You never know what delights you may find at the Free Fringe – and one of those delights is Tal Davies and Hannah Weetman: Fear and Self-Loathing in Las Iguanas.
In a tiny karaoke booth in the City Cafe, the two comedians split their hour slot to allow both to showcase their standup skills; I am unsure whether the microphones are necessary in the intimate space.
First is Hannah Weetman, who includes anecdotes about being 26, still not having a driver’s licence, being excited about homeware, and being a liability at a wedding. It’s a good set, delivered well, but I feel there are some tweaks to be made here – not every joke landed as intended, and at times she could slow down slightly to allow digestion of the joke before we move along.
Next is Tal Davies – this set is much more polished, Davies confidently commands the stage and seems much more at ease in front of this rather large crowd in such a small room. Davies speaks of being somewhat of a tramp (her words not mine), of sit-down showers, adopting stick insects, and smear tests. It’s a varied set, much of it is understandable for most of us – the Deliveroo driver really does see us at our worst – maybe the stick insect abortions are less relatable, but it’s definitely hysterical.
I’m unsure where the show’s title comes from, but this is a great hour of stand-up. Yes, you can go and see big names at the Fringe, but I urge everyone to go and see up-and-coming comics too because often you’ll find gems like these two. It’s refreshingly relatable and highly amusing. I’m excited to see where they both go next!
Spirited Away premiered in Tokyo in February 2022 and is now having its European premiere at the London Coliseum. Hitting theatreland following the success of the RSC’s adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbour Totoro, which is transferring to the West End next year. Based on the 2001 anime film, Spirited Away centres around Chihiro a young girl, who inadvertently winds up in a world ruled by witches and spirits – with her parents turned into pigs. What follows is her quest to save her parents and return to the real world. The highlight of this production is the creative elements; the set, designed by Jon Bausor is vast, imaginative, and transportive, bringing … More SPIRITED AWAY – REVIEW – LONDON COLISEUM
The Accountants is a multimedia stage spectacle, melding dance and modern communication. It premieres at Aviva Studios and is the UK debut performance for the Terrence Lewis Contemporary Dance Company and Xiexin Dance Theatre. Liam (Josh Hart) is trying to find himself while travelling Asia, keeping in contact with his favourite ‘auntie’ Kash (Shobna Gulati). Using Kash’s wisdom to guide him around India and China, Liam tries to understand his own identity as an Asian person while watching the accountants in his head dance. After I picked my ticket up from the box office, I was collared by a (very … More THE ACCOUNTANTS – REVIEW – AVIVA STUDIOS
Wendy Beckett’s new play, Sappho, now running at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant until the end of May, began life as an open-air production in Greece. Beckett is still keen to honour the real Sappho, paying homage to Greek drama throughout the play through the use of a chorus and song. Mehdi Bourayou’s underscoring is never overstated, but explodes occasionally into joyous song, matching some of the play’s best moments, movement sequences where the chorus comes together in exaggerated tableaux. Similarly, Pavlos Thanopoulos and Cecilija Berg have created a costume world which pays homage to both Sappho’s Ancient Greek origins in tunics and … More SAPPHO – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
This production of Twelfth Night (or What You Will), takes a queer play and attempts to make it gayer, more camp, and more nostalgic, to varying levels of success. Director Owen Horsley situates the story in a queer, seafront cafe that has lost its shine as owner Olivia grieves the loss of her brother. Set designer Basia Binkowska creates an effective and dynamic set, complete with diner-style doors and an enormous backwards ‘OLIVIA’ sign crowning the stage, the audience and the stage are all inside the cafe. It was certainly ambitious to keep the whole story in one location, save … More TWELFTH NIGHT – REVIEW – REGENT’s PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE
A town swimming in corruption gets a message – a government inspector is on their way from London to assess the town. A disgraced son, living on credit at the local pub is causing the town to talk – is this well-spoken Londoner and mystery man, the government inspector? Best bribe him just in case! So ensues confusion and corruption as everyone is out for themselves. Government Inspector is Patrick Myles’ reimagining of Nikolai Gogol’s classic satire of power, hypocrisy and getting away with everything – the perfect play for an election year? The gold-framed stage is such an invitation to … More GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR – REVIEW – MARYLEBONE THEATRE