Today's full programme, more choices & comment
Resonate plunges into the mania of addiction affliction merging physical theatre, hip hop dance and spoken word. A pulsating lyrical journey into the soul of a modern young man from multi award winning company Nouveau Riche, written by Ntonga Mwanza.<br/>The Brand Nouveau Initiative, in partnership VAULT Festival, brings together a group of the best black and minority ethnic emerging artists ready to take the next step in their careers. The scheme provides opportunities to expand their networks, receive first class mentoring from our award winning team, and benefit from creative space, time and research opportunities.<br/>Following successful productions at New Diorama and Soho, this is your chance to experience the next generation of theatre practitioners collaborating together to create exciting, brand new work.<br/>Praise for Nouveau Riche -<br/>WINNER - Underbelly and New Diorama UNTAPPED Award (Queens of Sheba)
BEST NEW PLAY - Off West End Award Nomination (Typical)
BEST MALE PERFORMANCE - Off West End Award Nomination (Typical)
Mustard Doesn’t Go With Girls is an inclusive feminist musical for the modern
child. Join us in the surreal town of Bow-on-Tie, a town deeply rooted in
tradition and run by the dubious mayor Croque Madame (or is it Croc?!). When
the children start mysteriously disappearing, eight-year-old Abigail decides to
investigate further, embarking on an adventure where social norms are
questioned and the town’s secrets are uncovered. Will Abigail and the rebel
children be able to prevent their horrific fate, and by doing so change the town’s
divide of boys and girls?<br/>Using an original score, slick movement and strong characters this production
seeks to poke fun at fairytales from the past whilst creating new storylines for
the young generation of today. Join Abigail on her journey towards being heard
in a society that is stuck in the past. The show is empowering for both children
and grown-ups, of whatever gender, showing that you can be anyone and
anything you want to be.
When Clem first dates Luke, she is a 32-year-old ambitious go-getter woman, (eggcount 115), with no interest in motherhood. Four years later, and happily in love, she decides she does want a child after all. Clem and Luke then gradually find themselves in a crisis of infertility, in which Clem becomes increasingly obsessed with time, (insisting it is going too fast), and counting things (like her remaining eggcount)... . To make matters worse, Clem’s older and best friend, Ruth, accidentally conceives a second child, aggravating her despair. By the time Clem is 42 (eggcount 7) she has become mentally and emotionally absent, slipping in and out of her own ‘egg-time’ (which runs faster than everyone else’s). Luke, fearing he has lost her, suggests that it’s time to give up on ‘project baby’.<br/>About 500 combines an unfolding drama between 3 characters with an exploration of the subjective nature of time and a docu-theatre thread suggesting the real women’s voices behind the play. It also uses movement and an ‘installation’ made up of 100s of tiny meringues to convey the spent and squandered ovulations that come to haunt the protagonist. The story’s 10-year passage of time is made explicit to the audience through an ever-present visual display of Clem’s remaining egg count, a forcible reminder of her ever diminishing odds.<br/>The average age of first conception for women in the UK is now 30 and climbing steadily. However, the cliff edge of female fertility remains brutal, dropping dramatically at 35, with the result that more and more women find themselves involuntarily childless in their 40s. This has a huge, and seriously overlooked, impact on women's mental health. The fundamental disparity between a punishingly finite female fertility and a potentially infinite male fertility remains an issue that our society has failed to address, and something of a blind spot for feminism.
About 500 invites audiences to consider this raw deal that contemporary women face.
You're invited to join the Super Scary Film Club (4 Kids). <br/>Every kid in the neighbourhood has gathered to watch all the scariest films, back-to-back, all in one night! <br/>Super Scary Film Club is a family-friendly celebration of staying up late and watching scary films with your friends. An hour of sketches, songs, and silliness, parodying iconic horror movies throughout the ages. Guaranteed to bump your geese and raise your hairs!<br/>Written by Maxwell Tyler (co-writer of One Duck Down - Family Show of the Year VAULT 2018), and presented by Burn Bright Theatre (Frankenstein at the London Horror Festival - “mesmerising” *****). <br/>Grab your popcorn and enjoy our monster movie marathon for brave kids and even braver adults.<br/>Join the Club!
