by Meredith Jones Russell
There is a saying in Russian, ‘for a mad dog, seven miles is not a long detour’. This came vaguely to mind while watching Russian Roulette, in which veering wildly off course is basically the whole point.
comedy
Welcome to the UK, Bunker Theatre
by Laura Kressly
It seems like the Bunker has been transformed into a small-scale, DIY circus, setting the mood for a playful and uplifting story. Instead, an ensemble of 16 enacts a series of grotesque and infuriating sketches depicting refugees’ and asylum seekers’ experiences navigating the UK’s racist and classist ‘Hostile Environment’.
Chasing Bono, Soho Theatre
by Laura Kressly
Neil is a fragile music journalist who hasn’t reconciled with his lack of success as a musician when he is kidnapped by ageing gangster Danny Machin. Danny wants Neil to write a moving exposé explaining that at heart, he’s a decent sort of chap. As Neil and Danny get to know each other in a remote Irish cabin, Neil’s past mistakes are revealed, along with his childhood friendship with a lad who went on to become an internationally renowned rockstar.
Murder for Two, The Other Palace
by Laura Kressly
Novelist Arthur Whitney is murdered at his surprise birthday party his wife throws for him. When a young and keen police officer arrives to secure the scene and do some preliminary investigating, he encounters a bizarre collection of characters who all have reason to kill the writer and are totally unbothered by his death. So whodunit?
Orpheus, Battersea Arts Centre
by Laura Kressly
All of Little Bulb’s work I’ve seen has been thoroughly infused with joy. Though this story ends in loss and grief, their Parisian cabaret-style Orpheus is no different.
Snow White and the Happy Ever After Beauty Salon, Ovalhouse
By Laura Kressly
I’d never considered hair salons to be the domain of estranged, murderous sisters, but this contemporary, actor-muso update of Snow White shows a darker underbelly of this normally jolly place. At the Happy Ever After salon, Trish has built a beauty empire that she rules with an iron fist, toxic pomades and razor sharp scissors. Punctuated by original vintage-style tunes, puppetry and engaging performances, this show is a sophisticated pantomime that’s diverse, accessible and fun.
Sh!t Theatre’s Original Sing-a-long-a Muppets Christmas Carol, Bush Theatre
by Maeve Campbell
If you only go to one Muppet’s Christmas Carol sing-a-long this year make it Sh!t Theatre’s. Goody bags, whiskey and raucous jokes are all provided as we’re escorted through the movie by the charming Biscuit and Mothersole, whose witty subtitles only enhance this festive celluloid masterpiece.
Drip, Bush Theatre
by Amy Toledano
In anyone fifteen years old, emotions are running high. Everything feels bigger and more extreme than it actually is, so it’s easy to be swallowed up by all the feelings. Add on top of that being queer in the North of the UK, and the teen years are bound to be an absolute rollercoaster. Drip is a lovely reminder of what it feels like to be young, and how important friendship is.
Burke and Hare, Jermyn Street Theatre
by Laura Kressly
A story of two men who murder people in order to sell their corpses to doctors in 1820s Edinburgh shouldn’t work as a dark character comedy with music. But largely work it does and this three-hander, though somewhat structurally clumsy, is a good alternative to more typical Christmas theatre.
Plaid Tidings, Bridge House Theatre
by Laura Kressly
A wholesome guy group from the 1950s with dreams of superstardom died in a bus crash before they could make it big. But for some inexplicable reasoning, a little-discussed deity gives them one more shot at fame. Plopped in front of an expectant audience seeking Christmas cheer, the Plaids muddle through their posthumous encore. Though the story is utterly baffling, the four performers have heaps of holiday charm.
The Play's The Thing UK 