by Laura Kressly
The dating landscape is often treacherous, but for cishet women in their 20s it is sometimes down right dangerous. Though the #MeToo movement is drawing increasing attention to women’s experiences at the hands of men, it’s important to convey just how universal these experiences are. Michelle Barnette’s debut play does that through the adventures of B, a young woman balancing work, life and plenty of casual sex.
by Laura Kressly
Kids are intuitive. They’re smart, observant and know a lot more about the world than adults think they do. Tim Crouch’s play where adults and children play each other and kids eventually run the show also proves that they aren’t that different from each other anyway. Whimsical design, innovative dramaturgical devices and an unwilling to patronise young people with obvious storytelling combine to create a marvellous and thoughtful piece of theatre for all ages.
by Laura Kressly
What’s a woman to do when she wants to have filthy, degrading sex that directly opposes her feminist principles?
Find the most degenerate, weasel of a man in the hopes that fucking him will purge her of deep-seated desires to be used, of course.
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 Laura Kressly
It’s 2003 and Joe has returned to the UK after seeing combat in Iraq. He’s so traumatised he can barely speak, and his wife Ros doesn’t know how to help him. An infant daughter and trouble finding a job are added pressures as he tries to reintegrate into society as a functional human being. Time passes and his mental health deteriorates, but the poor script and production fails to serve the impact of PTSD underlying the play.
by guest critic Lara Alier
Uber, happy hour, Tinder, late night cheesy chips are all part of the vocabulary of a Londoner’s life. So are two complete strangers waking up next to each other. Usually one of them will remember, and even find a blurred picture of you both at 4 am surrounded by empty glasses. Yet neither has any memories of the night before.
by guest reviewer Daphne Penn
Holly Morgan and Tom Moores create an upbeat, haphazardous cabaret sketch show that is loosely based on the daytime TV show Ready Steady Cook’s audience participation in order to judge important controversial women from history. Well, not all the women, not Madonna because ‘She’s too perfect to judge’ – in much the same way the TV show audience judges food.
by guest critic Amy Toledano
60 Minutes After Feeling Sad asks the question, what do you do when you are feeling incredibly sad?
Joz, who we watch in real time, spends the hour exploring the many ways in which a person can try to cheer themselves up.
by guest critic Amy Toledano
One of the more traditional plays at the festival this year, Shell and Davey at the Start and the End is a gentle narrative focusing on our long-term relationships, and the consequences, both positive and negative, of those relationships being turned upside down.
by Laura Kressly
A bird family of a Grandma, Grandpa and their granddaughter are busy waiting for eggs to hatch in their warm, welcoming treetop world. There’s plenty to do – nests to be prepared, worms to be caught and-
A human baby to look after???
Thankfully, there are plenty of children on hand to help!
The Play's The Thing UK 