YOUR GUIDE TO THIS WEEK IN CULTURE
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Comedy Theatre ThisWeek In London
Three To See 10-16 Jan: Funny Shows, Longer Runs, Shorter Runs
By TW Editorial | Published on Friday 6 January 2023
FUNNY SHOWS
Crybabies: Bagbeard | Soho Theatre | 16-21 Jan, 7-11 Mar
Handy tips for those who feel a bit down in the dark days of January: 1) leave your Christmas tree up until Candlemas and 2) get ye to a comedy show immediately. And, we’re going to suggest you head over to Soho Theatre (very quickly because tickets are flying away) for a date with Edinburgh Comedy Award nominees Crybabies and their critically acclaimed sketch adventure ‘Bagbeard’.
Norris And Parker: Sirens | Soho Theatre | 11-14 Jan (pictured)
And we’re staying at Soho Theatre now for some quality time with another acclaimed comedy act, a real favourite of ours, the brilliant Norris And Parker, who’ve ably entertained a number of our ardent edfringe comedy-going team. Their latest show ‘Sirens’ promises “debauched late night comedy for lovers of the strange, the sordid, the musical and the dark”, and we – of course – are here for it. Click here.
The Manny | King’s Head Theatre | 10-14 Jan
The first two tips in this section have been very much in the category of comedy. However, this show, I think, is more theatre, but it promises to be a dark comedy, so it very much fits in this section too. It’s about an Irish male nanny working for rich single mums in West London, and I think you can expect some moving and thought provoking elements along with the moments of humour. For more info and to book see this page here.
LONGER RUNS
The Elephant Song | Park Theatre | 16 Jan-11 Feb
Some chunkier theatrical runs for you now, starting at the Park Theatre with an intriguing play called ‘The Elephant Song’, about the sudden disappearance of a psychiatrist from a mental health unit. The hospital director questions Michael, a young man suspected to be involved in the disappearance, and mind games and verbal tugs of war ensue. See the venue website here to find out more.
Fake News | Southwark Playhouse | 10-28 Jan (pictured)
Talking of edfringe successes (which we were, a few tips back), here’s another one for you, and it’s also another funny one… “A budding journalist lands a dream internship at the country’s biggest online news organisation. That’s where he stumbles on an earth-shattering story and decides to click publish. There’s just one problem: it’s completely untrue”. More info right about here.
Dare You Say Please | King’s Head Theatre | 16 Jan-4 Feb (pictured)
Here’s another play with darkly comic elements for you (so, yes, this might have been at home up in the top section as well) because it’s about an over-populated society that’s had to take extreme measures, and “explores the different human reactions to high pressure situations and our obsession with morality, mortality and normality”. So I’d say I’m, well, a bit intrigued by that to say the least. Click here.
SHORTER RUNS
The Masks Of Aphra Behn | White Bear Theatre | 11-13 Jan
Regular readers of our fair publication may well remember a Q&A we did back in November with Claire Louise Amias, creator and performer of one woman show ‘The Masks Of Aphra Behn’. Well, if you missed your chance to see the show back then, you have another chance this month over at the White Bear Theatre. For info and to book your tickets, head to the venue website here.
Howerd’s End | Greenwich Theatre | 14 Jan
“Can you imagine being terrified of your own happiness? You can? Then let’s begin… Frankie Howerd was one of Britain’s most loved comedians for half a century. But he had a secret. And the secret’s name was Dennis”. An acclaimed play by a TW favourite – Mark Farrelly, who you’ll no doubt remember for shows like ‘Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope’ – and which stars Farelly himself alongside Graham McCann. Read more about the show and book tickets here.
Iphigenia; or, The Sacrifices Of A Young Woman In Nine Movements | The Hope Theatre | 10-28 Jan
Actually, this isn’t that short a run at all, to be honest, so you have more time than you might have thought to see it. Fans of Greek myths will know that Iphigenia was the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra and was offered up as a sacrifice to the gods. This production looks at her as a “regular teenage girl” and asks us to consider what women sacrifice to make their way in the world, and what they ask of each other. Details here.
