YOUR GUIDE TO THIS WEEK IN CULTURE
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Art & Events Comedy Dance & Physical Festivals Music Theatre ThisWeek In London
Three To See and Stream 15-21 Mar: Funny Shows, Theatre, Digital Stuff and more
By TW Editorial | Published on Friday 11 March 2022
THREE FUNNY SHOWS
Steve And Tobias Versus Death | Pleasance Theatre | 15-19 Mar
I’ve been feeling quite serious lately, I think, and a lot of the stuff we’ve been recommending has probably been on the serious side too. So I thought we’d start this week with some shows that promise to be humorous, as we could probably all cope with a little levity. We’re starting with ‘Steve And Tobias Versus Death’ at the Pleasance Theatre, which is a “a comedy about two brothers trapped in their living room during a zombie apocalypse”. Another show that should have been on at Vault Festival, which tells “the nightmare story of an absentee father, a bed-ridden mother, and a zombie apocalypse bursting through the door”. More here.
Clybourne Park | Park Theatre | 16 Mar-23 Apr (pictured)
“In 1959, Russ and Bev are moving to the suburbs after the tragic death of their son and have sold their house to the neighbourhood’s first black family. Decades later, the roles are reversed when a young white couple buys the lot in what is now a predominantly black neighbourhood, signalling a new wave of gentrification. In both instances, a community showdown takes place – are the same issues festering beneath the floorboards fifty years on?” A new production of this multi award winning play by Bruce Norris, which – quite honestly – doesn’t sound from the above synopsis like it would be a comedy, but I assure you it is. If you don’t believe me, head right this way and read the selected review quotes they have there, telling you how funny it is.
Jermaine Fowler | Soho Theatre | 21-26 Mar
So, you may well have heard of Jermaine Fowler, given his success as an actor and comedian in the US. But I feel as though at least some of you won’t have done, because you’re not all going to be always keeping an eye on US stuff, and he hasn’t done stand up in the UK before now. FYI, he’s in a number of high profile films – ‘Coming 2 America’ for one – and TV programmes like ‘Bojack Horseman’, and he’s done spots on that James Corden show and that Stephen Colbert show. Anyway, he’s a great comedy act and you’d be a fool not to take advantage of this London run. Head this way to book tickets.
THREE THEATRE RUNS STARTING THIS WEEK
Pass The Hat | Stone Nest | 15 Mar-8 Apr
And now, time for some chunky theatrical runs for your delectation. See them this week or book in advance for later in the run. Or wait and book next week, it’s up to you. Anyway, you’ve got lots of opportunities to see all of them. Let’s start at Stone Nest with HUNCHtheatre’s ‘Pass The Hat’, a new one-man show starring Oliver Bennet, inspired by busker memoir ‘Farewell Leicester Square’ by Henry Hollis, and directed by Belarus Free Theatre co-founder Vladimir Shcherban. The show explores the passion behind performance while exploring a family history that includes a busker arrested over 500 times, gangsters from Soho and even the royal family. Read more about it here.
The Fever Syndrome | Hampstead Theatre | 19 Mar-23 Apr (pictured)
Actually, don’t wait another week to book your tickets for this one, I’d say, Hampstead Theatre shows sell out so quickly and this one’s by the excellent Alexis Zegerman, so you definitely don’t want to miss it: “Professor Richard Myers, the great IVF innovator, is virtually a secular saint because of the thousands of babies he has created throughout his career. Now, his family gather to see him receive a lifetime achievement award. This fractious group are more accustomed to debate than empathy, so it’s not long before the family home in the Upper West Side of Manhattan is once again alive with dispute”. Head to the venue website here to find out more.
The Marriage Of Alice B Toklas By Gertrude Stein | Jermyn Street Theatre | 17 Mar-16 Apr
“Everyone’s invited to the wedding of the century. Picasso’s arrived with one of his wives and two of his mistresses. Hemingway is here too, with his wife and his favourite matador. And at the top table: the brides, literary superstars, Gertrude Stein and Alice B Toklas, presiding over a banquet of conversation about art, genius, sex, fame and love”. Four actors take on more than thirty characters in this farce by acclaimed US playwright Edward Einhorn – yes, the play isn’t actually by Gertrude Stein, of course, it’s kind of a ‘play about a play’ sort of thing. Einhorn also directs. See more here.
THREE DIGITAL SPACE SHOWS
The Plunge | The Space | 15-19 Mar (pictured)
Yes, three whole things from The Space. And yes, although I have titled this ‘Digital Space Shows’, this first one is actually a show that’s on in the flesh and you can absolutely go and see it in-person should you so wish. Indeed, I recommend that you do. However, if you can’t do that, you have the option to take in the livestream on 17 Mar. And what is this all about? Here’s some info: “It is the start of the end. The Curse. The Change. The End Of The Run. The Menopause. In spring of 2021 mothers and their children volunteered to be interviewed for a university project concerning menopause and the inter-generational lack of understanding. A year later, Dirty Feet Theatre Company present ‘The Plunge’, a play inspired by and created using verbatim from women across the country”. Click here.
