MONDAY 16 JULY 2018 THISWEEKCULTURE.COM
ALLEGRA MARLAND AND GEORGIE OULTON: DI AND VIV AND ROSE
Shiny new theatre company Handmade Theatre are headed up to the Scottish Capital this summer with what seems like a great choice for an Edinburgh show: a trimmed version of actress and writer Amelia Bullmore's highly successful second play 'Di And Viv And Rose', which was first staged at the Hampstead Theatre in 2013, subsequently transferring to the West End.

To find out more about this production of the play, and the creatives behind it, I spoke to Handmade Theatre's founders - and the stars of the show - Allegra Marland and Georgie Oulton. Read the interview here.

'Di And Viv And Rose (In An Hour)' is on at Edinburgh Festival 2018 at C cubed from 2-14 Aug.
IT'S THE TW:DIY GUIDE TO DOING THE EDINBURGH FRINGE!
This year we are talking to lots of people who work and perform at the Edinburgh Fringe about the ins and outs of presenting shows at the world's biggest cultural festival.

We'll then pick the top tips out of those interviews and collect them together to create a TW:DIY Guide To Doing The Edinburgh Fringe. And that process is now underway! You can check out the top tips collected so far right now and look out for more insights and advice being added through to the end of August. Check out our ever expanding guide here.

And look out for more TW:DIY interviews going live soon, including the stage manager, the street performer, and lots more venue directors.
DAVID BRADY: READING GAOL
Coming up at Theatre N16 is a very interesting sounding adaptation of Oscar Wilde's 'The Ballad Of Reading Gaol', reflecting the sad and unpleasant circumstances that the writer faced in his later years, and created by the relatively young but definitely rather good Proforca Theatre Company.

To find out more about the show, I spoke to its director, David Brady, a founder of the group. Read the interview here.

'Reading Gaol' is on at Theatre N16 from 23 Jul-2 Aug. See this page right here for more information and to book tickets.


TUESDAY 17 JULY 2018 >>

Wil Greenway - These Trees The Autumn Leaves Alone | Soho Theatre | 16-17 Jul
We adore Wil Greenway, for a few years now he's been a serious favourite with our Edinburgh team, and this show (which I haven't seen) looks great: "This show is about courage and cowardice. It is about the number 11 tram. It is about a cat. It is about a man named Ernie. It is about a proper Melbourne autumn storm. It is about being brave when you've been alone. It is about being together". This is the second of two nights only, so head this way quickly to book your tickets.

Invisible Light | Tristan Bates Theatre | 17-21 Jul
"Welcome to 2018. We're surrounded by opinions, expectations, judgment and Sky News. America is run by a clown, the millennial generation is doomed to lead an unfulfilling life and social media is becoming the only way people choose to communicate. The seemingly 'powerful' steer young hopefuls towards xenophobia and away from collaboration and uncovering their full potential. So, what happens when some find the courage to speak their truth, shine their light and show the world who they really are?" A collection of seven scenes by up and coming writers, see this page here for more information.

Sisterhood | Omnibus Theatre | 17-18 Jul (pictured)
A new interactive multimedia show from Jolie Booth, creator of well received one woman show 'Hip', which juxtaposes the witch trials of the 16th century with the experiences of women dealing with our contemporary political and environmental climate. Three women awaiting trial tell their stories, and in doing so examine issues of gender, fertility, sexual assault and where the future will take us. Head this way for details.


WEDNESDAY 18 JULY 2018 >>

Sod's Law | Old Red Lion Theatre | 18 Jul
"Join Lord Hicks for a musical romp through queer history. Armed with his instrument, rapier wit and lashings of sass, his Lordship will recount the laws, legends and liaisons that have shaped what it is to be gay. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth and educated on the mean streets of Soho, cabaret star Lord Hicks has travelled the world serenading audiences from Paris to Reykjavik with classic anthems and original songs". A pick from Old Red Lion Theatre's season of Edinburgh previews, see this page here for info, and links to other previews on there this month.

Honey | The Cockpit | 18-20 Jul (pictured)
'Honey' tells the story of a young man with autism, his mother, and her tattoo artist sister, as well as "those that want to love them", and explores the break down of community and the way our environments - and our minds - change as time goes on. It's for adults, but the information here suggests that it might be a nice show for younger people, too. See the venue website here for details.

