by Joanna Trainor
“If you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.” – Kelly Sue Deconnick
Author: laurakressly
Tobacco Road, Vault Festival
by Romy Foster
First things first – finding the Network Theatre at The Vault Festival feels like going on a secret mission. Coincidentally or not, the venue perfectly suits a play about post-war, underground organised crime in South London.
Babylon Beyond Borders, Bush Theatre
by Laura Kressly
In the ancient city of Babylon, people lived peacefully. They were left to their own devices until, according to a biblical story, they built a tower that reached to the heavens. Then, a vengeful god destroyed it and scattered the citizens around the world bestowing them different languages so they could no longer communicate. For language and peace are power, and power threatens those in charge.
Jammie Dodger, Vault Festival
by Meredith Jones Russell
Three women – Beth, Deirdre and Marie-Sue – set out to murder their husbands. but things quickly spin out of control when one murder goes right, one goes wrong and one goes very, very wrong.
Tryst, Vault Festival
by Meredith Jones Russell
It’s a week until Matt and Steph’s wedding and they’re hungover. They want to be playing computer games on the sofa but instead they are having to field calls from Steph’s mum, arrange Matt’s suit and make big decisions about bunting.
Call Me Fury, Vault Festival
by Christina Bulford
The Salem witch trials of late 17th century America are infamous. In just a little over a year, more than 200 people were accused in the states of Massachusetts and Connecticut alone. Nineteen of those were found guilty and executed by hanging, but more died in jail or under torture. The death rate could have been higher still but we’ll never know, most court records were destroyed or lost. It remains the deadliest witch hunt in US history.
Binaural Dinner Date, Rich Mix
by Laura Kressly
I haven’t dated since 2004. Yet despite this, I find myself sitting down with a stranger in a restaurant serving up a menu of activities, games and binaural sound prompts instead of food. These are meant to foster an intimate connection with my date, who I have just met courtesy of a cheerfully efficient stage manager/maitre d’.
Americat, Tristan Bates
by Amy Toledano
Real-life couple Amy Elliot and Scott Kettner have written a show about love and the borders that are physically and mentally between them. However this show lacks the comedy, strong narrative and emotion promised, and instead paints an image that is unrealistic, strange and miss-represented.
The Half Moon Shania, VAULT Festival
By Joanna Trainor
Jill, Lola and Ketamine Kerry are on the precipice of greatness. Tonight will change their lives forever; a representative from Diamond Records is coming to see the G Stringz play at the Half Moon pub. If he likes them the band will be signed on the spot. That’s a lot of pressure for 18-year-olds, but these kick-ass women have got it covered. They will not apologise for the space they take up, and their songs are feminist anthems, surely they’ve got this in the bag.
Play Two, Tristan Bates Theatre
By an anonymous guest critic
As the audience enters the small studio space, we see a young man scribbling animatedly on a legal pad. Whether he’s mentally troubled or just in an intense creative state, we’re not sure. The mystery of this young man named Trevor (played by the play’s author Scott Howland) unravels over the course of the next hour in this new production directed by Harriet Taylor.
The Play's The Thing UK 