Children's Shows Comedy Dance & Physical Festivals Musicals Spoken Word Theatre ThisWeek In London

Three To See 23-29 May: Family Shows, Musical Shows, Funny Stuff, Theatre and More…

By | Published on Friday 19 May 2023

FAMILY SHOWS

The Everywhere Bear | Polka Theatre | 27 May-13 Aug
Woooo, the sun is shining (well it is as I type) and it almost feels like summer might be here. But who knows, it might rain over the half term – which begins this coming weekend – and you child wranglers may well be looking for some indoor pursuits instead. Here’s our first suggestion, the story of a toy bear’s excellent adventure, based on the picture book by Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb, suitable for ages three to seven. Click here.

Wow! Said The Owl | Little Angel Theatre | 19 May-30 Jul
Another fab adaptation, of the book by award winning writer Tim Hopgood. “From the warm, pink glow of dawn through to a day filled with the bright colours of green leaves, blue sky, white clouds and, finally, a stunning rainbow – ‘WOW!’ But despite the beauty of the daytime world, the little owl decides that the night-time stars are the most beautiful of all”. More here.

The Adventures Of The Little Red Hen | Polka Theatre | 26 May-4 Jun
“Making bread is hard work, but it would be a lot easier if the lazy farmyard animals got off their reclining sofas and lent a hand! Join our plucky little hen as she finds her own way to get stuff done”. Another one over at the Polka Theatre, this time with a slightly broader age range (three to ten), and it’s of course an adaptation of an old favourite from Stuff And Nonsense, who are rather good at this kind of thing. Info here.

MUSICAL SHOWS

Frydays | Camden People’s Theatre | 26-27 May
Yay, how’s about some shows involving music? I’m definitely feeling up for that this week, maybe it’s something to do with all that sunshine I’ve been getting. And this one’s not just musical, it’s also an absurd comedy and that very much speaks to me. Creators Louis Turner and Madeline Hatt star as twins Chris and Chriss, whose late father owned a world famous fish and chip shop. Find out more here.

Love And Hate in Stoke On Trent | White Bear Theatre | 23-27 May
And from one musical comedy to another musical comedy, hurrah, and it sounds like some serious issues are also under consideration here: “England has become a dangerous place for a European. Heidi has made her life in Stoke-on-Trent, but after losing her job she faces immediate deportation. Will she find somewhere to hide? Will she even find love amidst the hatred and intolerance of post-Brexit Britain?” Click here.

Unstitching | King’s Head Theatre | 29 May + 2 Jun (pictured)
And yes, here we have another funny one for you, though I think it’s probably really in the theatre bracket, genre wise, but there is of course a musical connection. This promises to be both hilarious and poignant, and tells the story of a girl obsessed with Eurovision, trying to find her voice on stage via spoken word, stand-up and lip-synching along to Eurovision songs. Find out more about the show right about here.

FUNNY STUFF

Shoot From The Hip | Pleasance Theatre | 26 May
Not sure after all that musical funny that you really need any more funny, but I’m prepared to spoil you all, funny wise, this week, so here you go. I mean, you could argue that you can never have too much funny and I would agree, to be honest. Anyway, here’s our first tip for this section, from a renowned improv outfit, because goodness knows, a funny section surely wouldn’t be complete without some improv. Details here.

Jake Lambert – Liminal | Soho Theatre | 26-27 May, 8-9 Jun
Here’s a comedy act we saw and loved at the old edfringe last year so of course we are excited to see this upcoming performance of the Fringe show that caught our eye – ‘Liminal’ – which is about “identity, friendship, culture wars, and epilepsy”. It’s subject matter which sounds serious, but, as the blurb is very keen to point out, is accompanied by “plenty of jokes”. And you can trust that blurb, believe me. Click here.

The Shape Of Things | Park Theatre | 24 May-1 Jul (pictured)
Funny theatre for you now, with this revival of Neil LaBute’s Olivier Award nominated 2002 comedy ‘The Shape Of Things’. “How far would you go for love? What would you be willing to change? When college student Adam falls hard for Evelyn, an ambitious art major, the meaning of both art and friendship are pushed to their limits”. For more information and to book, head to the venue website here.

MORE GREAT STUFF

Tonight Will Be A Memory Too | The Playground Theatre | 24 May-3 Jun
Now for some possibly more serious stuff, I think. This theatre piece by Andrew McGuinness explores “how the emotions that bind us strain under the challenges of illness”, as it tells the story of Geoff and Gill, up at 3am in their rural home, unearthing secrets of the past that may cost them their relationship and make the future uncertain. Read more about it here.

Elvis Died Of Burgers | Battersea Arts Centre | 25-26 May
Having said this section has more serious stuff, I think this show by BLINK looks like it might walk the line between humour and tragedy, in fact. Exploring themes of food, overeating and death, ‘Elvis Died Of Burgers’ looks at the end of The King’s life through a non-linear narrative, theatre, spoken word, semi-improvised dance and “often bizarre tangents”. For more information and to book tickets see this page here.

Nadine Elise Muncey, Emilie Barton, Iván Merino Gaspar | The Place | 26 May (pictured)
We mentioned the excellent festival of new dance work Resolution 2023 in last week’s tips and we are returning to it this week for another slice of quality choreography. Our pick from this week’s line-up features ‘Soft Surge’ by Nadine Elise Muncey, ‘The Call’ by Emilie Barton and ‘Lucero del Alba’ by Iván Merino Gaspar. Read more about it here and see the full Resolution line up here.

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