Cherry Blossom | The Bunker Theatre | 18-20 Jul
Catherine Grosvenor's acclaimed 2008 play, written in both English and Polish and exploring migration and identity, staged as one of the Drama Studio London's graduation shows. "Fast-forward to Scotland; windswept beaches, pig-processing factories, bedsits with mushrooms in the carpet, Grazyna realises that back in Poland, her family are falling apart". See this page here for more.


THURSDAY 19 JULY 2018 >>

Holt And Talbot: Mansplaining Feminism | Museum Of Comedy | 19 Jul
This duo are apparently "still talking to each other" even though they did a run together at the Edinburgh Festival last year with 'Holt and Talbot Can't Stand The Sight Of Each Other'. And the good news is that they are planning to head up to the old edfringe with another joint venture: "Rosie Holt is unable to grasp some of the concepts of feminism but over the course an hour through bickering, sketches and an audacious bit of mansplaining, Christian attempts to set her straight". Ha ha. Head this way.

Pravda | Waterloo East Theatre | 18-21 Jul
A staging of David Hare and Howard Brenton's 1985 satire on the contemporary newspaper industry: "Meet Lambert Le Roux, a South African businessman hell bent on acquiring the British press from the foppish, upper-class elite. It's the revolution Fleet Street hasn't been waiting for. But can the British people trust a millionaire media man from the Southern Hemisphere with the ownership of their beloved papers? The answer isn't exactly front page news". Details here.

Hans - Like A German | King's Head Theatre | 19-21 Jul (pictured)
"International superstar Hans, the boy wonder of Berlin, serves up an all-singing, all-tap dancing, accordion-pumping, glittering blitzkrieg of cabaret backed by his three-piece band The Ungrateful Bastards! With more sparkle than a Studio 54 mirrorball and more feathers than a battery hen farm, hilarious Hans will have you slapping your thighs so hard, you'll think it's Oktoberfest. He's a little Marlene, a little Madonna. A little Minogue, a little... Merkel. Hans is the ultimate showboy... In a pair of showgirl hot pants". This looks fun. Book here.


FRIDAY 20 JULY 2018 >>

Kin | King's Head Theatre | 20-12 Jul
"A dying father. Two estranged sisters reunite after 20 years. One night to bury the hatchet. In an airless room over a single night, they talk it out. When the only thing they have left in common disappears, is their relationship worth saving? Written by Max Dickins (The Man on the Moor and The Trunk), this gripping story of sibling rivalry examines the meaning of family. How can you forgive the past when you can't even agree on what it looks like?" Another pick from King's Head Theatre's Playmill fest. See this page here to book.

Vessel | Old Red Lion Theatre| 20-21 Jul
More from the Old Red Lion Theatre's line up of Edinburgh Fringe previews, and one that's really piqued my interest. "There is a woman. Woman is pregnant. Abortion is still illegal in her country. She will bring a court case against the government to demand a legal abortion. There is a man. Man is a journalist. He meets Woman and starts to cover her story. A story that will change the world. A story that will change his world". For more information and to book tickets see this page here.

Carl Donnelly and Jacob Hawley | Pleasance Theatre | 20 Jul (pictured)
And now for - yes - yet another Edinburgh preview, though this time it's a comedy double, two acts in one evening. We've been following fringe veteran Carl Donnelly's career for some time now and so we know that he is blooming brilliant. We're less aware of Jacob Hawley because he's not been on the scene for as long, but he's a 2017 BBC New Comedy finalist and his debut hour sounds really interesting. See this page here for all the details.


SATURDAY 21 JULY 2018 >>

Family Dance Day | The Place | 21 Jul
This looks rather exciting, a full day of dance focused events over at The Place, all aimed at families. There are some great looking shows and workshops, and as well as ticketed stuff, there's a host of free events to take advantage of, and it all seems like a brilliant way to keep little ones occupied this Saturday. See this page here for an overview as well as links to all the different events.

