We've been fans of Ross Sutherland for a long time, through his theatre and poetry work, and in fact, I interviewed him not all that long ago about recent, much acclaimed one man show 'Standby For Tape Back-Up'.
So, you might think I wouldn't want to speak to him again so soon, not least because I'm terrible at staying in touch. But when I heard that he had written a palindromic play, 'Party Trap' (see what he did with the name there?), I really wanted to find out more, and decided a catch-up was very much justified. So, here it is. Read the interview here.
'Party Trap' is on at Shoreditch Town Hall until 1 Oct. See the venue website here to book your tickets.
DAVID RALFE OF ON THE RUN: TELL ME ANYTHING
We were first exposed to the work of Hannah Moss and David Ralfe - aka On The Run - when we witnessed their debut production 'So It Goes' at the Edinburgh Fringe, so it was great to see the company return to the Festival this summer with another entirely awesome play, this time a one person piece featuring just one of the duo.
When I heard that 'Tell Me Anything' would be heading Shoreditch-wards this month, I made time to put some questions to David, the star of this year's show. Read the interview here.
'Tell Me Anything' is on at Shoreditch Town Hall from 21 Sep-1 Oct. See this page here for more info and to book.
DARIO COATS: SID
If you were round and about the Camden Fringe last year, you may perhaps have found your way to seeing a show called 'Sid', a play by Leon Fleming centring on someone with a Sid Vicious obsession. Then, and on subsequent UK tour dates, it's had much critical acclaim.
The show is now back in the capital, for a run Above The Arts. I put some questions to its star, 'Corrie' alumnus Dario Coates, who has won high praise for this solo performance. Read the interview here.
Dario performs 'Sid' at Above The Arts from 19 Sep-8 Oct. See this page here for more info and to book.
FRIDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2016 >>
In Our Hands | New Diorama | 16-18 Sep (pictured)
Our reviewer in Edinburgh loved Smoking Apples' gently evoked story of the disintegration of a fishing community, calling it an "enchanting, sincere piece". It's told using beautifully handled, expressive puppets and very few words, and I think you will find it deeply affecting. For more info on the show, and to book, see this page here.
Darbar Festival 2016 | Southbank Centre | 16-18 Sep
The South Bank Centre shines a light on Indian classic music with this weekend festival, featuring work from Asian contemporaries of Mozart and Beethoven, the likes of Tyagaraja (1767-1847), Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775-1835) and Syama Sastri (1762-1827). There's lots that sounds amazing, so I'll give you the link to everything that's on, so you can choose for yourself. Here it is, right here.
The Greater Game | Southwark Playhouse | 15 Sep-15 Oct
This is part of the Royal British Legion's centenary commemorations of the Battle Of The Somme, and tells the true story of the forty one members of the Leyton Orient football club (or Clapton Orient, as it was known then) who signed up to fight in World War 1. It's about love, friendship and loss, patriotism and conscientious objection, and presumably the horror and futility of war. See this page here for more info.
SATURDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2016 >>
Cloud Nine Festival | Cumberland Market | 17 Sep
This was described to me as a "village fête with a difference", and is a free family event, taking place from 11am-4pm, focusing on mental well-being and healthy living. You can expect a number of interactive art installations, arts and health workshops, a pop up cinema, a community stage with performances throughout the day, plus hot and cold food. It's been put together by the excellent outdoor events company Fantasy High Street, see their website for info and updates.
Sally Nyolo And Djeli Moussa Diawara: Mvetkora | Canada Water Culture Space | 17 Sep (pictured)
More festival stuff! Though in this case I am recommending just one event from the plethora that make up the London African Music Festival. This sounds like a really interesting partnership of collaborators with very different cultural backgrounds and experiences, and they come together to play two "ancient" string instruments I've never heard of, and would love to find out about. More details on this here.
Tequila And Mezcal Festival | Truman Brewery | 17-18 Sep
And another festival - we are all about the festivals today - so what can I say about this one? Er, yeah, so, they had me at Tequila, never mind the Mezcal. And you know, there's other stuff too - great music, proper Mexican food, handcrafted and artisanal goods - but most of all, there's the Tequila and Mezcal. And we're talking the good stuff, not that rubbish you get at the supermarket. See the festival website here for all the info.
SUNDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2016 >>
New Stuff | The Cockpit | 18 Sep
We are so all about the new stuff here at TW HQ and look, here's a show that's absolutely designed to appeal to us and all the sort of people we like, because it's actually called 'New Stuff'. It's on once a month, and features rehearsed readings of new stuff (yes, new stuff) from emerging writers. You could see a trailblazing new playwright take their first steps, and even help them to learn how to walk. Well, you know, that's stretching it a bit, but audiences do give feedback. See this page here for details.
Joz Norris' Pick Of The Fringe | Camden Comedy Club | 18 Sep
You may have realised that we are also all about the post-Fringe clip shows, so here is one of those, and it's free. Now, you might be thinking that if it's free, it might not be too promising, but you'd be wrong, there are loads of good London comedy nights that are free and have great comedians appearing. Some of my favourites are lining up here, not least Sooz Kempner and Eleanor Morton. See this page here for all the info.
Burning Bridges | Theatre 503 | 13 Sep-8 Oct (pictured)
I missed the start of this, but it's on into October so it's all good. I am not sure the phrase "all good" really suits me, but I am going to leave it there. This is by TV writer Amy Shindler, whose credits include 'Trollied' and 'Horrible Histories', and director Sally Knyvett's been directing for a while (as well as being a familiar TV face) so that's promising, isn't it? It's a comical piece about a young woman with Asbergers, which is interesting, not least because so often in media and culture it's (understandably) all about boys being affected by autism. See the venue website here for more.
MONDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2016 >>
Sam Simmons - Not A People Person | Soho Theatre | 19-24 Sep
2015's Edinburgh Comedy Award winner returns to Soho Theatre with his latest show 'Not A People Person', which pledges to contain "mind-blending internal self-hatred, paranoia and comedy - because you have to put comedy in it." You know he's brilliant, so why miss this? Head this way for more info.
Sid | Above The Arts | 19 Sep-8 Oct
This is a play that's kind of punk, because it's about someone who is a bit obsessed with Sid Vicious. It's already won much acclaim ahead of this run in the West End, following an initial run at last year's Camden Fringe and subsequent UK tour, so I think we can expect good things. Long term Corrie fans might be interested to know that it stars Dario Coates, aka Alex Neeson. See this page here for more.
Adam Hess - Feathers | Soho Theatre | 19-24 Sep (pictured)
And so to another acclaimed comedian performing at the Soho Theatre tonight. Maybe you could get tickets for both and run in and out. Maybe they wouldn't allow that, so maybe you could go and see one tonight, and one tomorrow. Anyway, the lovely, tall, and hilarious Adam Hess should definitely be on your list of comedy acts to see, head to the venue website here to book tickets.
TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2016 >>
Spymonkey - The Complete Deaths | Shoreditch Town Hall | 20 Sep-1 Oct (pictured)
The very excellent Spymonkey are (is?) headed to Shoreditch Town Hall for a run of a show that people who like funnies and Shakespeare will not want to miss. Actually, even if you only like funnies, and even if you only like Shakespeare, I reckon this is still one you should make time for. It's adapted by hugely acclaimed multi-tasking creative Tim Crouch, and stages every single death written by Shakespeare. Gruesome, possibly, but also funny, and possibly moving. See this page here for all the info.
Glamf*ckery | Camden People's Theatre | 20 Sep
Hurrah, for Calm Down Dear, CPT's annual festival of lovely feminist theatrical shenanigans, and here is my first pick from it, a dark bouffon piece offering "an unapologetic look at the masculinisation of women in power roles, and the psychotic lifestyling trends that are turning us into self-policing agents in an 'InstaCulture' of control, surveillance, and hyper-sexualisation". See the venue website here for details.
Sheraz Yousaf Presents: The Magnificent Seven | The Stag's Head | 20 Sep
You'll get seven up and coming comedians for just three of your earth pounds over at at The Stag's Head in Hoxton this Tuesday, and two of them were finalists in BC Radio New Comedy Award this summer, so it sounds promising. Doors open 8.00pm for an 8.30pm start, pay your money on the door. There's an event page here.
WEDNESDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2016 >>
On The Run - Tell Me Anything | Shoreditch Town Hall | 21 Sep-1 Oct
I haven't yet seen this show from relatively new theatre company On The Run, aka Hannah Moss and David Ralfe, but I have ever so much confidence that this will be brilliant, because we were so blown away by their fantastic debut 'So It Goes' when we saw it back in 2014 at the Edinburgh Fringe. It's an autobiographical show, based on David Ralfe's own life experiences (as 'So It Goes' was based on Hannah Moss's), about love, eating disorders, and growing up. See this page here for details.
Namvula | Canada Water Culture Space | 21 Sep
This is another event from the previously mentioned and tipped 14th London Annual Music Festival, and this time I am recommending the excellent Namvula, whose music fuses folk and urban traditions from both her Zambian and Scottish roots, blending African sounds with Latin and Jazz. Sounds great, doesn't it? It is. Head this way for more info.
Blush | Camden People's Theatre | 20-24 Sep (pictured)
This is a) another show that we've seen and loved in Edinburgh (this time in 2016) and b) also another event from a previously tipped festival, this time CPTs feminist celebration Calm Down Dear. This is about the utterly horrifying developing fashion for revenge porn, and the effect that social media and digital media has on our most intimate relationships. Probably not easy viewing, enraging, possibly, but a really important issue. See the CPT website here to book.
THURSDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2016 >>
The Absolute Truth About Absolutely Everything | Camden People's Theatre | 22 Sep + 6-8 Oct
Okay, so you know that Calm Down Dear festival of feministy stuff they're having again over at the Camden People's Theatre? Well, you will if you've been reading these tips over the last few days. And here's another pick from said fest (expect many more, until it's all over), and this one "offers a challenging but radically humane portrait of what it is to live in a society that is privileged like no other, but has a chronic poverty of empathy and what that means for the relationship between men and women". See the venue website here for more.
A Shakespearean Handan Dream | The Actors' Church Covent Garden | 22-23 Sep (pictured)
Well, it's still the 400 anniversary of the death of both Shakespeare and Ming dynasty playwright Tang Xianzu (that latter fact may be less well known in the UK, to be fair) and I say let's keep on commemorating it, especially when it generates stuff that sounds as exciting as this. It's a collaboration between Jiangsu Kun Opera and Leon Rubin, who have created a version of Tang Xianzu's 'The Handan Dream' with a Shakespearean twist. Book your tickets here.
Write On Kew | Kew Gardens | 22-25 Sep
Today sees the start of four days of great talks and events at Kew's literary festival, and there is so much to choose from. My choice for today would be 'Snow Geese' author William Fiennes' Naming Of Trees Walking Tour, and I think that might be the case for a lot of people, so get your tickets quickly if you are interested. There are lots of 'big names' appearing, and a fair few events for chiddlers, take a look at the website here for full listings for each date.
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