MONDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 2019 THISWEEKLONDON.COM
ANNIE JENKINS: KARAOKE PLAY
Opening at The Bunker at the tail end of this month is 'Karaoke Play', a collection of connected intertwining monologues set - as you might guess - in a Karaoke bar. They focus on a collection of highly individual characters, and explore themes of love, British identity, and the pursuit of recognition

It's the work of up and coming playwright Annie Jenkins, whose previous, acclaimed plays you may well have seen staged at London venues in recent times: The Theatre503 Award shortlisted 'In Lipstick' at The Pleasance, 'A Tinder Trilogy' at Camden Fringe, and the co-written 'VOID' at the 2018 Vault Festival.

I arranged a quick chat to find out more about Annie, and the play.

CLICK HERE to read this Caro Meets interview.

Karaoke Play is on at The Bunker Theatre from 29 Sep-14 Oct, see the venue website here for more information and to book.



PETER HAMILTON: DANELAW
Currently running over at the Old Red Lion Theatre is an updated revival of 'Danelaw', a 2005 play that tells the story of the creation of a white-supremacist far right group who intend to create their own homeland in the east of England.

As soon as I heard the production was imminent, I was interested in finding out more about it, not least because the themes of the play seem really relevant to our current political climate. I put some questions to the creative force behind it, acclaimed playwright Peter Hamilton.

CLICK HERE to read this Caro Meets interview.

'Danelaw' is on at the Old Red Lion Theatre until 5 Oct, see the venue website here for all the details and to book.


THREE RUNS STARTING THIS WEEK>>

We Anchor In Hope | The Bunker Theatre | 25 Sep-19 Oct
"All over London public houses become private flats. Tomorrow The Anchor closes for good. It's the end of an era, but Kenny and the gang are going out with a bang. There's a blow-up sheep, karaoke and a lot of Campari. There's secrets and grudges and forgotten dreams. As the front doors are locked and the bar is drunk dry, there's a lot more to lose than just a pub". A play by the talented Anna Jordan accompanied by other good things - The Bunker will become the 'The Anchor' for the duration of the run, a functioning pub with post show events including a pub quiz. Hurrah. More here.

Maggot Moon | Unicorn Theatre | 26 Sep-27 Oct
One for the kids now, but this time it's for your older kids, and is therefore one that I think parents and carers will also get a great deal out of. 'Maggot Moon' is based on the acclaimed teen-aimed novel of the same name by Sally Gardner, which imagines an alternative, dystopian post-war world. "In a sinister 1950s Britain, dark government forces are at work and spies and surveillance are everywhere. Standish tells us his story as he begins to unravel the dark secrets of the violent and oppressive Motherland and form a plan to try save his best friend and uncover the truth, no matter what". Details here.

One | Battersea Arts Centre | 30 Sep-19 Oct
"Locked in a deadpan double-act and a polarised world, Bert and Nasi are looking for a way to be together. But they get distracted by squabbles, insults, tap-dancing and one-upmanship. How will it end? You decide". This critically acclaimed show was on in Edinburgh this summer, and is the work of Bertrand Lesca and Nasi Voutsas, the talented creators of some other shows you might have heard of - 'Palmyra' and 'Eurohouse'. Expect humour, brutality and clowning from the duo, in a piece that promises to "have you on the edge of your seat as they attempt to overcome what divides them in this surreal show for our surreal times". Info here.


THREE COMEDY ACTS FRESH FROM FRINGE 2019>>

Simon Caine: Every Room Becomes A Panic Room When You Overthink Enough | The Bill Murray | 29 Sep
And as we've started to talk about edfringe successes (we were, in the last section), let's talk about three more. We're starting with one that we've really taken to our hearts, to the extent that at the most recent Festival Fringe we gave him one of our ThreeWeeks Editors' Awards, following on from our publication of a very enthusiastic 5/5 write up. Speaking of which, our reviewer praised his "well crafted material", made good use of words like 'superb', 'sharp', 'delightful' and 'fabulous', and proclaimed this to be a "humdinger of a show". And if you don't want to see this show after reading about all of that positivity, I don't know how to help you. Head right this way for all the details.

Liza Treyger | Bloomsbury Theatre Studio | 24 Sep
"Liza, fresh from her Netflix comedy special, has been living it up. She's spending cash, eating food, smoking weed, laying on surfaces and pretty much living her dream life. But then she turned 31 and became a cliche Bridget Jones' diary. She doesn't fit in her pants, she can't remember what she did even yesterday, she's got no savings, and won't leave her carbon monoxide-filled apartment to find the love she so desperately wants". This highly acclaimed US comedian was up at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer with a show called 'In The Weeds', and although this London show doesn't have that same name, it's got very similar content. Anyway, she is ever so good, so don't miss this chance to see her, head right this way to book tickets.

