What if you fancy a festive show but you’re not in the mood for Dickensian drama? Shitfaced Showtime is the answer.
BOOK REVIEW: My Name Is Not Wigs! by Angela Cobbin
How many of us theatre lovers, hand on heart, could name the wig designer working on our favourite productions?
‘A great night out thanks to two strong performances’: LOVE DANCE – Chiswick Playhouse
Rose is a career woman who wants a baby but not a relationship. Adam’s a deadbeat musician who had a bad childhood and has zero interest in procreating.
‘Tackles dark subjects with a deft comedic touch’: HEATHERS THE MUSICAL – Touring
Like the 1989 movie on which it’s based, Heathers the Musical has gained an enthusiastic cult following since the UK production first opened at The Other Palace in 2018.
‘A clever & joyously silly celebration’: DOING SHAKESPEARE – Bridewell Theatre
Northern Comedy Theatre return to the stage with Doing Shakespeare, a clever and joyously silly play celebrating Shakespeare in all his occasionally incomprehensible glory.
‘This is a tale of extraordinary injustice’: TOKYO ROSE – Southwark Playhouse & touring
Based on a true story, new musical Tokyo Rose follows the life of Iva Toguri, an American woman who was wrongly convicted of treason in 1949.
INTERVIEW: Matthew Seager talks about the new filmed version of his 2017 play In Other Words
In Other Words was inspired by writer and performer Matthew Seager’s experiences volunteering in a care home before the pandemic. First performed in 2017 (when Theatre Things reviewed it during its run at The Hope Theatre), the critically acclaimed two-hander now returns in a new filmed version which is available to watch online from today.
‘Relevant and hard-hitting’: PENETRATION — Cockpit Theatre
As a piece of theatre, Carolyn Lloyd-Davies’ consent drama Penetration left me feeling vaguely unsatisfied – but hear me out, because that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
‘Beautifully written & emotionally devastating’: Anything Is Possible If You Think About It Hard Enough – Southwark Playhouse
Beautifully written and emotionally devastating, Cordelia O’Neill’s two-hander Anything Is Possible If You Think About It Hard Enough sensitively explores the impact of losing a child to stillbirth for a young couple.
‘Writing, direction & performances of the highest quality’: LATELY – Lion & Unicorn Theatre
Proforça Theatre’s Lately doesn’t directly address the pandemic, but the emotions it portrays – loneliness, loss and a longing for escape – are feelings audiences will relate to perhaps even more powerfully given the extraordinary events of the past eighteen months.
‘You’ll walk away feeling uplifted’: DON’T SEND FLOWERS – White Bear Theatre
Don’t Send Flowers at the White Bear Theatre is a really thoughtful and enjoyable piece of new writing from My Theatre Mates’ Emily Garside, sensitively presented by a talented team.
‘Not just great entertainment but also incredibly relatable’: FROM HERE – Chiswick Playhouse
The impossible “five years” question is posed to each of the characters in Ben Barrow and Lucy Ireland’s excellent new musical From Here – and each has a different answer.
‘It’s a lack of action that makes the play interesting’: WOLVES ARE COMING FOR YOU – Jack Studio Theatre
The first in-house production at the Jack Studio since The Invisible Man back in late 2019, Wolves Are Coming From You by Joel Horwood is a story about a small community forced to pull together against an invisible but potentially deadly threat – makin…
‘Truly enchanting’: QUEEN MAB – Actors’ Church
Since last March, going to the theatre – like, actually going to the theatre – has become a rare and magical experience. But even by that standard, there’s something truly enchanting about Queen Mab, the first show in Iris Theatre’s 2021 Summer Festival.
‘Throws us straight into the heart of the story’: DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE – Brighton Fringe (Online review)
Written, rehearsed and filmed in lockdown, Marcia Kelson’s Devil’s Food Cake sensitively shines a light on the impact of an eating disorder on one ordinary family.
‘Powerful, personal & poignant’: TALKING GODS – Arrows & Traps (Online review)
You wait all year for an Arrows & Traps production… and then five come along at once. Unable to return to the stage just yet, Arrows have instead taken to the screen – and given the often cinematic style of writer and director Ross McGregor’s work, it should come as no particular surprise that the transition works pretty seamlessly.
‘A witty, fast-paced musical adventure’: THE LEGEND OF MOBY DICK WHITTINGTON – Sleeping Trees (Online review)
The Sleeping Trees’ The Legend of Moby Dick Whittington is a witty, fast-paced musical adventure that’s full of surprises and will have audiences of all ages joining in from (and possibly on, behind or under) their sofas.
‘Entertaining & polished fictional thriller’: WHAT A CARVE UP! (Online review)
Tamara Harvey’s digital production of What a Carve Up! skilfully builds the suspense, while also systematically taking apart those in power who enjoy all the benefits of their position, while allowing the rest of us to take the hit.
‘The show charts the experience of migration through six phases’: WAITING FOR THE SHIP TO SAIL – Chickenshed Theatre (Online review)
Waiting For The Ship To Sail is a worthwhile reminder that while our minds and our media may currently be focused on one crisis, that doesn’t mean other, equally urgent, issues have gone away.
‘Compelling, provocative drama’: STICKS & STONES – Tristan Bates Theatre
Written by Dameon Garnett in response to the ongoing debate around free speech, Sticks and Stones is a fascinating two-hander that explores how we talk about issues of race, class and privilege in 2020 Britain.