Outside & Fallout, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Image result for fallout, theatre, lotta quizeen

by Laura Kressly

With the world as it is, it’s fair to feel like the apocalypse is coming and there’s nothing us powerless citizens can do about it. In that context, making a show about how we’re all doomed seems a rather reasonable response. Doom and gloom shows are a dime a dozen at the fringe, and these two address a particular brand of disaster with varying results.

Continue reading

Emilia, Shakespeare’s Globe

Image result for emilia, shakespeare's globe

by guest critic Nastazja Somers

Anger is what I am not allowed to feel.

Most days I wake up, think about the prospect of hiding my anger and dealing with whatever life throws at me, then consider hiding under my duvet. The theatre industry keeps throwing so much shit at women that sometimes the only way we can keep going is by unleashing our rage. Except anger is an emotion often denied to women. So we suppress and suppress and suppress. It’s a vicious circle and it keeps happening. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. My hope of ever witnessing a true revolution for women in theatre began to disappear over the last year – until this show.

Continue reading

Flies, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Image result for flies

by Laura Kressly

Theatre doesn’t need another all-white, all-male absurdist production ridiculing vulnerable people. Whilst fun in its staging and innovative in its storytelling, Flies lazily exploits cishet, male power dynamics in a Kafka-esque nightmare for fly-phobic Dennis whilst exploiting systemic, patriarchal structures to make him even more of a victim.

Continue reading

Sparks & Cry God for Harry, England and St George!, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Image result for cry god for harry, england and st george, mulberry theatre company

by Laura Kressly

Using the word ‘strong’ to describe women and girls is redundant. Putting up with all the trash that women have to deal with as a result of their gender, on top of everything else life throws at them, makes them strong by default. If they are queer, women of colour, disabled, working class, or fall in any other category that others them, this makes them even tougher because life is all the harder.

Continue reading

The Abode, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

74ADB087-C099-487F-B984-0AFC18D9F6C0

By Laura Kressly

Imagine the world without the technological advances of the last few decades. No mobile phones, no internet, no ipods. Just Walkmans and two-way radios and clunky TV sets – but the political landscape is still the same. Where will all the incels gather without reddit?

Continue reading

No Kids, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Image result for no kids, ad infinitum

by Laura Kressly

George Mann and Nir Paldi founded Theatre Ad Infinitum over a decade ago and have toured the world with their socio-political devised work since. From sci-fi dystopias to Mexican factories, their searing productions draw on physical theatre and international performance to create distinctive shows with powerful commentary.

Continue reading

Polaris, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

by Laura Kressly

Val is a concerned, elderly citizen of her community. She believes that if everyone followed the rules on refuse disposal and the agreed schedule for mealtimes, every thing would be peaceful and orderly. She also believes that recent arrivals like Tracy, displaced by natural disasters, aren’t her problem.

Continue reading

Losing My Mindfulness, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Image result for losing my mindfulness, barnstaple

by Laura Kressly

Our company is restructuring and every one of us has to reapply for our jobs. Tensions are running high, but don’t worry! Our caring employers have asked one of the HR team to lead us in a Mindfulness workshop to help us cope. The thing is that this workshop leader’s life is falling apart as well, and the skeletons are tumbling out of her closet quicker than she can put them back in.

Continue reading