YOUR GUIDE TO THIS WEEK IN CULTURE
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Theatre ThisWeek In London
Three To See 5-11 Feb: Immersive shows at the Vault Festival, Funny shows, Some more theatre treats
By TW Editorial | Published on Friday 1 February 2019
THREE IMMERSIVE SHOWS AT VAULT FESTIVAL
Greyscale | Vault Festival | 2 Feb-17 Mar (pictured)
Hurrah for Vault Festival. I am so glad it lasts quite a long time. This week we’re focusing on immersive shows, because we know just how much some of you folk out there love them. I hesitated with this one as part of it happens outside and it’s been so blooming cold this last week. But then it occurred to me that you’re probably mostly hardy souls prepared to suffer for your art-consumption. Anyway, this describes itself as “Part site specific theatre, part choose your own adventure, part intimate encounter”, and focuses on the minefields of dating in the post-#metoo world. Head right this way.
Seance | Vault Festival | 23 Jan-17 Mar
“Séance explores the psychology of a group of people who have been bombarded with suggestible material. It is an intense sonic performance for twenty people at a time, lasting for twenty terrifying minutes.” Yikes, not for the faint-hearted then, this one. See the festival website here if you dare.
The Incubus | Vault Festival | 6 Feb-3 Mar
“In its search to modernise humanity, The Foundation is offering lucky candidates a chance to take part in its new Incubus programme that combines ASMR, VR and psychological techniques to tap your latent abilities. Conquer your fears, overcome your mental blocks, discover the truth… that you are limitless.” I’ll be honest, this sounds like my worst nightmare, but also amazing if you’re the sort of person who doesn’t mind one-to-one experiences and delving “deep into the dark recesses of your mind in search of answers”. Details here.
THREE FUNNY SHOWS
A Serious Play About World War II | King’s Head Theatre | 7-16 Feb
Yes, despite the title, this will be funny, so don’t be misled: this Ed fest success is a “hilarious new comedy farce about pretentiousness and the tragedies of war”. I haven’t actually seen it, but I think it’s safe to trust a broad range of critical acclaim, plus the fact that we saw and loved Willis & Vere’s previous brilliantly laugh-inducing show ‘The Starship Osiris’. Head this way for more information and to book your tickets.
Tokens Of Affection | Waterloo East Theatre | 5-24 Feb
This also seems like strange subject matter as the basis for the comical, but ‘Tokens Of Affection’ is a very witty play, despite its focus on “the world of a special teaching unit for the containment of violent or maladjusted girls in Bradford in the nineteen-eighties.” It’s a piece that hasn’t been produced since its original production at the Derby Playhouse in 1990, despite receiving a positive response, so this seems like a great opportunity to take it in. Click here.
No Kids | Battersea Arts Centre | 5-23 Feb (pictured)
“George and Nir are a real-life same-sex couple trying to answer a question many of us face. Every consideration – adoption, surrogacy, co-parenting, the environmental impact of childbirth, the fears and anxieties, how the past affects parenting and much, much more – brings with it a succession of ethical challenges. Together, George and Nir confront this chaos head-on. And invite you along for the ride.” This sounds good. Not least because it’s by multi award-winning Bristol-based company, Ad Infinitum. See the venue website here for more.
THREE MORE THEATRE TREATS
Cuzco | Theatre503 | 23 Jan-16 Feb
A critically acclaimed depiction of a failing relationship. “In a bid to save their relationship a Spanish couple travel to Cuzco – conquistador stronghold, Inca city of the puma and tourist paradise. But as the altitude sickness, Pisco sours and layers of history take hold, they realise their journey has only just begun. Set along the Inca Trail, this is a sharp, contemporary portrait of a couple who become increasingly lost to one another, haunted by their own desires and the ghosts of their colonial past.” See this page here for more.
Of Our Own Making | Tara Theatre | 30 Jan-16 Feb (pictured)
“Meet Parsifal, a boy, lost and lonely, slowly groomed and recruited online. Meet Amira, a mother crossing the Med, with her baby and other refugees Meet Saif, a man on the run. Meet Hussan, a man travelling into Europe from… who knows where? Meet Micky, an undercover tabloid cub reporter looking for dirt on refugees. Let them meet each other and their fate. The clock is ticking. The targets are set.” It looks like tickets for this are disappearing pretty quickly, make sure you get your sorted ahead,click here.
Welcome To The UK | The Bunker Theatre | 22 Jan-16 Feb
Another with a refugee theme, and one from a group whose work you may have witnessed in the past. Their first show, ‘Borderline’, a satire of Calais Jungle devised and performed by a mixed ensemble of refugee and European performers, premiered in London in 2016 and has since been touring internationally in the meantime. This new show looks equally promising, to head this way to book.
