Ever been to a queer club? You know, drag cabaret night at Madame Jojo’s, or the Black Cap or Her Upstairs. No? Well, not to worry — the Royal Court’s latest provides a fabulously extravagant simulation of the experience with its staging of Sound of the Underground, a play written by Travis Alabanza — whose contemporary classic Burgerz is coming to the South Bank’s Purcell Room in March — and directed by his co-creator Debbie Hannan.
Panto not your thing? Lucie Jones & other alternative festive shows this Christmas
Not up for seeing panto but still fancy getting out of the house before Omicron burns it all down? Here are some alternatives to pantomimes this month.
‘Valuable additions to the expanded series’: QUEERS – Old Vic (Online review)
The first new piece for Queers references a moment in history while the second takes a broader more contemporary sweep of recent events but what unites them is that they present the experiences of wider elements of the LGBTQ+ community who also happen to be black; the original series was rather under representative in this area.
‘Possesses an up-to-the-minute urgency’: LIVING NEWSPAPER #3 – Royal Court Theatre (Online review)
The third edition of Royal Court’s Living Newspaper moves online only, with some seriously fierce political writing this time around.
‘Rich, multi-layered play that is clever in its storytelling’: OVERFLOW – Bush Theatre (Online review) ★★★★
Travis Alabanza’s play Overflow is set in the toilet of a club from where transgirl Rosie (Reece Lyons) has locked herself in.
‘Open, thought-provoking, funny & heartbreaking’: OVERFLOW – Bush Theatre (Online review)
New play Overflow by Travis Alabanza returns as a digital stream and proves to be an intriguing hour about the politics of women’s bathrooms and who is allowed in them.
‘Plenty here to engage both mind & feelings’: OVERFLOW – Bush Theatre
Travis Alabanza’s play Overflow at the Bush Theatre is both tender in its empathy for the different kinds of trans experience and passionately angry about prejudice.
‘Theatre is rarely so forceful or so urgent’: THE PROTEST – Bush Theatre
This venue’s urgent response to the killing of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter campaign is powerfully realised.
‘Highly symbolic & moving piece of performance art’: WE DIG – Ovalhouse
We Dig is part of the Ovalhouse’s final season in the venue’s Oval based building before it is demolished and preparations are made to move to a new home in Brixton in the spring.
NEWS: Actors performing Dear Elizabeth at the Gate will include Tamsin Grieg, Jade Anouka & Alex Jennings
The Gate Theatre has announced its next production, Dear Elizabeth, a two-hander by award-winning US playwright Sarah Ruhl, directed by Ellen McDougall. The piece, running at the venue from 17 January to 9 February 2019 (press nights are 22 and 23 January 2019), will be performed by a series of guest actors including Travis Alabanza, Jade Anouka, Tim Crouch, Tamsin Greig and Alex Jennings.
‘An affirmation of alternative culture a generation on’: JUBILEE – Lyric Hammersmith
Jubilee is an uneven experience by its nature, but the success of the evening can be judged in the reaction of the audience. It was made for them, and they love it.
‘Fearless, provocative & unapologetic’: JUBILEE – Lyric Hammersmith ★★★★
The world would be a better place if we had the room to express like Jubilee at the Lyric Hammersmith does. The honesty and severity of this piece is its crowning glory.
‘A handful of bearable moments’: JUBILEE – Lyric Hammersmith
The best that can be said about Chris Goode’s Jubilee is that it must surely be in the running for the hotly contested accolade of the worst show of the whole decade.
‘A period piece with a difference’: JUBILEE – Lyric Hammersmith
Nostalgic, trying too hard to shock and no longer a force to be reckoned with, Jubliee is, nevertheless, a period piece with a difference which will find fans hoping to relive their youth or see what all the fuss was about.
JUBILEE – Manchester & London ★★★★★
Jubilee is a riot. From the slogans spray-painted on to plywood surrounding the Royal Exchange’s in-the-round space to the chaotic way the cast commandeer the stage, it is obvious from the start that this is no ordinary night at the theatre.