Alanna Mitchell

Alanna’s acclaimed play, Sea Sick, is coming to stages across Canada.

So, I’m a science journalist and the most exciting thing I had done until this year was research a book on how we’re altering the chemistry of the global ocean. Sounds a bit dull, right? But it was a tale of grand adventure and marvelous discovery with a good dollop of humour, peopled with some of the most fascinating scientists in the world.

So I started giving talks about it and that – to my surprise and ultimately horror – ended up in my being commissioned to create a play, with the help of Franco Boni and Ravi Jain of The Theatre Centre in Toronto, and perform it. Live. In person. In front of people. In a theatre. The results were interesting. This thing was nominated for a Dora. And now, we’re back on stage in Toronto and taking it on the road.

It’s a non-fiction play performed by a non-actor. And it’s all about what I found out about the ocean over 13 journeys in three years. Go figure.

We’ve performed at Montreal’s Usine C, Calgary’s High-Performance Rodeo and Vancouver’s PuSH festival. Now we’re heading for the National Arts Centre’s Ontario Scene festival in Ottawa in May. Details here. Then it’s off to the Uno Festival in Victoria for two shows. Details here.  We’ve got more exciting dates and places coming up. This show is going international! Wow.
Here’s how critics described my play: “Shockingly honest”. “Passionate”. “Unconventional theatre”. “A thrilling, yet highly disturbing cautionary tale”. “Riveting and mentally stimulating”. “Unsettling information aimed at provoking change”. “Life-changing”.

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Interviews about Sea Sick, the book

Interview with Alanna on ABC (Australian Broadcast Corp.) show The National Interest. Transcript is downloadable.

Interview with Alanna on Radio New Zealand National.

Interview with Alanna on CBC’s Quirks and Quarks.

The Ocean in Peril. To purchase the full, hour long video ($3.99) click here.