Take a Leaf out of Chanje Kunda's Book<br/>Performance artist Chanje Kunda was suffering with stress and anxiety when she first discovered that plants soothe the soul.
She then learnt that some women in Mexico, fed up with men, were getting married to trees. Trees aren’t very talkative, but they are tall, do great things for the planet, and are renowned for their wood. Chanje was inspired and surrendered to this notion.
She fell in love with plants: fleshy succulents, monstera’s handshaped leaves, the Venus flytrap, the twining of a creeper.
The pressures of life drifted away.<br/>This show maps her journey, and will feature a harem of stunning
tropical plants that dress the stage. There will be music and
movement, dramatic narrative and metaphors of growth and
renewal. The show ends on a climax...<br/>We are forever comparing our lives to those of others on social
media and the superficial numbers game that is dating via online
apps. Plant Fetish will inspire you to embrace foliage over FOMO!
“I swear for this- in this moment I’m dreaming. And I’ll end up believing my mind’s complexities in telling me what I shouldn’t be.” - Show Extract<br/>Abstract in nature, we meet Sam. As he journeys towards the pier his world becomes fragmented as he feels his personality splitting. Gripped by a MANIAC within - Sam’s story doesn’t only belong to him.<br/>Driven by true stories and crafted through free-writing, Project Lockout’s 3rd show taps into the mental health of young adults and brings it to the forefront.<br/>Built around the concept of personifying the darkest corner of our mind, The Maniac Complex thrills through a physical ensemble of actors as themselves in mime-inspired attire and face-painted masks concealing all that which we hide beneath our very own smiles.<br/>“Immersive, inventive and incredible. The sheer brilliant use of light and sound. It’s so original.” - Audience Member<br/>The five performers control the stage elements; from torches and portable lanterns to an old corded telephone wire, all wielded through tightly-knit choreography.<br/>Through dynamic movement, intricate sound design and cinematic mime, Project Lockout’s London debut promises to deliver an incredible, emotional and powerful theatrical experience.<br/>Written by the company/cast. Directed by Michael Lynch.
Max wants to tell you a story. He’s not entirely sure why, or even who he is; savage, peacekeeper or critic?<br/>Passengers, by award-winning UK trans writer Kit Redstone and highly acclaimed UK director Jessica Edwards, explores the epic battles within the psyche and the beautiful power of the mind to protect itself, using ensemble theatre to invite you to see the self in a whole new way.<br/>Kit Redstone has a mild form of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). This is a complex psychological condition, previously known as multiple personality disorder. Passengers is a semi-autobiographical dark comedy about the epic battles and alliances within the psyche and the power of the mind to protect itself from pain. Using Kit’s trademark blend of comedy, tragedy, playfulness and heart, Vacuum Theatre show us that by understanding we all have multiple, complex personalities, we can have more compassion and understanding for ourselves and each other. <br/>Kit Redstone’s previous show TESTOSTERONE was shortlisted for The Samuel Beckett Award, The Peter Brook Award and The Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award and was winner of the Indies Best Theatre Show 2017.<br/>***** “A dark circus of bodies, metal, and sensuality” Ed Fringe Review
"You've fucked the planet mum but you're still on me bout my phone"
Emma wants to dance. Phoebe is struggling to stay out of referal units. Austerity hasn’t helped, screens are proving to be very challenging and trauma lurks somewhere in the very beginnings of the umbilical cord. When you are battling a storm you gotta hanker down and believe it will pass. But when the storm gets into your home what do you do to protect yourself and the ones you love? STORM is a raw, new play written by Juliet Knight and gives voice to invisible women who have sat alone in special care units and now wonder if that is why their miracle children are teenagers who fight so hard against the world. Reaching 50, Juliet Knight searched for manifestations of her own personal story. Quickly realising they weren't out there she wanted to shed some light on how chaos, conflict and closeness in a single parent unit can affect a mother and daughter’s mental health. Using live music and physicality the production explores how changing-hormones and parenting teenagers can be a monumental catalyst for change and deserves airspace. First supported by The National Theatre Studio and using lived in experience as a single parent, Storm tells the story of a mother and daughter's intense and complex relationship which has built up through years of broken public services and shut down centres. It looks at the comic and tragic ways in which two family members fight against each other and questions why two people who love each other so much can hate so hard. Emma is a mother who misses her little girl and Phoebe is the adolescent the girl has become. This play is for any parent who has navigated the teenage years, any child who has stood up to their mother or anyone who is living in these interesting times. A brand new score by Tristan Parkes and Aruhan Galieva with direction by Sam Hardie and Juliet Knight.