Soldier Tales – on demand | The Space | until 21 Mar
This is actually one which we have tipped before, just recently, at the end of February, at which point it was another Space in-person performance that was also going out via a livestream. Now, though, you can take it in on demand until 21 Mar, so if you’re going to, make sure you do it by next Monday. Oh, and if you don’t remember, it’s a mini-festival of new writing, featuring short military-themed pieces written by military veterans or their loved ones, which were selected via a competition run by the Soldiers’ Arts Academy. Head to the venue website here to get viewing.
My Car Plays Tapes – on demand | The Space | until 21 Mar
“A new storytelling show about minimum wage jobs, getting older and being reunited with your old cassette collection, ‘My Car Plays Tapes’ is an hour of captivating storytelling, focussing on John’s life as a support worker and a nostalgic look at what happens when you listen to old tapes from the 1990s”. You may well recognise this one from a previous tip, an edfringe hit from John Osborne, who you’ll probably remember from his first hit show ‘John Peel’s Shed’, and from subsequent endeavours such as co-writing ‘After Hours’. Anyway, this too is available on demand until next Monday, so make sure you see it before then. All the info right about here.
THREE INTERESTING SHORT STOPS
Triffids! | ArtsDepot | 19 Mar
Right, how about some interesting shows that aren’t going to be around for very long, and which I think you should all consider making time for while they are? ‘Triffids’ is only on for one night at ArtsDepot (though the company have one remaining tour date after London, in Colchester, if any readers are Essex-dwellers) and it’s a fab looking show described as a “collision of music, text and rich visual imagery that takes the audience deep into John Wyndham’s classic cold war novel”. It features a live soundtrack created with instruments including moog, double bass, theremin, hammered dulcimer and a cactus. Yes, a cactus. So, yes, I’m in. See the ArtsDepot website here for more information and to book.
Peter Hudler – Cello On Fire | Crazy Coqs | 20 Mar (pictured)
Another one-nighter, and another that you’d be a fool to miss, frankly. We first became aware of Peter Hudler when one of our most experienced edfringe reviewers raved about one of his shows a few years back. He quickly became a favourite, and a winner of one of our ThreeWeeks Editors’ Awards. ‘Cello On Fire’ – aptly described as “not your standard classical recital” – features a programme of works by contemporary musicians, classical composers, and jazz and folk. When TW reviewer Louise saw it in 2019 she said that Hudler could be described as a “stunt cellist”, which I think probably conveys just how adventurous and exciting a show you can expect from this virtuoso. Head this way to book.
Hold On | Jacksons Lane | 19-20 Mar
“Don a virtual reality headset and see through the eyes of an aerial artist as they take the emotional journey from backstage and out onto the stage. Feel the fragility of the moment when you look down and find yourself suspended ten metres above the ground, in front of the audience”. This immersive experience promises “thrilling visuals combined with evocative scents and interactions to take you into the unique and extraordinary world of aerial circus artists” – and I couldn’t be more intrigued by the idea. Based on former aerial artist Corinne Linder’s life experiences, it’s part of the previously tipped Nordic Exposure strand. Take a look at the venue website here to find out more.
THREE MORE FAB EVENTS
The Body Remembers | Brixton House | 16-26 Mar
Right, final section, and something of a mixed bag in terms of genre as it often is. And we are, this week, going to begin over at the still-quite-recently-opened Brixton House for Heather Agyepong’s ‘The Body Remembers’. We actually tipped this show when it was on at Battersea Arts Centre last summer, but I think it’s definitely worth mentioning again. It’s a solo performance exploring how trauma lives in the body, in particular for black British women across the generations. “The body is an archive. It remembers everything – even the things that the head forgets”. For all the the info and to book yourself in, head to this page here.
He’s Dead | Battersea Arts Centre | 16 Mar-2 Apr (pictured)
“A dark fantasy, conceptual choreography exploring the question: ‘Was Tupac depressed?’ Using dance, text and striking visuals, marikiscrycrycry’s ‘He’s Dead’ delves into the unspoken surrounding mental health in the black community. Underscored by a brooding hip-hop soundscape, ‘He’s Dead’ is a complex and powerful endeavour to ‘shed tears for the things that we cannot unearth’ in an attempt to find clarity in what can never truly be answered”. A really fascinating sounding work at BAC, that looks at how, when public figures are revealed to be flawed, they are often dehumanised and their own struggles and sadness won’t be acknowledged. Read more about it here.
Artivism Festival | Theatre Deli | 19-20 Mar
Our final recommendation for the week is this short festival from Theatre Deli, a two day line up of art activism “to disrupt the status quo and move audiences”. Through six specially commissioned works, the event looks at issues like racism, gender inequality, police aggression and the meat industry, exploring those themes through performance art, theatre, collaborative visual arts and dance. For specific information on all the different events, and to buy tickets, see the Theatre Deli website here.
