THURSDAY 29 MARCH 2018 THISWEEKLONDON.COM
JOHN FITZPATRICK: REARED
The latest show to go up over at Theatre503 is 'Reared' by Bafta-nominated screenwriter and playwright John Fitzpatrick. It's a serious yet funny sort of piece about a family who are struggling with their prospective future, which explores the relationships between different generations.

I spoke to John to find out more – about the play, his career, and what to expect from him in the future. Read the interview here.

'Reared' is on at Theatre503 from 4-28 Apr, see this page here for all the details.



JOSH ROCHE: PLASTIC
Coming up at the Old Red Lion Theatre is the staging of a new play, 'Plastic', written by Kenneth Emson and produced by Poleroid Theatre. It sounds fascinating, not least because of its interesting format, but also for its seemingly perceptive and important themes.

To find out more about the show, I spoke to the director of the piece, award winning director Josh Roche. Read the interview here.

'Plastic' is on at the Old Red Lion Theatre from 3- 21 Apr, see the venue website here for more information and to book.


FRIDAY 30 MARCH 2018 >>

Birthday Girls - Late Night Comedy Party | Soho Theatre | 30 Mar
"Ever wanted a lock-in with the cream of the UK's comedy circuit in the heart of London's West End? Well your dreams have just come true. Join critically acclaimed sketch group and self-proclaimed legends Birthday Girls as they host a chaotic evening of comedy guests, drinking and kissing". They've put it better than I would. And yes, they are legends. See this page here.

Love Me Now | Tristan Bates Theatre | 27 Mar - 14 Apr
We recently published a Q&A with the writer and producer of this show - Michelle Barnette - so we know that it's about love and casual dating, and just how toxic it can all be. Expect a piece that explores how we can end up pushing our own boundaries too far, and finish by accepting the worst sort of behaviour as some kind of normality. See the venue website here for more info.

Pressure | Park Theatre | 28 Mar-28 Apr (pictured)
It's June 1944, and the allies are poised to launch the Normandy landings. We know what happened, because it's history, but in the play, they're on the brink of a make-or-break decision: whether or not to attack comes down to the most important weather forecast of all time. An acclaimed piece, by an acclaimed actor and writer - David Haig - that you won't want to miss. Head this way for details.


SATURDAY 31 MARCH 2018 >>

Victim | King's Head Theatre | 31 Mar-21 Apr
We already recommended this within recent history, back in February when it was on at Soho Theatre for one night only. So this is great news for those of you who thought "that looks great, but oh no, I'm already committed to doing something else that night", because there are going to be loads of nights, at an easily accessible location. Hurrah. An award-winning, well received show in Edinburgh last summer, it's a darkly comic story of a power struggle between prison guard and inmate. book your tickets here.

Mirrors | Leicester Square Theatre | 28 Mar-14 Apr
This has two things in common with the previous tip. No, wait, three. Firstly, they're both one woman shows. Two, we've previously tipped both of them. And three, they've both had highly acclaimed previous runs so you know they're going to be good. Oh, and now I've found a fourth thing - they're both darkly comical, see: "Both a black comedy and a modern fairytale, 'Mirrors' is a provocative and poetic exploration of narcissism and neurosis". Head this way for all the info.

Junk | Little Angel Theatre | 16 Mar-29 Apr (pictured)
And, because it's the start of the Easter holidays for most people, here's one for those of you looking for child-sized entertainment. This isn't for teeny ones, but will be perfect for older kids and pre-teens. It's an interactive puppetry piece about the things we throw away, and offers a highly participatory experience in which the audience contribute to the show's narrative. See the venue website here for details.


SUNDAY 1 APRIL 2018 >>

White Guy On The Bus | Finborough Theatre | 27 Mar-21 Apr
This sounds interesting and promises to be shocking, in that it apparently "blows open the racial fault-lines of Trump's America". It"s about Ray and Roz, a white liberal couple living in the relatively safe suburbs of philadelphia, he a financial consultant, she a teacher at an inner city school. One day, instead of taking his car, Ray starts riding the public bus through the African-American neighbourhoods of the city, and gets to know Shatique, a young, black single mother who is studying to become a nurse. But what are Ray's motives, and just what does he want from Shatique? See the venue website here for details.

Rob Auton work in progress | The Bill Murray | 1 Apr
You may know that we're massive fans of Rob Auton here at TW Towers, so much so that we'd probably turn up to hear him cough for a bit, so no surprise that we're happy to recommend this work in progress. Our reviewers have been loving his Edinburgh shows over the years, and finally, last summer, we did what we should have done earlier, and gave him an award. Anyway, his new show is about talking, and is as the blurb points out, therefore suitable for people who talk, have talked and who want to talk. Info here.

Death Of A Hunter | Finborough Theatre | 1-17 Apr SMT (pictured)
"Unable to write anymore, Ernest Hemingway fights his last and loneliest battle as he tries to find the courage to commit suicide. He confronts his demons, questions old certainties and comes face to face with the ghosts of his past..." Back to the Finborough for this English language staging of renowned and radical german playwright Rolf Hochhuth's 1976 work, which examines the cult of celebrity and the trappings of fame through the lens of the last hour of the esteemed writers' life. See this page here for more.


MONDAY 2 APRIL 2018 >>

Masud Abides | 2Northdown | 2 Apr (pictured)
Masud Milas is one of those comedians who came to our attention - as many acts do - because of his appearances up at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Our team have always had good things to say about him, most recently in 2016, when our reviewer praised his hilarious full hour debut and declared him to be "consistently charming and funny". To book your tickets head right this way.

