SOLO SHOWS 

The Night Ali Died | Canal Cafe Theatre | 8-10 May (pictured)
I love a good solo show and am always happy to read about and recommend them, so how about an entire section devoted to them today? Yay. First up is ‘The Night Ali Died’, written and performed by Chris Sainton-Clark. It’s a thriller about a man who finds himself well out of his depth in the criminal underworld, wanted dead by a vicious London gangster. Find out more here.

The Full English | Drayton Arms Theatre | 10-11 May  
“Meet Ash: mixed-heritage, London-raised and halfway through medical training when racism pushes him toward an unexpected prescription: comedy. What begins as a defence mechanism becomes a calling”. This is described as a mash up of stand-up and theatre, and looks at what it means to be English now, telling a funny story of identity and the labels that shape lives. Click here. 

Coleridge-Taylor of Freetown | Bread & Roses Theatre | 12-30 May
My ears always prick up when I hear that the excellent Tayo Aluko is bringing a show anywhere. This one’s about George Coleridge-Taylor, retired Sierra Leonean diplomat, who finds himself trapped when civil war reaches the capital, Freetown, and imagines his way to more peaceful times and the music of his famous uncle, classical composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. Find out more here. 

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WOMEN PLAYS

The Wasp | Southwark Playhouse | 6-30 May
Well, the solo show section was all boys, so I think it’s only fair to redress the balance a little with some shows that are generally about/featuring women. This first one is a revival of Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s ‘The Wasp’, which was first staged back in 2015, and is a thriller focusing on Heather and Carla, who were at school together, but whose lives have taken very different paths. Click here. 

Flush | Arcola Theatre | 6 May-6 Jun (pictured)
As the saying goes… if I had a pound for every show I’ve come across this week that is set in the women’s toilets, well, I would only have two pounds, but it’s interesting that it happened twice. First up, ‘Flush’, which won a lot of acclaim at last year’s edfringe, and is a fast moving comedy drama featuring sixteen characters (though significantly fewer performers). All the details here. 

Drunk Girls Cry Here | The Hope Theatre | 12-16 May
“The Girls Bathroom. The stuff of legend, a safe haven, the epicentre of sanity and wholesomeness amongst men, vodka and shit tunes; or so Flick, Saph and Liv thought: tonight this cubicle will see the events that will shape their friendship and their lives, forever”. I love the sound of this one act play, written by Eva Regan: expect “vodka, mascara and existential dread”. More here. 

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SHORTER STOPS 

The Angry Brigade | The Cockpit | 12-16 May  
And now for some short stops, though they’re admittedly not terrifically short. Firstly, another revival of a mid-last-decade play, namely James Graham’s 2014 work ‘The Angry Brigade’, which is about the police hunt for the real-life anarchist group that were active in the early 1970s and carried out two political assassination attempts. Book your tickets right about here.

Five | Lion & Unicorn Theatre | 12-16 May  
“A true-crime podcaster walks into a prison to interview a serial killer. He expects a story. He doesn’t expect to become part of one”. Well, I think we could all have told him, right? In any case, this is darkly funny and explores the somewhat uncomfortable line between true crime entertainment and voyeurism, while the audience becomes complicit. Interesting, don’t you think? click here. 

The Horne Section Podcast: Live | Leicester Square Theatre | 11 May + 15 Jun (pictured)
Can’t remember how long Alex Horne’s The Horne Section has existed, it’s been in my brain for so long, but I do know that we first ran into the band up in Edinburgh many years ago. And, of course, since then The Horne Section have pervaded any and every media. With good cause, obv. This is the podcast version, live, which you’ll know already, if you can read. Get on and book here. 

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LONGER RUNS 

The Flying Bath | Little Angel Theatre | 6 May-12 Jul   
I know, for a treat, let’s start this section of longer runs with something for your small ones. Your very small ones, actually, because this show is only aimed at little tots aged two to five. This is an adaptation of a book that you’re probably familiar with, because it’s by kid-lit giant Julia Donaldson, and you know they’ll love it. Me too. I want a flying bath, please. Click here. 

I’m Not Being Funny | Bush Theatre | 7 May-13 Jun (pictured)
“She’s signed them both up. Her and her husband. For stand-up comedy. So tonight they’re locking themselves in their living room until they’ve got a ‘tight five’. But some jokes hurt and laughter isn’t always the best medicine”. A new play by Piers Black that sees a couple dealing with questions about their future. Head to the venue website here to find out more. 

Love Omar | Theatro Technis | 7 May-6 Jun 
I’ve always had an appreciation for the oeuvre of Omar Sharif so I was already attracted to this before finding out it’s by Hannah Khalil. The play is a fictional comedy drama set backstage at the 1983 Chichester Theatre Festival, where Sharif actually starred in Terrence Rattigan’s ‘The Sleeping Prince’, which asks questions about fame and power. All the details are here. 

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MORE GREAT STUFF 

Toto Kerblammo | Unicorn Theatre | 8-22 May
I know, for another treat, let’s start the final section of today’s tips with another young person show, though this one’s aimed at an older demographic aged ten and above. I think we’ve probably tipped it before, because this is a return to the venue, but that’s because it’s by the highly esteemed Tim Crouch, and is thought-provoking and immersive. More here. 

Derriere On A G String | King’s Head Theatre | 6 May-7 Jun  
If you’re in a mood to laugh this week, then seeing this show may be a top priority, given that it’s “a wildly inventive sequence of visual sketches packed with physical comedy, outrageous characters and moments of deliciously naughty mischief”, set to some of the most famous classical music you can think of. Expect some gleeful, riotous stuff. Lots more info here. 

The Anti “Yogi” | Soho Theatre Dean Street | 6-16 May (pictured)
Another show full of humour and movement, this one, and it comes highly recommended because our reviewer saw it at last year’s edfringe and declared it a 5/5 success. In it, Mayuri Bhandari challenges the West’s commodification of yoga and highlights how the capitalist wellness industry is entirely in opposition to the non-violent tenets of yoga. Book tickets here.