FESTIVAL STUFF 

Sounding The Archive: The Emily Penrose Diaries | Conway Hall | 17-18 Oct 
We’re hardly ever lost for festival stuff, are we? And we’re also into spooky season, which will then lead into festive, jangly, glittery Christmas stuff. What a happy thought. And with that happy thought, let’s happily make our way again to the lovely Bloomsbury Festival and an event at Conway Hall that I am intrigued by: a performance focused on the diaries of academic historian Emily Penrose. More here. 

Will BF: Moon Team IIIV | Bread & Roses Theatre | 17 Oct (pictured)
And, as you might well expect given previous form, let us now proceed to the very excellent Lambeth Fringe, which is oh-so-full of great things that it was hard to pick just one event. But I picked Will BF, because he’s an edfringe regular and someone who has won a great deal of favour with our reviewers in the past. So, hurrah. Head to the venue website here to find out more about this fabulous, space themed comedy show. 

Cie Omar Rajeh & Maqamat: Dance is Not for Us | Barbican | 16-17 Oct
Next up, it’s the Dance Umbrella festival, and therefore some fabulous movementy stuff. This is a solo performance from a renowned choreographer and performer, described as both personal memoir and political act: “Alone onstage, Omar Rajeh dances and speaks of a past that no longer exists – of Lebanon, of loss, of a world that froze before it could become a future”. Book your tickets here. 

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MORE FESTIVAL TYPE STUFF 

Survive The Night | Old Red Lion Theatre | 15-17 Oct  
And yes, we are sticking with festival stuff because here’s another one, the spooky and creepy Grimfest, which is on until the end of the month as you would probably hope and expect. This is an interactive show that challenges you to keep its cast alive as they draw on classic slasher and horror films and immersive survival games to create a funny and deadly slice of tech-infused live performance. Click here. 

Don’t Write Me Off | Theatre Peckham | 16 Oct
Back to Theatre Peckham’s festival-ish Young, Gifted And Black season for ‘Don’t Write Me Off’, an interactive forum theatre play aimed at teenagers that explores the pressures faced by young people amongst their peers, at home, and at school. It’s about a day in the life of Jubal, a talented black teen from London who has big ambitions and a number of challenges to face. Find out more here. 

Harriet Dyer: Easily Distra… | Soho Theatre | 15-17 Oct (pictured)
Harriet Dyer’s not on at a festival, she is on at Soho Theatre, but we first came across her at the Fringe. But also, sometimes there are so many acts on at the Soho Theatre that we met via Edinburgh that it practically feels to me like a year round edfringe venue. Even if it’s not in the Scottish capital. But anyway, Harriet Dyer is a brilliant, award-winning, award-nominated act, so book your tickets here. 

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SHORTER STOPS

Andy Hamilton’s Night To Remember | Leicester Square Theatre | 18 Oct (pictured)
And now for more great stuff, divided into the vague categories of short-ish runs and longer runs, because I failed to connect them any other way. First up: the excellent Andy Hamilton returns with his new one man show in which he looks at human memory and “how laughter oils the wheels of the brain”. I know laughter certainly helps keep my motor running. Anyway, you’ve heard of him, he’s brilliant, hie ye hence for tickets.

Oxyde | Libra Theatre Cafe | 16-18 Oct   
“Four people. One dinner. Too many secrets. As the wine flows and the evening unravels, lies begin to crack, loyalties shift, and boundaries become dangerously blurred. Because in this family, the most dangerous thing on the menu… is the truth”. A darkly comic family drama, which sounds rather appealing to me. Head to this page here to find out more about it, and to book. 

Complicité | Jack Studio Theatre | 20-31 Oct
And another really intriguing one with a rather interesting plot, described as a “high octane romp”, in fact: “Simon has handcuffed himself to a tree for a climate protest. Hours have passed. His friends have abandoned him. Benoit, an oil drilling engineer, roams the streets. Drunk, desperate and totally alone, he has nothing left to lose. What can ensue but a clash of personality, ideology and culture?” Click here. 

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LONGER RUNS 

Dolly | Omnibus Theatre | 20 Oct-7 Nov (pictured)
And so to the longer runs, and let us begin with what I think is probably the longest run of these. It’s good that it’s on for a while, because it sounds great and questions what happens when women are denied justice: it’s about stand-up comic Dolly, who finds little help after being attacked. A blend of comedy and theatre starring award winner Jessica Clark, find all the details on this page here. 

Room 13 | Battersea Arts Centre | 16 Oct-1 Nov
Talking of spooky things (which we were, admittedly quite a lot of sentences back, in the Grimfest tip), here’s a spine-chilling event from experiential theatre types Immersive Octopus. You’re summoned to a meeting of paranormal investigators to uncover the truth about sinister encounters in the venue in an experience that has its roots in real historical events. Eek. Might not be good for my blood pressure, but hey ho. Info here. 

Boyhood | Pleasance Theatre | 14-31 Oct  
And so to our final tip for the week: the much highly acclaimed Attic Theatre Company present this coming of age story written by Conor Hunt and developed with local young people, which features a live hip hop soundtrack from Conrad Murray. It’s an explosive work about Jay – “swaggering, sharp-witted” – who is about to get some unexpected news… Find out more about it here.