe. He writes for outlets including The Guardian and Foreign Policy, and has broadcast on BBC World Service, Sky News and NPR. www.jasonhickel.org