Coming up at Tristan Bates Theatre next week is 'Love Me Now', a slightly brutal and compelling sounding peice about the toxic potential of the modern dating scene. It's a debut play, written by Michelle Barnette, who also produced the show.
To find out more about the play, and about Michelle herself, I arranged a quick chat ahead of opening night. Read the interview here.
'Love Me Now' is on at Tristan Bates Theatre from 27 Mar-14 Apr, see the venue website here for more information and to book.
FRIDAY 23 MARCH 2018 >>
They Will Find Us Sleeping | Camden People's Theatre | 23-24 Mar (pictured)
Only a couple more days of Sprint 2018 over at the Camden People's theatre, so this is our penultimate tip on the matter, which is sad. But don't cry, they'll have another festival soon. And, you've still got time to see this, which sounds wonderful: a promenade performance using the city and its inhabitants as the backdrop to the show's narrative, which explores manipulation, loneliness and consensus. For more information, see this page here.
DollyWould | Soho Theatre | 19 Mar-14 Apr
You probably know aaaaalll about this, because you slavishly read everything we publish and you'll have seen the Q&A we did recently with the creators of this show, Louise Mothersole and Rebecca Biscuit, aka Sh!t Theatre. If you didn't, in fact, see it, here it is, go read it, and then head this way to book your tickets.
The Chairs | Arcola Theatre | 22-24 Mar
"In a tower surrounded by stagnant water, an old man and his wife await the arrival of their guests. After years of preparation, he is finally ready to deliver his message to mankind...". As part of the previously much mentioned Creative/Disruption season, Eugene Ionesco's 1952 tragic farce set in an apocalyptic world gets an airing, courtesy of Arcola's 50+ community theatre group, who promise a fresh take on the piece reflecting our own troubled times. Info right about here.
SATURDAY 24 MARCH 2018 >>
Michael Rosen's Chocolate Cake | Polka Theatre | 23 Mar-13 May
It's a Saturday, so here's one for the children, and one I think we can expect good things from. It's an adaptation of Michael Rosen's well loved Chocolate Cake poem, which has just been published as a kids' book, and it's from a great team: adapted by Peter Glanville and Barb Jungr, the latter being also responsible for the music and songs. For information and to book, see this page here.
Stuart Goldsmith et al | London's Live Comedy | 24 Mar
There are many cracking nights of entertainment featuring fabulous line ups over at London's Live Comedy coming up soon, so you should check out all the listings, but for the moment, I'd like to point out this particular line-up, which is full of TW favourites - Stuart Goldsmith, Dana Alexander, Helen Duff and Amy Howerska. See the listings here for a link to booking.
Only Speak When Spoken To | Camden People's Theatre | 24 Mar
"Step into a world where the tannoy is king, where suit jackets come to life and where the performers poke fun at what makes for polite behaviour. Through a combination of clowning, puppetry, movement and live looping, the performers explore what rules are placed on us and what happens when we deviate from the norm". Boo hoo, the last of the Sprint tips. But take heart, because it's a super-goodie and I am sure you are going to love it. Head this way for more.
SUNDAY 25 MARCH 2018 >>
Catherine Bohart | 2Northdown | 25 Mar
She was on the BBC's 2017 New Talent Hotlist, she was a BBC New Comedy Award Finalist, she's written for 'The Now Show', 'The News Quiz' and 'Frankie Boyle's New World Order'. She's "the bisexual, OCD daughter of a Catholic Deacon and she's got a hell of a lot to say about it". Very funny, very on the up, and coming soon to this venue near (or hopefully not too far from) you. See this page here to book your tickets.
Captain Flinn and The Pirate Dinosaurs 2 - The Magic Cutlass | Greenwich Theatre | 25 Mar
"This show has all the right ingredients to entertain a child (or a whole theatre-full, as was the case); fast-paced and exciting action, humour, singing and dancing, and intense overacting. Oh, and a huge talking dinosaur". Is what our reviewer about the first Captain Flinn show, so why wouldn't you want to see this exciting looking sequel? Well, your small ones definitely will, see this page here for more info.
Charlie Partridge - I Can Make You Feel Good. By Comparison | The Bill Murray | 25 Mar (pictured)
If you're a regular reader, you may have noticed that there are times when we tip shows seemingly purely on the basis that the title of the show struck a chord with us, or made us laugh. Well, let me assure you that although the title of this show did make me laugh out loud, the reasons for tipping it go beyond that. Expect beatboxing and comedic storytelling from a seasoned performer, and head this way for details.
MONDAY 26 MARCH 2018 >>
Is This Thing On? | Old Red Lion Theatre | 26-31 Mar (pictured)
"Joanna has always struggled with setting boundaries. Maybe that's why when her best friend offers to find her a boyfriend, she just goes along with it. Or not a boyfriend, they haven't discussed that. Wait, what have they discussed? Finding her place in a world that wants girls to be seen and not heard, will she be able to raise her voice?" A story about love and domestic violence, and how they affect women in contemporary times, head this way for more info.
Glass Splinters | Pleasance Theatre | 26 Mar
And something else that's woman focused (nothing wrong with that): a collection of seven new writing pieces inspired by women from across the ages, written and performed by female theatre-makers. And they are 'Oranges and Ink' by Claire Louise Amias, 'The Colour Violet' by Constanza Hola, 'Deeds Not Words' by Elise Lamb, 'The Thinking Piece' by Jodie Garnish, 'Mary Magdalene' by Valerie Isaiah Sadoh, 'Of Sirens And Other Monsters' by Chloe Orrock, 'Hilda Doolittle' by Beatrice Vincent and 'Catherine' by Catherine Hiscock. Details here.
