Rare Earth Mettle, Royal Court Theatre

Two strangers meet by a derelict train on a Bolivian salt flat. On this bright, white, endlessly flat landscape a British doctor with an ambitious aim to rescue the NHS shares her thoughts with an American tech magnate who has a bold plan to stop climate change.

To a local Bolivian man and his daughter, these radical strangers represent an opportunity. But then the medic and the billionaire start to stake their own claim on the land for the sake of 'the greater good'. To the foreigners, this land is a means to an end, but to the Bolivian people the salt flats are part of their history and identity.

This new play by Most Promising Playwright nominee Al Smith is described as 'a brutally comic exploration of risk, delusion, and power'. Rare Earth Mettle premieres at the Royal Court Theatre, with Hamish Pirie (Teh Internet is Serious Business, Goats) directing. We look forward to seeing how the epic landscape, radical ideas and clashing cultures come to life on stage.

Casting is still to be announced.