Featuring movement and a club soundtrack Trying To Find Me is a semi- autobiographical show about the shame of pain. The show exposes the secret, heart-breaking and wonderfully honest and funny world of Ann — a black woman in her early 30s looking for love and in many ways, trying to heal. <br/>It incorporates BSL, creative captioning, visual sound technology and audio description, utilising a variety of communication styles woven into the narrative and movement fabric of the piece
The world premiere of Invisibles by Argentinian writer Lola Lagos platforms the voices of two Latin women who despite being robbed from their dignity and freedom, never succumb to losing their spirit.<br/>Sandra and Marisa have been in this place for a long time. A place they thought would bring a better life but only takes and takes and takes away... Yet when the music plays, the women dance, laugh and love. Stuck between abuse and violence, they keep on living and dreaming. Dreaming of a better life, somewhere across the river. <br/>Directed by feminist theatremaker Nastazja Somers, Invisibles is a haunting and political piece of theatre that brings us closer to understanding the real weight of endurance and resistance carried by so many women in many foreign lands.
A triple Fringe First-winning team take you to 2059. Adventures. Bandits. Sword fights. Spaceships. The Day After Tomorrow meets The Princess Bride in this action-adventure-romance where it’s not just the climate getting hotter. Can you find happy ever after when the world could end today? Come find out in the world’s first apocalomcom.<br/>Please note: the February show is a rehearsed reading. The March show is a script-in-hand scratch performance. Show image by Colin Behrens.<br/>Directed by Emily Jenkins, double Fringe First-winner, for Bobby & Amy and Rainbow.<br/>Written by Richard Marsh, single Fringe First-winner (which is still quite good) for Dirty Great Love Story (co-written with Katie Bonna).<br/>Starring Tanya-Loretta Dee (Back, Doctors, EastEnders, Middle Child theatre).
“If I invited you to come with me on a journey, a story, will you come with me?”<br/>Northern Uganda. When Okumu’s village is attacked by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), he and his brother’s lives are changed forever.<br/>Far Gone is a profoundly moving story of a young boy’s journey from childhood innocence to child soldier. Seen through the eyes of those that love him and those that betray him, Okumu’s experience strikes straight at the heart through a powerful one-man performance by John Rwothomack, directed by Moji Elufowoju.
It's the season of cutting carbs, hitting it hard at the gym, and shaving everything from the chin down. Summer has rocked up and the media has us thinking about how our bodies aren't up to scratch and there are companies ready to capitalise on that. We've been shamed, dehumanised, and humiliated for how we look and we've had enough.
Join The Roaring Girls for a defiantly feel-good show which sticks two fingers up at how the media says you should look.
