by guest critic Alex Dowding
Grief is a funny and very human experience, and we all inevitably go through it in one way or another. Writer and performer Lowri Amies here examines her grief around the death of loved ones by diving headfirst into another love – that of Shakespeare.
by an anonymous guest critic
Riot Theatre’s Glitter Punch is a knockout of an emotional rollercoaster. Written by Lucy Burke it begs for a longer run at the Vaults. Set in Salford, we quickly become captivated by sixteen-year-old Molly’s (Emily Stott) outlook, interacting with the audience throughout as we see her develop feelings for a boy who she spots outside smoking on her first day of college.
by guest critic David Martín
Evelyn is a publisher. Jason’s son was murdered by a paedophile. Two different points of view on the meaning of forgiveness hangs up between them. This is thoughtful, script driven to the point but not juiced enough to reach out the audience.
by an anonymous guest critic
Nest is a beautiful two-hander by Katy Warner, which was understandably shortlisted for Theatre503’s playwriting award. Travelling through an unconventional, council-estate couple’s journey, the play invites the audience into snippets of their relationship, through a series of non-chronological scenes.
by guest critic Maeve Campbell
Scouring Broadway forums and Twitter feeds after seeing Pippin at the Southwark Playhouse did not illuminate meaning or clarify an overwhelmingly strange plot. I did, however, find a large cult following for the 1972 American musical, all positing and debating different plot theories. It made me wonder whether Stephen Schwartz’s Pippin is the theatrical equivalent of David Lynch’s Mullholland Drive, and whether this assessment makes it cooler? I’m not so sure.
by guest critic Joanna Trainor
There’s political theatre, and then there’s Stardust.
Arguably the most visually stunning piece to come to the VAULT Festival this year, Blackboard Theatre combine movement, out-of-this-world animations and the power of words to expose the dark world of the Columbian cocaine industry.
The Play's The Thing UK 