There is fractured, splintered quality to 'Notch' that is both jarring and compelling. Written and performed by Danaja Wass, she is clearly comfortable with disconnects. Her character A.A is both victim and predator. She isolates herself, while also looking for somewhere to belong. Or should that be someone to belong to? With themes of homelessness, … Continue reading Notch at Vault Festival
new writing
How We Love at the Vault Festival
'How We Love' is a powerful reminder that in Nigeria homosexuals are hunted and killed. Babs (Enoch Lwanga) is a gay investigative reporter who is in South London visiting his lesbian best friend Regi (Ewa Dina). They have decided to get married, for their own safety, and that of their respective partners back in Nigeria. … Continue reading How We Love at the Vault Festival
Dual at the Vault Festival
Photo by Ali Wright. Peyvand Sadeghian pictured There is a raw energy to 'Dual' that brings an electricity to the dark, dampness of the Pit at the Vault Festival. I'd already heard a fair bit of buzz around this show, before setting foot in the room and grabbing a seat in a front row pew. … Continue reading Dual at the Vault Festival
Sonder at the Bread and Roses
Pictured: Annabelle Dodd & Eleanor de Rohan sonder, noun: the realisation that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own 'Sonder' is a new play by Mimi Monteith. She also directs and produces the piece, and as any regular readers of my reviews will know (do people regularly read … Continue reading Sonder at the Bread and Roses
Two Fest 2020: Prog C at The Space
Two Fest is a season of short, new duologues commissioned by The Space that tackle a wide range of different subjects. These 13 new short plays have been split across 3 different Programmes. Last night, I went to see Programme C, to get a sense of what Two Fest 2020 is all about. First up … Continue reading Two Fest 2020: Prog C at The Space
Netflix & Chill at the Drayton Arms Theatre
Photo by Cam Harle Photography. Tom Stocks pictured Despite the title 'Netflix & Chill' is not a light-hearted sex comedy. There is some sex, and plenty of comedy, but ultimately this is a show about mental health and male suicide. The comedy and the sex both ground the story in a relatable space, but also … Continue reading Netflix & Chill at the Drayton Arms Theatre
The Great Experiment at Tara Theatre
Photo by John Cobb. Nisha Dassyne, Hannah Douglas and David Furlong pictured 'The Great Experiment' is a perfect name for this show. Explicitly it is a reference to Britain's decision to experiment with using indentured workers from India in places like Mauritius, in order to keep the cost of sugar production down following the abolition … Continue reading The Great Experiment at Tara Theatre
Musik at the Leicester Square Theatre
Photo: Marc Brenner Written by Jonathan Harvey and the Pet Shop Boys, 'Musik' is a one-woman show that spins off from their 2001 musical 'Closer to Heaven'. The outrageous and compelling character of Billie Trix is revisited in this show, played again by the fabulous Frances Barber, as she tells us about her hilarious and … Continue reading Musik at the Leicester Square Theatre
Time at the Tristan Bates Theatre
Yesterday I was in the audience for the first night of Michael Head's funny new play 'Time'. It tells the story of a group of bank robbers, meeting up several months after a job spiralled dangerously out of control. This dark comedy is full of anecdotes of the "good old days" of being in a … Continue reading Time at the Tristan Bates Theatre
Gobby at the Vault Festival
After a successful run at the Edinburgh fringe, 'Gobby' has come to the Vault Festival for its final UK performances, before heading to Australia. Jodie Irvine writes and performs in this one-woman play about Bri, a woman who has earned herself the nickname Gobby, because she talks so much. But is there anything really wrong with … Continue reading Gobby at the Vault Festival