The Country Wife | Southwark Playhouse | 28 Mar-21 Apr
"Renowned playboy, Harry Horner, has made it known in the society pages that he is now impotent. For the jealous husbands, this cunning lothario is neither a threat to their wives nor their reputations. Meanwhile, business brings the newly married Jack Pinchwife to the city with his much younger wife Margery in tow. Dazzled by everything laid out in front of her, Margery is determined to savour it all, regardless of the consequences". This sounds like an interesting production of the classic restoration comedy, as this adaptation moves the action of the piece to fizzing 1920s London. For more info, see the venue website here.

Harriet Kemsley - Slutty Joan | The Bill Murray | 2 Apr
Another fabulous comedian for you now, Harriet Kemsley, who has also won a number of fans from amongst our ever changing line up of review staff. And I expect that she has an even higher number of fans outwith our team; yes, you out there, reading this now, who've seen her perform live, or on Viceland's 'Bobby and Harriet Get Married'. I very much like the sound of this show, because she promises to take on slut shaming; a noble cause. See this page here for details.


TUESDAY 3 APRIL 2018 >>

Simon Munnery - Renegade Plumber | Soho Theatre | 3-7 Apr (pictured)
I thought we might start the day with a comedy performance, and what could be more appropriate than this amusingly titled show from seasoned, award winning veteran and TW favourite Simon Munnery. Expect "tales of plumbing woes, attempts at under tent heating, jokes, songs, poems and the ridicule of capitalism", and see the venue website here for details.

Testosterone | Greenwich Theatre | 3 Apr
"Kit is in an amusing and unique position, having transitioned from female to male in his early thirties, he has experienced adult life on both sides of the gender fence, giving him the opportunity to notice what differences there are in how he is treated by society - what he gains and what he loses by becoming a man. However, his biggest challenge comes when he enters a male gym changing room for the first time and is confronted by masculinity in all its forms - the good, the bad and the ugly. What kind of man will he be when he finishes changing?" We've tipped it before and we'll tip it again, given a chance, because it's an acclaimed play from a brilliant company. Click here for more.

The Sleeper | The Space | 3-14 Apr
Another highly acclaimed piece, which, like 'Testosterone', has a very successful Edinburgh Festival Fringe run behind it. Created using the real testimony of Syrian refugees as well as the personal experiences of writer and director Henry C Crempels, it's set on a sleeper train travelling through Europe, where Karina, a British writer, reports a refugee who has hidden in her bunk. For information and to book see this page here.


WEDNESDAY 4 APRIL 2018 >>

The Adventures Of The Bearded Lady | Camden People's Theatre | 4-5 Apr
This sounds interesting. This bearded lady was born with full head of hair on her chin but sadly it fell out at the onset of puberty, so when she runs away to the circus, how will she survive with no beard? "So begins a life of deception, deviance, mischieviance, fleeing, flaying, falling and howling at the moon. Having run away so many times that she arrives back at the beginning, she discovers new resolve to defy the inanity of a world that asks people to hide or change who they are". See, told you it sounds interesting. See this page here for info.

Staged | Jacksons Lane | 4-7 Apr (pictured)
Hurrah, CircusFest 2018 has begun, and this show is part of it, so that's great news for all you fans of circus. Also good for those of you who aren't really sure whether or not you like circus because there's a whole load of events you can immerse yourself in, and find out. Anyway, here you are, here's our first tip from it: experimental circus collective Circumference perform their latest piece, which features a cast of three, performing on a seemingly precarious aerial platform. Details here.

Black | Battersea Arts Centre | 3-7 Apr
"Nikki doesn't think that her Dad is a racist, he just cares deeply about his community. But when a Zimbabwean family move in over the road, the dog won't stop barking, the local kids start lobbing stones and her Dad starts laying down the law". 20 Stories High present this rather provocative sounding show - by award-winning writer Keith Saha - which explores racial tensions at play in the UK today. Head this way for more.


THURSDAY 5 APRIL 2018 >>

Much Ado About Puffin | Polka Theatre | 4-15 Apr
I thought I would start today with a children's show, because, as any parent of school-going children doth know, there's still quite a lot of Easter holiday left; and while I know you'll be taking your children out to green spaces and tiring them out and stuff like that, now that the weather's looking a bit less snowy, there's a lot to be said for going to see a lovely children's show in a dark room for an hour. Especially one with a punny title like that. Details here.

Frogman | Shoreditch Town Hall | 4-14 Apr (pictured)
But now, one for the grown-ups (though it does feature some very young performers) from renowned theatre makers Curious Directive. It's a virtual reality/live theatre hybrid telling the story of Meera, who is forced to revisit the memories of the past, as a murder investigation is launched in the present. It's already won much acclaim, notably at the edfringe in 2016, and it's been reworked a bit, presumably to make it even better, if that's possible. See the venue website here for info.

Giant Jam Sandwich | Pleasance Theatre | 4-8 Apr
"One hot summer's day, four million wasps invade the quiet village of Itching Down. Noisy, nasty and worst of all, they don't mind who they sting! That is until the baker has an ingenious idea..." And yes, another treat for the small people in your life, and this is one our reviewer was very taken with when it was on in Edinburgh last summer, using words like "charming" and "enthralled". Head this way to book your tickets.
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