A Spoonful Of Sherman | Greenwich Theatre | 26-30 Mar
Good news for lovers of classic musicals this, as this celebration of work by the various music-writing Shermans makes its way to the Greenwich Theatre. Expect to hear songs such as 'Let's Go Fly A Kite!', 'It's A Small World (After All)', 'I Wanna Be Like You', 'The Ugly Bug Ball', 'Comes A-Long A-Love', 'You're Sixteen', 'Feed The Birds', 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious', 'Hushabye Mountain' and 'A Spoonful Of Sugar'. Yes, you're gonna know them all. See the venue website here to book.
TUESDAY 27 MARCH 2018 >>
Random Selfies | Ovalhouse | 27 Mar-7 Apr (pictured)
A new play, aimed at older children, by Olivier Award-winning playwright Mike Kenny, staged as part of Ovalhouse's three year exploration into the impact loneliness has on young people. It's about Loretta, a ten year old girl with a vivid imagination: "If I lived in the middle of nowhere, you could understand it. If I was halfway up a mountain. Or at the side of a lake. And I had no brothers or sisters. Well, you could understand it. Couldn't you. If I said I was lonely. But I'm not any of that. I live in a flat. In one of the biggest cities on the planet. I'm never alone. But I am lonely". Info here.
The Pin | New Diorama | 27-28 Mar
This appears to be a set of in progress shows (there are further dates beyond March) so you might be thinking this is maybe a show for die-hard fans of this sketch duo. But they are really good, so you might want to continue on from that train of thought to the one that's saying that they are in fact really good, so their work in progress might be better than another performer's finished article. And you might want to move on to consider that they've been on radio 4 and that our reviewer once praised their "flair for written comedy" and their "fantastic ability" to take sketch to the next level. And then book a ticket. Here.
Sleeping Trees Comedy Garden | Battersea Arts Centre | 27 Mar
And so from a comedy duo to a comedic trio, and their line up of really special, special guests. TW favourites Sleeping Trees come out to play, and invited to join them this evening are Rob Carter as Christopher Bliss, Joz Norris, Gein's Family Giftshop and Lou Sanders. See, I told you they were special, didn't I? What a treat, all those great acts. And don't despair, if you can't make this particular show, they'll be back with the same format on 2 May and 7 Jun. Details right about here.
WEDNESDAY 28 MARCH 2018 >>
Cathy | Soho Theatre | 27 Mar-14 Apr
This is inspired, fifty years on, by Ken Loach's seminal film 'Cathy Come Home', and, as you might expect, it explores homelessness in more contemporary times, when spiralling housing costs, gentrification and forced relocation are all factors. It was a bit of a hit at last year's Edinburgh Fringe, and our extremely experienced and discerning reviewer gave it a highly positive write up. So all in all, I think you'd be wise to follow this link to book some tickets.
George Egg - DIY Chef | Soho Theatre | 28-31 Mar
And we're staying at Soho Theatre (inadvertently, I confess, it wasn't a deliberate theme for today, as you'll see as you make your way to number three) for the latest culinary themed offering from acclaimed 'anarchist cook' George Egg. Banned from the family kitchen, George relocates to the garden shed and builds an improvised kitchen there instead, in this evening of stand-up, live cooking and comedy lecture. All the details are here.
Dominoes | Stratford Circus Arts Centre | 28-29 Mar (pictured)
"Mixed race history teacher Layla McKinnon is days away from saying 'I do' to Andy McKinnon. Already having the same surname as her fiancé used to be just a funny coincidence but now it threatens to drive them apart. Piecing together her family tree, she tries to hold onto her best friend and her husband-to-be and find out who she is and where she fits in". A promising-looking one woman show about how the past can affect the future. See the venue website here for more.
THURSDAY 29 MARCH 2018 >>
Frankenstein | Battersea Arts Centre | 22 Mar-7 Apr
"Using nothing but their mouths and a microphone, this talented and dynamic vocal collective present an electrifying poetic and political live concert of song, soundscape, improvised tracks and battles - exploring the idea of what makes a modern monster". We missed the first few shows of this, I am not sure how, it somehow slipped down the list, but you've still got time to take in this fascinating piece of gig theatre from BAC Beatbox Academy. See this page here for more.
The Devil With The Blue Dress | The Bunker Theatre | 29 Mar-28 Apr
A play about the scandal that rocked the Clinton administration, the details of which are revealed to us by a First Lady, a secretary, a daughter, a confidant, and an intern, who take the audience on a journey through the corridors of power and behind closed doors. Seems like a well-timed staging, given the themes of the show, in the light of #metoo and a (fingers crossed, permanent) social shift in the way we're viewing historic abuses of power. All the details are here.
Bisha K Ali presents Comedians She Loves | Camden Comedy Club | 29 Mar
You are probably much aware of Bisha K Ali, her work as a writer and comedian, and the fact that she's been in the final of Funny Women. You might even know that she does this regular night at Camden Comedy Club, and have been to it before. I was moved to mention this edition in particular because of a tweet in which Ali announced that amongst her guests this time would be acts that rhyme with Bosie Bong and Bonnie and The Jabwisps. Now who on earth could they be? Some TW faves, peut-etre? Head this way to book.
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