LAMBETH FRINGE

Every Everyday | Effra Social | 16 Oct
We’re coming to the last few days of the Lambeth Fringe, so it’s time to make sure you take in some shows before it’s all over, don’t you think, instead of sitting around moping? And why don’t we start with a rather interesting improvised show that offers a “real-time snapshot of the totally ordinary and yet completely unusual lives of everyone and anyone”. See this page here to find out more.

Houses Apart | The Bread & Roses Theatre | 19-20 Oct
“Five estranged siblings reluctantly sit together at a table for the first time to discuss the fate of their late father’s house. This sparks a conversation on how the father’s presence, or absence, in their lives shaped them into the people they are today”. This sounds like it will be an interesting and funny look at the dynamics of family life and belonging. So head to the Lambeth Fringe website for more info.

Cutlass | The Glitch | 19 Oct (pictured)
I’ve always been quite interested in pirates, though to be fair, I’ve never really got into those ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’ films, I’m just intrigued by the golden age of piracy. But this is a one man comedy pirate adventure, apparently, so of course that got my attention. And then I realised it’s by Will Hartley, one of the members of sketch troupe Clever Peter, who entertained us so brilliantly at edfringes gone by. So you know, see it. Click here.

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MORE FESTIVAL STUFF

A Haunted House | Old Red Lion Theatre | 19-20 Oct
Yay, more festival related stuff for you, and first we head over to Grimfest, which feels ever more appropriate, the further through October we get, and it does feel like we’re hurtling towards Hallowe’en. Anyway ‘A Haunted House’ offers a story of murder, jealousy and dancing zombies told through mime and physical comedy, so it’s hilarious as well horrifying… don’t hesitate, however nervous you feel, to head this way to book tickets.

The Encrypted Forest | City Lit – John Lyons Theatre | 20 Oct
There’s so much stuff going on at this year’s Bloomsbury Festival and next week I might do a section on it. However, this week I’m going to just talk about this one show, but also tell you that you should take a look here and find out everything that’s on offer. This, though, is an evening of folk tales for the digital age, a “solo cyberpunk live radio theatre show” that combines storytelling, sound art and audio drama. More here.

The Screen Test | Pleasance Theatre | 17-19 Oct (pictured)
“Betsy Bitterly is an aspiring actress in 1930s Hollywood, so desperate to become a star that she might just sacrifice herself along the way. Through a series of ‘screen tests’ for roles that could change her life, Betsy herself changes in ways she never expected in her never ending quest to ‘make it’”. This one’s in the fest section because we loved Bebe Cave’s one woman dark comedy when we saw it at edfringe 2024. Book your tickets here.

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MUSICALS

Fly More Than You Fall | Southwark Playhouse Elephant | 18 Oct-23 Nov (pictured)
Hey, musical lovers, did you think I had forgotten about you? You did, didn’t you? Well, it’s not true, I am always thinking about you guys and searching for stuff to entertain you. Let’s have a look first at ‘Fly More Than You Fall’, which is about Malia, who navigates life and grief following her mother’s terminal diagnosis. All of which sounds a bit sad, but rest assured, this show promises to mend your heart by the end. Click here.

Idle Women | Bridge House Theatre | 15-19 Oct
There’s kind of a woman theme going on here, actually, as well as a musical one. ‘Idle Women’ is about women who worked on the UK’s inland waterways during World War II, undertaking the vital work of moving supplies along Britain’s canals. This new musical explores themes still as relevant now as they were then: friendship, purpose, gender, sexuality and identity. Head to the venue website here to find out more.

After The Act | The Albany | 17-18 Oct
This already acclaimed new musical (which I know I have tipped before) is an eighties-inspired one that focuses on “pride, protest and abseiling lesbians”. And if you are wondering why they were abseiling, it’s because they abseiled into the House Of Lords in protest at Section 28, the law that made it illegal to ‘promote’ homosexuality in schools. This show is about the impact of 28 on students, teachers and activists. More here.

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SHORT STOPS

The Immortal Henrietta Lacks | Theatre Peckham | 15-19 Oct (pictured)
Theatre Peckham’s Young Gifted And Black season is ongoing, and full of great stuff, so make sure you take some of it in. Maybe this show? If you’ve read the book about Henrietta Lacks (I recommend it, it’s really good) you’ll know who she is. If not, well, this is a musical that humanises her, rather than focusing on her immortal human cell line that aided myriad advances in medical science. Click here for more.

Who The F–k Is Shakespeare? | Bernie Grant Arts Centre | 18-19 Oct
Time for a, um, classic, maybe? “Four of Shakespeare’s (in)famous characters are back for a national tour, and ready to tell their side of the story… Join them as they blow the dust off the classics to stage a multi-artform political occupation of stories steeped in racism, patriarchy and violence”. I’m certainly up for this, and its promise of “punchy verses, punky attitudes and whole lotta wit”. Info here.

The Enfield Poltergeist | Golden Goose Theatre | 17 Oct
I read about the Enfield Poltergeist a long time ago and if I’d seen this show happening a decade ago I’d be wondering why, to be honest. But I think there’s been a real surge in media looking at claims of spookery and ghostery, not least because of that Danny Robins. Anyway, this is based on a true story, and should be an interesting watch, regardless of whether you believe in ghosts or not. More info here.

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LONGER RUNS

Tachwedd (November/The Slaughter) | Theatre503 | 15 Oct-2 Nov
Finally, we end with some longer theatrical runs for you. They’re not that long, though, just longer than the ones in the short stops section. This one’s set in Wales in four different eras – 1742, 1902, 1975 and the present day – and explores how land and identity are inextricably linked, as well as “the weight of inheritance, the legacy of exploitation and the haunted land we leave behind”. See info here.

Mulatto Boy | Omnibus Theatre | 15 Oct-3 Nov (pictured)
“Huvi’s always seen himself as a member of the three lions, unfortunately not everyone else feels the same way. ‘I’m starting to think that maybe it’s not the British they see. It’s my mum. Not me. That maybe they never saw me. Maybe I was never a member of the team’”. A one man show looking at the relationship between mixed race identity and British identity, and how they reflect and affect each other. Details here.

Lady Macbeth Uncut | Drayton Arms Theatre | 15-26 Oct
You all know who Lady Macbeth is and you probably think she is evil. This show, perhaps, has a bit more sympathy for her, as a woman who defied the social expectations set for her, and tells the story from her point of view, looking at her motivation to seize the throne and her status as a woman who is striving for control over her life. And that all feels rather interesting to me. Head to the venue website here to book your tickets.