The Roaring Girls are getting Beach Body Ready. Are you?<br/>"Engaging, funny and inclusive" - The Guardian<br/>"Beach Body Ready is the show the world has been waiting for" - Within Her Words
“An impressive success for Australian-born Unlikely Productions, who assemble a poignant and thought-provoking line-up of talent.” ***** (Broadway World UK on The Apologists)<br/>1&Only is a near-fi, bureaucratic, satirical comedy. The show takes place in 2048. The government has two years left to fulfill their promise of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and so far, nothing has been done. In a last-ditch effort to save the planet, the Minister for Roads, Transport (and climate crisis) has decided to launch a one-child policy on the unwitting public.<br/>Led by a crack team of political strategists and marketing experts, the audience will join them in a secret underground vault for an emergency meeting as they brainstorm and blue-sky their way through catchy names, viral videos, subliminal messaging, propaganda pop and mind- control technology in their thankless mission to make the notion of a one-child policy sound like an appealing prospect.<br/>Brought to you by the team at Unlikely Productions (The Apologists), 1&Only is written by Gabrielle Scawthorn and Hugo Chiarella, directed by Sam Hooper (Death Suits You) and performed by Gabrielle Scawthorn (The Doctor Blake Mysteries), Rose Riley (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time) and Will Close (Great British Mysteries).<br/>In the age of Boris Johnson, Brexit and Trump, 1&Only is a comedic romp about the politics of selling and the selling of politics.
Lucy & Freya are developing new material!<br/>Lucy presents Tenderhooks. <br/>Freya is bad at lots of things. This is a list of the things she is bad at.
This industry showcase event features extracts from six brand new pieces of work developed by the participants in the VAULT Festival New Writers Programme. Featuring Aaliyah Al-Lawal, Yasmine Dankwah, Matt Gurr, Sara Jewell, Drew Paterson and Angie Peña-Arenas.<br/>Now in its third successful year, the New Writers Programme offers a total introduction to writing for the stage. Six participants were selected from 100s of applicants to join the course, selected based on their talent and those whose backgrounds have made it difficult for them to break into the industry. <br/>This year’s programme is led by OFFIE Award nominated playwright Guleraana Mir (Coconut and BBC Writer’s Room), and is proudly supported by theatre publishers and performing rights agents Nick Hern Books.<br/>The New Writers Showcase is produced by Rebecca Jones.
“The air is the only place that is free from prejudice”. Bessie Coleman<br/>They said she couldn’t do it but she could.
From going around the world on a bicycle to doing spectacular airshows or climbing the highest mountains on earth, Annie "Londonderry" Kopchovsky, Bessie Coleman and Junko Tabei fought the prejudice and scepticism that surrounded them.
Their achievements became milestones in the path towards women’s rights and freedom, challenging the assumption that the “fairer sex” lacks the physical and mental stamina for big deeds. Though their adventures were as breathtaking, spellbinding and phenomenal as their male counterparts, where are their stories now?
For one night only Annie, Bessie and Junko come back for the live recording of the podcast “Miles Apart Together” and share their stories.
'Scab' is a one-man show set in any one of the many deprived coastal towns in the UK, which asks the question 'to what extent can one delve into the life of a stranger?' Come and join the Narrator, played by Conor Lowson (‘The Liberator’, Opus Films for Netflix and BBC’s ‘Ladhood’), as he embarks on a playful, dark and devious odyssey into the recesses of his own mind.
This kinetic piece of storytelling is directed by Jamie Biddle (‘Whitechapel: Suspects, Lunatics and a Leather Apron’; ‘Extinct’, The Bush Theatre; ‘Conk the Dyslexia Goblin’, The Bush Theatre and ‘Smoking in the Boys Room’, Theatre503) and written by Luke Stapleton (‘Mycorrhiza', The Space; 'Retinas', Southwark Playhouse, and as Script Editor; BBC's 'The Capture' and Amazon Prime's 'Hanna').
'I have this hole in me
Here
(Gut)
Here
(Heart)
And here
(Brain)
And my whole life is spent just desperately tryin’ not to fall into it.'
Issues surrounding migration, home, borders and identity pose some of the biggest questions of our time. Akeim Toussaint Buck addresses these and more in his new, timely, dance theatre solo show: Windows of Displacement. Through the contextual lens of imperialism, colonialism and global displacement, he weaves a story that speaks to the lived experiences and human lives that are entangled in the politics of power and oppression.