Splinter | King's Head Theatre | 21 Jul
"How much are we defined by the people who surround us? And what do we become when those people disappear? Ellie and Joules are best friends. All consuming, obsessive, possessive best friends. Inseparable. That is, until Joules gets her dream job on the other side of the world. Jealousy, betrayal and a dramatic dinner-time explosion over sea bass pushes Ellie to the edge. Splinter is the story of a friendship, both when it's there and when it ceases to be". More from King's Head Theatre's Playmill strand, see this page here to book.

Weird | Theatre503 | 21-22 Jul (pictured)
And finally today, a pick from Theatre503's line up of Edinburgh previews, and this one's a play by Lucy Burke, who you may be aware of as the writer of the rather successful 'Glitter Punch'". "But I'm not depressed, and that's what mentally ill people are right? Depressed? And I'm not depressed I'm just more aware of danger than most other people and how has it got this far?" Yasmin feels different, she feels weird. She longs to be normal like everyone else but that's proving to be quite difficult..." All the info right about here.


SUNDAY 22 JULY 2018 >>

Global Female Voices | Arcola Theatre | 22 Jul
Hurrah, this is brilliant, and back by popular demand following success at the venue's Creative/Disruption strand earlier in the year: staged readings of stories from international women playwrights. Tonight you'll hear extracts from 'Where We Belong' by Madeline Sayet (Mohegan Nation, USA), 'Dream Team' by Minna Nurmelin, translated by Kristian London (Finland), 'The Life of Planes' by Vanessa Vizcarra (Peru), 'Body Art' by Sol Rodrígues Seoane, translated by Clara Tilve (Argentina) and 'Inside Voices' by Nabilah Said (Singapore). See the venue website here for details.

Rosie Jones - Fifteen Minutes | Museum Of Comedy | 22 Jul (pictured)
Another edfringe preview for you (yes, there have been loads lately) from another highly talented comedian. "During birth, Rosie's shoulder got stuck. Well, it was her fault. It was the eighties and she did insist on wearing exceedingly stylish shoulder pads. As a result of this sexy shoulder slip up, Rosie didn't breathe for fifteen minutes, which led to her developing cerebral palsy". In this show Rosie ponders on who she would have become and what her life might be like now if that fifteen minutes had gone differently. See this page here for more.

Mr Burns - A Post Electric Play | The Bunker Theatre | 22-23 Jul
Anne Washburn's 2012 post-apocalyptic dark comedy that sees survivors of a global catastrophe gather and attempt to recount the story of a specific episode - Cape Feare - of The Simpsons, and, as the play continues, form a troupe dedicated to re-enacting stories from the popular TV series. Although that sounds a bit crazy, it's really about the idea of capitalism and consumerism bringing about the demise of civilisation. And here it's staged as one of Drama Studio London's graduating shows. Book here.


MONDAY 23 JULY 2018 >>

Character Solos | Tristan Bates Theatre | 23 Jul
This definitely sounds like my sort of show, and I know plenty of people out there will be interested by it too: "A collection of solo stories: poignant, funny and moving mini-plays invented, written and performed by each actor. Each 'Solo' delves into a new Character's life in one very potent moment. Each piece will transport us to a new world and tell a new story". See the venue website here for more.

Reading Gaol | Theatre N16 | 23 Jul-2 Aug
I am pretty sure you'll know whose work this is based on, but it also features the writing of a number of contemporary creatives, interspersed with Oscar Wilde's original words. "From the grime of Victorian England to the Forests of Africa and back, this production tells a story which goes from the depths of one man's black heart to the brightest hopes of another in a hopeless quest for salvation". See this page here for info and to book your tickets.

Karunesh Talwar and Sumit Anand | Soho Theatre | 23-28 Jul (pictured)
Two of India's best loved comedians join forces for these dates at Soho Theatre: Sumit Anand, whose comedy "explores his daily life - daydreaming and wondering about his body, growing up in a village in India and thinking it's a town, and of course polar bears"; and Karunesh Talwar, who "gets annoyed easily and often, he does stand up because that's the only place anyone's willing to listen to him rant about the state of the world". Head this way for details.
At TW:CULTURE we champion the best in culture.

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TW:DIY is your guide to doing cultural stuff.



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