Children's Shows Comedy Theatre ThisWeek In London

Three To Stream 30 Jun-6 Jul: NextUp Comedy Festival, edfringe Favourites, Theatre Things

By | Published on Friday 26 June 2020

We’re still recommending great culture online while London’s venues remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of these online shows are free to access but with options to make donations. If you can afford to support the performers and producers behind this entertainment that would be brilliant.


THREE FROM NEXTUP COMEDY FESTIVAL

Andrew Maxwell | 3 Jul
Now, you all know about NextUp Comedy, the online on-demand comedy service, not least because I’ve been recommending shows from it and telling you to take out a subscription since lockdown began. What you may not know is that the platform is holding a festival of live comedy-via-Zoom, starting this Wednesday and running to the end of July. Among the amazing acts lined up is one we have always loved and once presented with a TW Editors’ Award, the brilliant Andrew Maxwell.

Sarah Keyworth – Pacific | 4 Jul
Our next choice from the acts performing this week is the brilliant Sarah Keyworth, an Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee, who will be delivering up her new show ‘Pacific’, which is “about the little things, the smallest details, the fixed and distinct aspects that make up what we definitively are, how we expressly think and who we unambiguously love”. Which all sounds rather interesting and I am rather looking forward to it.

Stuart Goldsmith – The Infinite Sofa Special Edition | 5 Jul
You all surely know Stuart Goldsmith and you might even have tuned in for one or more of the ‘Infinite Sofa’ online chat shows he’s been hosting throughout lockdown (all of which you can still watch on YouTube, by the way). Well, this one is a special edition for the festival and I guarantee you won’t regret tuning in.

These three acts I’ve mentioned are, of course, just a tiny snippet from a 31 act line up that includes the likes of Mark Watson, Tiff Stephenson, Sindhu Vee, Tim Key, Athena Kugblenu, Jordan Brookes and Alice Fraser. Individual show tickets are £9, but you can get a bargain festival pass, which also includes an annual NextUp membership, for a mere £77, right about here.


THREE EDFRINGE FAVOURITES

Five Encounters On A Site Called Craigslist | YESYESNONO (pictured)
Usually, at this time of year, we are well into our preview coverage of the Edinburgh Festival. But – as you are surely aware – something got in the way of all that this year. However, that doesn’t stop us taking a look at what work from our edfringe favourites might be available online. Let’s start with the very brilliant ‘Five Encounters On A Site Called Craigslist’ from the consistently excellent YESYESNONO, which is currently available to view right here.

Online Storytime | The Showstoppers
Here’s one for those of you with children to entertain, from edfringe absolute legends The Showstoppers, who have been entertaining us with their brilliant improvised musicals for a good while now. There are three ‘Storytimes’ available, the most recent one released 19 Jun, and there’s a YouTube playlist with all three instalments, click here to see it.

Celia Pacquola – All Talk | Amazon Prime Video
“Goofy, big hearted and sweet with a brilliant bawdy streak – she’s a delight”, is what we said about Celia Pacquola when we first saw her in action, at edfringe back in 2014. She’s still just as good and funny and her show ‘All Talk’ is currently available to view in all its comical glory via Amazon Prime. Watching this put a big smile on my previously downcast face a while back: let it bring a little joy into your life too. Find it here.


THREE THEATRE THINGS

The Merciless Mission of Molly McCloy | Time Productions | until 5 Jul
“Molly McCloy is a Northern Irish spy. She is desperate to destroy the dastardly British plot to cut off Ulster from the United Kingdom. Freddie Branscombe, the British Prime Minister, entranced by her body, is oblivious to her mission – with dangerous consequences”. This professional rehearsed reading of Ian Grant’s new play was streamed on 26 Jun, but will be available to view until 5 Jul. See this page here for info.

One Jewish Boy | JW3 | until 2 Jul
Earlier in the year we interviewed Stephen Laughton about his play ‘One Jewish Boy’, which was at that point poised to start its run at Trafalgar Studios, a run which was sadly cut short by the lockdown. I didn’t realise you could see it online until a couple of days ago (which is also sad) and now you only have a couple of days left to see it. Stream the show here and read our interview here.

Nigel Slater’s Toast | Lawrence Batley Theatre | 2-30 Jul
“From making the perfect sherry trifle, through the playground politics of sweets, the rigid rules of restaurant dining, and a domestic war over cakes, this is a moving and evocative tale of love, loss and…toast”. An online staging of this – which is part radio play, part animated film – and, for extra fun, UK viewers will be sent a programme, recipe card from Nigel Slater and two Walnut Whips. Find out more here.



READ MORE ABOUT: | | | | | | | | |