Whenever I head to a theatre, I want to be transported to another world. It doesn’t matter whether that’s a loft in one of the greatest cities in the world, or a make believe land full of rainbows. For a couple of hours, I want to find myself lost in a narrative, yearning to be a fly on the wall or invited to be a part of the production.
Read MoreWe descend into the theatre, and immediately meet Jake, played by Tom Claxton, before the first act begins. He is fidgeting with clothes around the stage, appearing to wash them in a stream before picking out dirt and hanging them to dry. Already, we have been transported swiftly to a location somewhere in the Cumbrian hills.
Read MoreLights up, and immediately we’re confronted with interactive theatre. I think to myself, ‘oh god, no’ and begin to worry about what we are in for over the course of the next hour or so. But this is all simply an introduction to Squidge, the show’s unlikely hero. This premiere, ‘Squidge’ is the brainchild of Tiggy Bayley and directed by Selwin Hulme-Teague and appears to take place in an undisclosed town somewhere southern England.
Read MoreFrom the title (‘All The Men Are Going To Hate Me’), I had conjured images of a monologue tirade directed firmly, deservedly, at men, but instead this work in progress by Maria Telnikoff is self-deprecating, reflective and glorious, in its wit-led and – at times – almost slapstick performance.
Read MoreAs one emerges from Tottenham Court Road station, a new icon has been erected, its marque luminous and digital, its black exterior fitting for the location on the edge of Soho. It’s the first new theatre in London’s West End for half a century, and unusually for theatre in the Capital, it’s a rare ‘in-the-rounds’ stage: @sohoplace.
It feels slightly too modern, out of place, new. Alas, this isn’t a bad thing as it challenges the concept of West End theatre we know and love. And just as fitting is the first show running here: Marvellous.
Read MoreIn the upstairs room of a pub, a short walk from Clapham High Street, a collective of creatives set up to showcase a work in progress of their latest project: Patience is a Verb. The Burning Attic team, and the research they’ve collected, forms a production that shines a light firmly on a key issue for trans and non-binary people, telling the modern day ‘Waiting for Godot’ story about the struggles to access the health services needed.
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