design

The Employees, Southbank Centre

By Luisa De la Concha Montes

What makes us human? Is it the capacity to feel? Or perhaps our experiences, and how we can sew together memories to create an identity that we can call our own? Is it how we develop relationships with other humans? The ease in which we crave proximity, or fall into patterns of desire? The Employees, a play based on the International Booker Prize-nominated novel by Olga Ravn and directed by Polish theatre artist Łukasz Twarkowski, poses these questions to the audience in quite an unconventional manner.

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Bitter Lemons, Park Theatre

(c) Alex Brenner

by Diana Miranda

Two ambitious young women, Angelina and AJ, are on the verge of a big promotion in their respective fields. Angelina, a cool-headed banker played by Shannon Hayes, is preparing for a pitch to secure a senior position. AJ, a fierce goalkeeper played by Chanel Waddock, is training for a match that could make her the top goalie in her team. However, a visit to the doctor reveals a condition that might derail both of their dreams. 

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People, Places and Things, Trafalgar Theatre

by Zahid Fayyaz

First performed in 2015 at the National Theatre, Duncan Macmillan’s addiction drama subsequently had a run in the West End and then off-Broadway in New York. It is now back again in the West End after almost 10 years. Denise Gough once again takes the lead role of ‘Emma’, an actress struggling with addiction and trying to get clean.

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Journey of a Refugee, Stanley Arts

by Laura Kressly

In the Stanley Arts bar, Kassi, Ali, and Daphne hype up the audience for the arrival of a group of refugees. They’ve organised a welcoming party but plans change when only one person, Zain, arrives. He’s initially unenthusiastic about being the centre of attention. With some coaxing after hiding the main performance space, he shares his journey from Sudan using puppetry, dance, and narration. The promenade family show is inclusively crafted with striking design, but doesn’t romanticise his journey or patronise family audiences.

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FLIP!, Soho Theatre

by Diana Miranda

A darkly humorous play about influencer culture in the AI age, Racheal Ofori’s FLIP! is a witty two-hander that follows the journey of friends Carleen and Crystal, popular co-vloggers who go above and beyond for online fame. After a few hit-and-miss attempts, Carleen starts producing content with FLIP, a new social media platform that utilises advanced AI. The fun satire takes a dark turn, and what follows is an exploration of the lengths people may go to craft an identity appealing to the masses, all for the sake of fame and fortune.

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Boy Parts, Soho Theatre

by Zahid Fayyaz

This is the premiere of an adaptation of the popular 2020 Eliza Clark novel, Boy Parts. A comic thriller, this is the story of Irina. She is a Newcastle-based photographer of young men, and is either a violent killer or a damaged fantasist. It’s never clear which one is the correct interpretation of the main character. This makes the show more fascinating, as it leaves the audience and reader without a sure footing.

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The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Noel Coward Theatre

by Michaela Clement-Hayes

Real life can often be bleak, so many of us choose to escape from time to time. Perhaps we do this by reading a book, or going to the theatre. Those few hours of respite allow us to leave our world behind and be anyone we wish to be.

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Ben Target: Lorenzo, Soho Theatre

by Zahid Fayyaz

Fresh from a sold-out month at the Edinburgh Fringe, Ben Target, former Perrier comedy award nominee, comes to London with a run of his highly acclaimed solo show. A return to the stage after spending the last few years collaborating with other artists, this is a brave and startling work.

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Feature | “This show is a process, rather than an outcome” Led by the Wind by Kiki Ye

by Luisa De la Concha Montes

Led by the Wind is a queer story that follows K (Kiki Ye), a young woman from Fuyang, China living in the United Kingdom. She has been convinced by her family back home to go on a blind date with Bryan (He Zhang), who, according to her family’s standards, is the perfect husband material. As their relationship progresses K starts zoning out, sinking deeper into beautiful dreamscapes with Windy (Vivi Wei), a mysterious woman that represents K’s deepest queer desires. In order to unveil the process of writing this piece, and to deconstruct the complexity of K’s character, I caught up with director Kiki Ye.

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Oh My Heart Oh My Home, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

by an anonymous guest critic

Casey Jay Andrews is a regular fixture at the Fringe. She is a purveyor of small, touching stories and beautifully constructed set designs. For this piece, she tells the story of Freddie, born during a meteor storm, who returns to her family home in the woods now inhabited only by her grandad and his Scottie dog. The meteor storm has returned 33 years on, and she and her grandad go out to watch the shooting stars. Meanwhile, her grandad has a secret he has not shared with her. 

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