Comedy Dance & Physical Festivals Theatre ThisWeek In London

Three To See 4-10 Jul: Festival Stuff, Physical Stuff, Theatrical Stuff, Funny Stuff

By | Published on Friday 30 June 2023

FESTIVAL STUFF

WILD (The Musical) | Rose Theatre Kingston | 6-7 Jul (pictured)
I think there’s been a festival section pretty much every week for several weeks now, hasn’t there? Well, there have been a lot, anyway. Which is nice. This week we are starting with another pick from the now-sadly-soon-ending Fuse International festival. And it’s a goodie – an award winning Broadway-style musical set in the jungle and featuring hip hop, beatboxing, ballet, Chinese drumming and martial arts dance. Yay, click here.

Housemates 2023: REP | Brixton House | 6-8 Jul
Yay again! Brixton House’s Housemates Festival is back, and – if you don’t remember what that is – it’s a platform for new voices and new ideas. Eleven creatives were selected earlier this year to create and develop work, and now you get to see it. I picked out ‘REP’, which is about nine young offenders taking part in a community theatre project, but of course there are other great options. Click here for ‘REP’ and then here for everything.

EGG – Absolutely Fine | Pleasance Theatre | 8 Jul
This one isn’t on as part of any festival, but of course there’s a connection: for it is going to be performed at what some might consider the greatest festival – the Edinburgh Fringe. But here, you get to see it at the preview stage, which might be handy if you’re not actually going to Edinburgh next month. Anyway, EGG – aka Anna Leong Brophy and Emily Lloyd-Saini – are fab, and I feel pretty sure you won’t regret heading out to this one. Click here.

PHYSICAL STUFF

Bones | Park Theatre | 5-22 Jul (pictured)
And on to some physical stuff of various degrees of physicality (or not, I’m not sure yet, but I will definitely justify every show’s inclusion in this section before this is over). This first one is set in the rugby world, so it seems very apt that this is a physical theatre production, though its themes are – I suppose – concerned very much with the unphysical: mental health and the stigma surrounding it. More here.

Rebecca | OSO Arts Centre | 4-6 Jul
Hmm, not sure I have a handle on how many people would know about ‘Rebecca’. I came into contact with it as a teenager which feels like a very long time ago. It’s a celebrated book and film, though, and I feel as though there was maybe recently an adaptation on Netflix, so perhaps you will be entirely aware of the gothic romantic thriller by Daphne Du Maurier. This is a dance adaptation, which feels entirely suitable to the story, so I’d definitely like to see it. More here.

Animal Farm | Golden Goose Theatre | 4-8 Jul
I suspect Orwell doesn’t go out of fashion – is ‘Animal Farm’ a set text, I wonder? – and so I feel as though people will always be interested in theatrical adaptations of it. This one is described as a “physical, ensemble driven show”, which again seems highly suited to the narrative of the source material, and sees performers multi-rolling in a minimalist staging of the well-loved fable. For more info and to book, head to the venue website here.

THEATRICAL STUFF

Sima | Drayton Arms Theatre | 4-8 Jul
And now for the ‘normal’ theatre section, which doesn’t mean ordinary or anything, it means it’s not physical theatre or on at a festival, or whatever. Anyway, let’s go: first up is ‘Sima’ at Drayton Arms Theatre and it’s the debut play from Ellen Bannerman. Described as a ‘morality play’, it sees isolated student Jess opening up her home to a stranger in need of help and finding herself forced to face her own demons. More here.

Disruption | Park Theatre | 7 jul-5 Aug (pictured)
“After tremendous Silicon Valley success and a big exit, Nick presents his three best friends with his next big idea: an algorithm that is more complex than the human brain. In an era where every aspect of human life has been documented with data and disrupted by technology, do computers know us better than we know ourselves? And even if they do, should we listen?” Oooh, I really am intrigued by the sound of this “sharp, unnerving thriller”. You too? Click here.

Twelfth Night | The George IV, Chiswick | 4-5 Jul
This one’s definitely not ‘normal’, actually, because this staging of ‘Twelfth Night’ is one stop on Open Bar Theatre’s pub garden tour. So you get to watch it outside, with a glass in your hand. The show is on at a number of other London venues this summer – The Gun in Docklands on 8 Jul, The Red Lion W5 on 13 Jul and The Plough Inn Ealing on 8 Aug – as well as lots more Greater London/home counties locations. See the full list here and book for this week’s dates in Chiswick here.

FUNNY STUFF

St Doctor’s Hospital | Tabard Theatre | 10 Jul
And finally, because I always need a laugh, as you know, to deal with the increasingly tragic events of my life (well, my car broke, I am genuinely a bit annoyed), it’s time for some comedy. And because we are indulging me, because of my sad time, we’ll start with one of my favourite types of comedy: improv. And on this occasion, let’s have the hospital themed one. Maybe watch ‘ER’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ before you go. See this page here.

Paul Williams: In The Moonlight | Soho Theatre | 5-7 Jul (pictured)
Fringe goers may well be aware of Paul Williams, because he’s been at the Edinburgh Fringe quite a few times if I remember correctly, including last year with this particular well received show. And, of course, he has also appeared elsewhere, you know, like at the Melbourne Festival and on ‘Taskmaster NZ’. Which reminds me, he’s from NZ, and I’ve never had a bad experience meeting someone from NZ. All good reasons to go. Click here.

Supergirly: Back To The Noughty 90s | Museum Of Comedy | 5-15 Jul
Someone else long term Fringe comedy-goers will be aware of is Supergirly, and you may well be a big fan if you’re into musical comedy based on 90s pop. Yes, now that I have written that, it sounds a bit niche, but I doubt it is. Anyway, Lulu McClatchy is back with “an all-out assault on the world of pop, that will have you screaming, laughing and wincing all at the same time”, and you may well want to be there for that. See this page here.

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