YOUR GUIDE TO THIS WEEK IN CULTURE
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Children's Shows Festivals Musicals Theatre ThisWeek In London
Three To See 17-23 Mar: Sprint Festival Shows, Vault Festival Shows, Short Runs
By TW Editorial | Published on Friday 13 March 2020
Cultural events taking place in London in the coming weeks are obviously subject to change as venues respond to measures designed to restrict and delay the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19.
Although the UK government is yet to instigate restrictions on cultural events, such measures could be incoming. Meanwhile organisers of large-scale events – especially in music and sport – are already voluntarily cancelling and postponing activity due to take place this month.
We recommend checking with each venue’s website for the latest information.
THREE SPRINT FESTIVAL SHOWS
I’ll Be Your Dog | Camden People’s Theatre | 18 Mar
Argh, so many good one-off performances this week at Camden People’s Theatre, what a shame I can’t tip them all. What you can do, though, reader, when you’ve finished reading about the ones we’ve mentioned here, is head to this link here to see what other shows are also on offer. Definitely consider these for your to-see list, though, starting with ‘I’ll Be Your Dog’, by Lydia Hirst, which is all about its creator’s experiences – including an arrest – in the Calais Jungle, and which has a successful run at the old edfringe behind it. See this page here for details.
An Intentionally False Statement | Camden People’s Theatre | 19 Mar (pictured)
This, from performance artist Charlotte McShane takes a look at lying, and why we do it, and I’m really interested in what conclusions she reaches. “Do we believe lying has consequences? Do we even care? From the big lies to the little lies; the deceitful to the harmless; the bluff to all-out fraud, why do we lie and is it doing us any good? Through personal stories, live art and more than a little gesturing, these questions and more are explored. Maybe you have something you’d like to confess?” See the venue website here for info.
Why The Child Is Cooking In The Polenta | Camden People’s Theatre | 22 Mar
“Among the caravans and the circus tents a family are caught between two worlds: the colorful, transfiguring high-top where the mother performs her death-defying stunts and the harsher reality of a nomadic life, where home is only to be found in your mother’s cooking”. A return to a London stage for Edith Alibec’s award winning adaptation of Aglaja Veteranyi’s autobiographical book about circus artists fleeing the communist regime in Romania. We did a Q&A with Alibec when she took the show to The Gate last year: read the interview here, and see the show listing here.
THREE VAULT FESTIVAL SHOWS
Miles Apart Together | Vault Festival | 17-22 Mar (pictured)
Hurrah for Vault Festival. But sobs, too, because it’s very close to over. Make the most of this final week by seeing all the shows we recommend and some others too. Maybe make your starting point ‘Miles Apart Together’, which brings together the stories of three female pioneers that not enough people know about: Bessie Coleman, the first woman of African American descent to hold a pilot license, Junko Tabei, the first woman to reach the peak of Mount Everest, and Annie Londonderry Kopchovsky, a Latvian immigrant and the first woman to cycle around the world. See this page here for info.
Jenny Bede: The Musical | 20-22 Mar
Comedy of a musical kind for you now, from the rather good Jenny Bede. “In her bid to become a younger, sexier Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jenny has written roughly somewhere between 35-45 future West End hit shows. ‘Jenny Bede: The Musical’ will feature some of the very best songs from some of her favourite attempts. In a bid to show off her – admittedly quite limited – range, Jenny will take her audience on a semi-autobiographical journey of singing ghosts, bad feminism and her time in a girlband, whilst giving her own unique spin on some of the big issues of the day, from gender politics to privilege, in this riotous celebration of musical theatre and modern pop music”. See the festival website here for more.
The Ballerina | Vault Festival | 18-22 Mar
“Set in a country not so far away, Colin Clutterbuck, a British diplomat is brutally arrested by the National Intelligence Agency. Thrown into a cell and accused of conspiring to overthrow the government; Colin fights back with wit and great British banter. But with the infamous master interrogator, Pacifique Muamba as her opponent, the young diplomat is about to be painfully re-educated and taken to the brink of madness”. This sounds rather interesting. Not least because it’s described as ‘Heart Of Darkness’ meets ‘Charlie And The Chocolate Factory”. Details here.
THREE SHORT RUNS
Is That All There Is? | Old Red Lion Theatre | 23-28 Mar
“After the dreaded Apnea virus wiped out nearly half the Earth’s population, drastic measures had to be taken. Now under the dictatorship of Mildred Damion, Britain faces new, gender-idealistic ruling. We are given a window into the lives of four unexpected rebels, kept in a holding facility before facing trial for their crimes. As their narratives intertwine, themes emerge of love, friendship and human resilience in, somewhat familiar, dark times”. Yikes, let’s hope that the current virus troubles don’t lead to this kind of scenario, and just enjoy what sounds like an intriguing piece, on as part of the previously mentioned Where Are We Now season. All the details are right about here.
Shakespeare’s Mad Women | Lion & Unicorn Theatre | 17-21 Mar (pictured)
This play from Lady Garden Theatre Company promises to be a witty comedy exploring the “what ifs” of three of Shakespeare’s most famous female characters. “Juliet is about to kill herself. All Lady Macbeth and Ophelia can do is watch and wait for her to arrive. The three women reside alone in a forgotten wasteland which abides by no rhyme or reason; their only knowledge is that they all got there by the same route. Together they play cards, drink moonshine, and piece together the remnants of their pasts to find out: why have they all been put there? Is there a way out?” See the venue website here for more.
Charity Case | Drayton Arms Theatre | 17-21 Mar
“Karen Keane and Paulette Campbell have a day to raise funds to keep the charity they founded alive. The clock is ticking as they desperately fight a hostile red-top press and decide to break the law to survive, in order to appeal for a cash injection that could save their charity”. A new play by Jeff Page taking a look at contemporary attitudes towards disability and the voluntary sector, directed by Manuel Bau. “If you’re paid to show concern it’s meaningless. It wasn’t the Good Samaritan’s job to be a Good Samaritan. He wasn’t like a Judean Outreach Worker”. See this page here for info.
THREE VERY SHORT RUNS
Joe Wells | 2Northdown | 18 Mar
Right, three very short runs for you, two of them one night only so make sure you don’t miss them. They are also both on at 2Northdown on the same night so maybe you could make a night of it and see them both. First up is the rather good Joe Wells, whose show is aptly titled ‘Joe Wells Doesn’t Want To Do Political Comedy Anymore’: “The news is too horrible to joke about, so Joe’s looking for a new shtick”, runs the blurb. He’s an act many of our team have enjoyed at edfringes past, so comes with the TW recommended stamp. See this page here for more.
Obsolete | 2Northdown | 18 Mar
A revamped version of a 2019 Fringe show that we rather liked, a comedy set described as “Morecambe And Wise meets ‘Black Mirror’ extravaganza”, that explores the degree to which the internet has penetrated into all aspects of our lives. “Only very brave performers would include five minutes of complete silence in the middle of their show,” wrote our reviewer, “but this skilful duo pull it off in ‘Obsolete’, a sardonic and absurd take on technology”. For more information and to book tickets, head right this way.
Andrea Spisto: Butch Princesa | Soho Theatre | 19-20 Mar (pictured)
And yet another Edinburgh success for you, one that’s won a number of awards and lots of glowing praise. “Character comedy, dance and Latin beats guide you deep into a surreal queer immigrant wonderland. Butch Princesa is an unflinchingly emotional art explosion. Honest to the teeth and under the skin fun. Brave, joyful, and fiery. A show full of insights into gender boundaries, politics and human magic”. Details here.
