by Amy Toledano
Taking a fanciful journey through the life of the often forgotten museum cloakroom attendant, this one-woman show gives us a behind the scenes look at how we can turn the mundane into something really special.
new writing
Home I’m Darling, National Theatre
by Laura Kressly
Judy loves the 1950s. Nay, she’s obsessed with the era. Frustrated and tired by the demands of modern life, she and her husband Johnny have kitted out their home with authentic fixtures and fittings, and have dedicated themselves to maintaining a ’50s lifestyle. Are they happy living like they did in the good ole’ days, though?
The Laundry, Drayton Arms Theatre
by guest critic Amy Toledano
The Laundry is a lovely collaboration of writing by 15 Degrees Theatre that explores womanhood across many generations and across many cultures. Travelling across Europe from Russia, the play begins with two sisters and ends in three stories that will have you wanting to ring your mum the minute it ends.
Pity, Royal Court Theatre
by guest critic Amy Toledano
Walking into the Royal Court to see Rory Mullarkey’s new show Pity, one is welcomed by a full brass band, a working ice-cream stand and a heck of a lot of colour. The energy in the room is buzzing but has a slight edge. From the first moment it is evident that this show is going to be a new theatre experience for me.
Invisible Light, Tristan Bates Theatre
by associate editor Joanna Trainor
“In a world where the truth is hard to come by, raising your voice and removing the mask can be the boldest act of them all.”
The above premise for Invisible Light sounds a little sanctimonious, but it’s not actually an hour of people patting themselves on the back for being so right-on. It’s really seven short stories that explore identity and what that means in 2018, and all but one* of them are a little bit tongue-in-cheek, or play with the idea in some way.
Allelujah!, Bridge Theatre
by guest critic Gregory Forrest
A new Alan Bennett play is an event. And hospitals – the epicentres of birth and death – are eventful places. Allelujah! is a match made in heaven then.
A State of Mind, King’s Head Theatre
by Laura Kressly
Billie has been around. Now in her 60s, she reflects on a life filled with sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. But it’s not always been carefree – looking after her dying mother, dysfunctional relationships and a lack of parental support system meant that from her teen years she largely had to find her own way. Though she grew up in the age of free love, she also saw its dark underbelly and wants to share what she’s learnt along the way.
Metamorphoses 2, Waterloo East Theatre
by Laura Kressly
There are many reasons why the classics are still read and performed, with their enduring relevance one of them. Ovid’s Metamorphoses, a narrative poem containing more than 250 different myths, is a wealth of flexible source material that can easily be updated and applied to modern socio-political landscapes. Here, five different myths are updated by five different playwrights to comment on a range of current topics, from #MeToo to the refugee crisis. Ranging in style and quality, the new writing night is largely well-curated and impactful.
It Happened in Key West, Charing Cross Theatre
By Laura Kressly
In 1930s Key West, German x-ray technician Carl Tanzler harbours an obsession for a local woman dying of Tuberculosis. Claiming to have nine degrees and access to technology that will cure her, he lavishes her with gifts and dubious treatments though the married woman never returns his affections. When she inevitably dies, he pays for the construction a mausoleum for her. Not content with this tribute, two years after her death he steals her remains and lives with them as his wife for seven years before being discovered.
dominion, RADA Festival
by Laura Kressly
What is ‘romantic’? A candlelit dinner and a bottle of good wine? Or being tied up, gagged and whipped?
To the young couple in dominion, the latter holds the most appeal. But S wants a bit more of the first, and D wants to keep pushing the limits of the second. The men’s love, though genuine, provides a nuanced look at S&M, consent and consequences in this new play by Greg Forrest.
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