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Three To See 26 Mar-1 Apr: Family Shows, Funny Stuff, Edfringe Connections and more…

By | Published on Friday 22 March 2024

FAMILY SHOWS

The Singing Mermaid | ArtsDepot | 30 Mar-1 Apr
The sun is shining as I type this, so I am uncharacteristically full of hope that real spring is actually happening. And also, Easter is coming, and a longish holiday for the kids. Which, of course, is why we have two whole sections of family/child shows for you this week. Let’s start over at ArtsDepot with ‘The Singing Mermaid’, based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks, with fab music and songs by Barb Jungr. More here.

Sunshine | The Cockpit | 30 Mar-25 May
“Mr Sea and Mr Sand are very different. They look different. They act different. They are very different. And now they are stuck on the same part of the beach together. Both wanting to enjoy it in their own way. But can they learn to share?” A show we heard about up at our beloved edfringe, one which got a great review from one of our writers, as well as lots of acclaim from other sources. Read more about it here.

The Lion Inside | Rose Theatre Kingston | 28 Mar-14 Apr (pictured)
Another show based on a well loved children’s book for you, this time ‘The Lion Inside’ by Rachel Bright and Jim Field, which focuses on confidence, self esteem and a shy mouse who wants to find his roar. “Fed up of being ignored and forgotten by the other animals, Mouse wishes he could roar like Lion. But, as he discovers, even the biggest, bossiest people are scared sometimes”. More here.


MORE FAMILY SHOWS

Three Billy Goats Gruff | Polka Theatre | 29 Mar-21 Apr (pictured)
Yes, more family shows. I did warn you, to be fair. And you know, so many children’s shows are really enjoyable for the adults too. This one will take all of you back to your childhood, telling that traditional tale of the Billy Goats Gruff (did anyone else have the Ladybird version?), and promises surprising twists, music, puppetry and witty dialogue. “Trip-Trap, Trip- Trap, Trip-Trap… Who is that going over MY bridge?” Click here.

Amazing Bubble Man | Leicester Square Theatre | 29 Mar-1 Apr
Here’s an act that I don’t get to see as much as I used to, now that I don’t have a young child to entertain, but honestly, I would go on my own if I had the opportunity to do so, because the Amazing Bubble Man rocks. Expect “square bubbles, bubbles inside bubbles, fog-filled bubbles, giant bubbles, bubble volcanoes, tornados, trampolines, people inside bubbles”. Honestly, how could you read that and not click here?

Groove Into The Woods | Greenwich Theatre | 30 Mar
Here’s one very much aimed at grown ups as well as children, as it was created by Groove Baby to “give parents the opportunity to experience concert hall quality music in a child friendly environment”. It’s an animated, live action musical that follows three friends into a fairytale forest, and promises to be a high energy interactive theatre-meets-gig experience for all. Read more about it on the venue website here.


FUNNY STUFF

Mary O’Connell – Money Princess | Soho Theatre | 27-30 Mar (pictured)
Now onto more grown up stuff, which is also funny, plus – bonus – two of these shows have Mary in the title! I know! Anyway, first up is stand-up Mary O’Connell, who brings her debut show ‘Money Princess’, well received at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe last year, to the Soho Theatre. Expect the focus to be on capitalism, which she hates. She loves to shop, however, and therein lies a conflict. Oh dear. Click here.

Bloody Mary: Live! | Pleasance Theatre | 28-30 Mar
“She’s bloody. She’s Mary. She’s LIVE! Teen Queen Mary Tudor takes to the mic to rehab her so-called ‘bloody’ image in a gleefully vicious stand-up special. Mary tackles the drama every #queenager deals with: divorced parents, sibling rivalry and religious purges (…oops)”. Who wouldn’t want to see this um, somewhat revisionist, blend of stand-up and one-woman show by Olivia Miller? Quick, head this way.

My Name Is Gef | Golden Goose Theatre | 29-30 Mar
Right, who’s up for a dark comedy musical? There must be loads of you, surely? Especially as it features the ghost of a talking mongoose called Gef. It’s based on a true story (which you might be familiar with, because a film starring Minnie Driver, Simon Pegg and Christopher Lloyd was made about it), which sees a ridiculed psychoanalyst trying to prove himself by investigating alleged paranormal events taking place on the Isle Of Man… More here.


EDFRINGE CONNECTIONS

What If They Ate The Baby | King’s Head Theatre | 26 Mar-7 Apr
And as if I already hadn’t mentioned a whole load of shows with an edfringe connection in previous sections, here’s another whole one stuffed with them. First up, consecutive Fringe First winning New York based duo Natasha Roland and Xhloe Rice, with ‘What If They Ate The Baby’, a political response to the changing laws surrounding reproductive rights in America. For more information and to book, head to this page here.

Mythos Ragnarok | The cockpit | 29-31 Mar, 6-7 Apr
This international touring success was named one of the Telegraph’s Best Theatre Shows and Playbill’s Picks Of Edinburgh Fringe 2023. It offers a funny and exhilarating take on Norse mythology, blending storytelling, theatre and stage combat to tell the story of Thor, Loki, Freyja and their fellow gods, and their fight to overcome giants, rival clans and their own ambitions. “Viking mythology performed by professional wrestlers!” Yes please, click here.

The Long Run | New Diorama Theatre | 29 Mar-13 Apr (pictured)
‘The Long Run’ is by Katie Arnstein, whose work – ‘Sexy Lamp’ and ‘Sticky Door’ – we saw and loved at the Fringe in recent times. This promises to be just as good as those, offering a tender and funny story about long distance running, cancer and human connection. “When Katie’s mum is diagnosed with bowel cancer her life grinds to a stop. But when she meets an elderly man in a radiotherapy waiting room corridor – everything changes”. More here.


MORE GREAT STUFF

Feel Me | Greenwich Theatre | 27-28 Mar
Hurrah, final section, and yes, it’s more great stuff. It’s literally all great. And actually, there are more edfringe connections going on here too. This show is by The Paper Birds, whose work we first saw in the Scottish capital, and, well, it’s always good. ‘Feel Me’ is a new, interactive mixture of live performance, film, projection, dance and music, and it looks at how we are told and connect to stories in the digital age. Info here.

Don’t. Make. Tea. | Soho Theatre | 26 Mar-6 Apr
Another theatre company whose past work we have seen and loved in Edinburgh, and presumably you may have too, I think it was hard not to hear about the acclaimed ‘Wendy Hoose’. Anyway, Birds Of Paradise, Scotland’s preeminent disability-led theatre company, return to Soho Theatre with this new dark comedy focusing on the disabled experience of the benefits system. More here.

The Dream Machine | The Hope Theatre | 28-30 Mar
Last one for this week, and it’s a corker, Make It Beautiful’s long form improv show that bases its stories on audience members’ dreams. “This isn’t just a show, it’s an experience of the mind. The Dreamers will build a world full of crazy characters, odd challenges and heart-warming stories. From one audience member’s dream, comes an entire production”. Head right this way.



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