Jack Tucker: Comedy Stand Up Hour | Soho Theatre | 25-28 Sep (pictured)
If you are a fan of Norwegian-American comedy duo Zach & Viggo, then you should definitely get along to the Soho Theatre to see this show by hack US comedian of long standing 'Jack Tucker', because, although it might not seem immediately obvious, one member of that duo is absolutely involved in this here show. "Tucker (Jack) is a bonafide legend in the Upstate New York regional standup comedy scene who's sold out all over the world, from New York to Manhattan to Brooklyn. Ask any comedian, they'll all say the same thing: Jackie is a powerhouse superstar rock star". More here.


THREE SHORT RUNS>>

When The Rain Stops Falling | Lion & Unicorn Theatre | 24-29 Sep
"A fish falls from the sky and lands at the feet of Gabriel York. And it still smells of the sea. It's been raining for days and Gabriel knows something is wrong. Fifty years earlier, his grandfather Henry Law predicted that fish will fall from the sky, heralding a great flood which will end life on earth as we know it". A staging by new company The Kindling Collective of renowned Australian writer Andrew Bovell's award-winning 2008 play, which switches between the past and the future, spans two continents, and explores themes of family, betrayal and forgiveness. Info here.

A Box In The Desert | Jacksons Lane | 25-27 Sep
This is interesting, and award-winning, and the sort of thing that terrifies me, but it's definitely one for those of you who are always after those sort of different and immersive experiences. "One audience member at a time enters a 20-minute virtual reality theatre experience about being trapped inside an invisible box. A voice in your head is pushing you to escape, while a guardian of the box, performed by a live actor, tries to convince you to stay inside, safe from danger". See the venue website here for more.

Elf Lyons: Love Songs To Guinea Pigs | Soho Theatre | 23-29 Sep (pictured)
We love Elf Lyons. Doesn't everyone? Well, here she is, on at the Soho Theatre, and here's what the show is all about: "In August 2018 Elf was planning a physical clown show with dance, tap, rock 'n' roll and the splits. However, a couple of months later, disaster struck: Elf was taken to the hospital and told it was best that she never performs again. After months lying on her back and in and out of MRI machines, Elf had to rethink what she was going to do and how she was going to perform again. This inspired her to create this brand new show Love Songs to Guinea Pigs as a response". Head this way for all the details.


THREE MORE SHORT RUNS>>

Nightshifter | Jacksons Lane | 30 Sep-2 Oct (pictured)
This is a piece of physical theatre from Temper Theatre, inspired by the experiences of junior nurses and paramedics, which describes itself as "part superhero-fantasy-epic, part tragic insight into the health of humanity". This is another show (I think I told you last week, or possibly the week before to expect more) that did a run up in Edinburgh last month, and from what I have heard, it's a goodie. Expect "a compelling, fragmented narrative which shines a light on our epic capacity to care - and asks how far our compassion can reach with a global crisis raging". See the venue website here.

Catherine Bohart: Lemon | Soho Theatre | 30 Sep-5 Oct

Argh, this should really have been in the section above marked comedians-who-were-on-in-Edinburgh, but clearly it fell out of the bottom of the bag or something, which is possibly understandable, given that the comedians-who-were-on-in-Edinburgh bag was a bit full. But here we are, with another fab comedy act for you, and one that we loved a lot when we saw it up in the Scottish capital. "Bohart's playful style makes for an hour that whips by, more structured than her meandering delivery at first makes it appear". wrote our reviewer. "It's brave, too, taking a chance on an ending a lesser performer might not have pulled off". More here.

Outdoor Performance Trail | Pepys Park | 28 Sep
This is part of the Age Against The Machine Festival of Creative Ageing, which, I must admit, I didn't realise was going on. So, we missed the first week - sorry - but we're now in the second week, and there's a third week to come. And there is such a great line up of events. This Outdoor Performance Trail features four different events, including 'Catch Me', a part-installation, part performance piece mixture of "dance, circus and chairs" focused on themes of age and gender, and 'Bed', a street theatre performance involving - yes, you guessed it - a bed, as well as four older people, abandoned in their bed clothes. Haven't got space to explain the other two, but they sound great, so head this way to find out more about those, and the event, and this way to find out about all the other stuff going on at the festival.
At TW:CULTURE we champion the best in culture.

ThisWeek London is your guide to culture in London.

ThreeWeeks Edinburgh is your guide to Edinburgh's festivals.

TW:DIY is your guide to doing cultural stuff.



© UnLimited Media, a division of 3CM Enterprises Ltd

UnLimited Media, Kemp House, 152 City Road, London EC1V 2NX
t: 020 7099 9050 (editorial) 020 7099 9060 (sales)

Send Edinburgh press releases to TWedinburgh@unlimitedmedia.co.uk

Send London press releases to TWlondon@unlimitedmedia.co.uk

You can read our Privacy & Data Policy here

publishing@unlimitedmedia.co.uk | complaints@unlimitedmedia.co.uk