Good fringe theatre goes one of two ways. Either it’s so out there that it shocks you, or it’s small, personal, and deeply touching. In Feel, the latter approach is delivered in spades.
Feel is the story of two couples: one a seemingly uncomplicated meeting over the years while waiting for delayed trains; the other a failed attempt at a one night stand that lingers into a relationship.
Read MoreEquus is a breathtaking, startling, and gripping play delivered brilliantly by a compelling cast.
Introduced to a tableau of boy and horse by world-weary psychiatrist Martin Dysart (Zubin Varla), from the off, I was struck by the beautiful physicality of Ira Mandela Siobhan as Nugget. His movement – not quite dance, not quite not-dance embodied the pride, beauty and power we associate with horses.
Read MoreThis one woman (and two backing musicians) show is a tour de force. The story may be old as time but the modern twist of basically turning it into a concept album breathes new life into this ‘woman scorned’ tale. Katrina Quinn commands the stage and respect as Medea – a woman at first fulfilling the duties of her sex, but later given to violent revenge.
Read MoreThe American Clock is a lavish production of a confusing and disjointed play. It reminded me of nothing so much as a stage version of The Big Short. Half drama, half documentary, fully fascinating but largely for the glimpses of the real story of the crash and less for any sense of being lost in the lives on stage.
Read MoreI am blown away.
Rarely does taking part in a piece of theatre speak so directly to the core of my being, but Counting Sheep is one of the most exciting, moving and provoking pieces of theatre I have ever seen.
Set in Ukraine around the 2014 revolution we are introduced to the action by Mark – a Canadian of Ukrainian heritage who is visiting the country as a travelling musician. He gets swept up in the revolution and through him so too does the audience.
Read MoreClamour is an odd experience – more art installation than theatre but promoted as the latter. It was more interactive than it was immersive, and it wasn’t very interactive – not least because the tech it relied on simply wasn’t up to it.
Read MoreThe Greatest Snowman is enormous – if slightly confusing – fun.
Played pretty much as a straight up pantomime, it come across as charmingly childlike and simple. The storyline is not taxing, and the immersive element was less prominent than in recent production by the same team Journey to the Underworld.
Read MoreDivine Proportions promises much and almost – almost – delivers.
The party atmosphere is apparent from the beginning. Audience members are encouraged to dress decadently and buy further glitter on arrival.
Read MoreSketching has all the great hallmarks of a James Graham play. There are a lot of characters, and their stories interweave frenetically. Music is used – sparingly but to high dramatic effect. There is a little bit of everything for everyone. What you get out of a James Graham play often depends on what you take into it. My meditative and melancholic mood found perfect reflection in the stories of the people of the city of London, but those in a more celebratory frame of mind will find plenty to enjoy too.
Read MoreFrankenstein sets itself firmly in the 80s before the show begins with a thumping and iconic 80s soundtrack. As you enter the “squat” space and are greeted by a group with a very strong ‘Legs Akimbo‘ vibe telling ghost stories. As Mary speaks, she tells of a dream she had – a dream the group shared of a family suffering a tragedy.
As they tell it the story takes over and we are led through their interpretation of Frankenstein.
Read MoreAnother World War Win at the Colab Factory.
Illicit Secrets: Bletchley is a very clever drama. Like a predecessor Hidden Figures, it uses immersive theatre to celebrate real heroes from The Second World War – in this case, the code breakers of Bletchley Park. It does this by immersing you in their work and their world.
Read MoreReading Gaol is a fantastically evocative poem and this is a powerful piece of work built out of and around it. The play consists of readings of Reading Gaol, interspersed with monologues – written now but covering a longer time span from Wilde’s time to now. Each is delivered by one of five actors, who each get their chance to shine.
Read MoreA sparse set made up of a split level stage and a large paper suspended lamp are what greets us as we take our seats for this performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This sparse staging plays well with the venue itself, as the light dims, the shadows cast on the rough walls become more dreamlike. The lamp turns from sun to moon and back as the play goes on, and this clever use of light guides us through the progress of what can be a confusing production of a confusing play.
Read MoreThe set is stunning. You’re greeted as you take your seat with a cavalcade of letters all making up words you’ll spend possibly too much of your night working out. On occasion, it will obscure your view, but as there’s so much to look at, that matters little. t sets a high expectation of the kind of entertainment we can expect, and that Matilda delivers in spades.
Read MoreIs this a dystopian drama or is it the natural conclusion to Trumpism? That was the main question I was left with on leaving Building the Wall. When does it become impossible for a drama to overdramatise the effects of a presidency as ridiculous and audacious as this one?