“It always sounds a bit pompous to describe a show as being ‘important’, but that’s exactly what Windows of Displacement is. The fact that it manages to deliver its message while still being accessible, thought-provoking and immensely uplifting is a tribute to its creator.”<br/>John Murphy taken from a review written for Exeunt Magazine 2018<br/>Using his own journey of migration from Jamaica to the UK as a catalyst, Akeim Toussaint Buck brings together dance, spoken word and song to tell a story that is both deeply personal and universal. Through delving into his own journey, the audience is presented with a recent history of humanity. In this way, Toussaint Buck presents the threads connecting oppression, from the Transatlantic Slave Trade, to the current mining and exploitation of the Congo, from the micro to the macro, from the past to present.
The Kola Nut Does Not Speak English explores the cultural history of a first generation Nigerian-British woman of Igbo descent<br/>A gripping new play from multi award winning company Nouveau Riche. Written by Tania Nwachukwu, we follow the people of Eze as they fight to preserve their beloved kola tree. <br/>Using African theatre practices, call and response, dance, song, and poetry, this is a loud, unapologetic, passionate embrace of who we are and the importance of a Nigerian-British woman preserving her own history.<br/>The Brand Nouveau Initiative, in partnership VAULT Festival, brings together a group of the best black and minority ethnic emerging artists ready to take the next step in their careers. The scheme provides opportunities to expand their networks, receive first class mentoring from our award winning team, and benefit from creative space, time and research opportunities.<br/>Following successful productions at New Diorama and Soho, this is your chance to experience the next generation of theatre practitioners collaborating together to create exciting, brand new work.<br/>Praise for Nouveau Riche -<br/>WINNER - Underbelly and New Diorama UNTAPPED Award (Queens of Sheba)
BEST NEW PLAY - Off West End Award Nomination (Typical)
BEST MALE PERFORMANCE - Off West End Award Nomination (Typical)
Meet Marcus. Argentinian. Catholic. Straight. Maybe. He doesn't know anymore, or why he wanted to be Pope when he was young. <br/>Welcome to the Wonderful World of Marcus!<br/>Delving deep into the colourful circus of Marcus’ memories, we meet his fantastical family and friends, loves and losses as he grapples with the events that have shaped him. <br/>Hear the discovery of the dreams and wishes of Marcus and those close to him... but does anyone really listen?<br/>Award-winning Seemia return to VAULT with their dark-comedy, bursting with phsyical-theatre and storytelling, clowning and music. Seemia ask what makes us become who we are, pulling apart the matrix of gender politics, religion and the impact of family relationships on forming our identity.<br/>MARCUS is generously supported by Theatre Deli, The Albany, ARC Stockton and ArcolaLAB for BAME Artists, and public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Seemia are a Tangled Feet mentored company.
When a shipment containing a highly protected SYPHER CORP suit goes missing in space. It's up to John Hawk and a team of space marines to collect the asset, transport it across the Galaxy, and uncover what happened to the shipmates of Mama Bear. Tighten your air-locks and set your fazerguns to 'holy shit another one?!'.
Armed with just himself and a chair; Lewis Doherty presents HAWK. A One Man Sci Fi Horror story and the third and final installment of the BEAST TRILOGY
Max wants to tell you a story. He’s not entirely sure why, or even who he is; savage, peacekeeper or critic?<br/>Passengers, by award-winning UK trans writer Kit Redstone and highly acclaimed UK director Jessica Edwards, explores the epic battles within the psyche and the beautiful power of the mind to protect itself, using ensemble theatre to invite you to see the self in a whole new way.<br/>Kit Redstone has a mild form of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). This is a complex psychological condition, previously known as multiple personality disorder. Passengers is a semi-autobiographical dark comedy about the epic battles and alliances within the psyche and the power of the mind to protect itself from pain. Using Kit’s trademark blend of comedy, tragedy, playfulness and heart, Vacuum Theatre show us that by understanding we all have multiple, complex personalities, we can have more compassion and understanding for ourselves and each other. <br/>Kit Redstone’s previous show TESTOSTERONE was shortlisted for The Samuel Beckett Award, The Peter Brook Award and The Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award and was winner of the Indies Best Theatre Show 2017.<br/>***** “A dark circus of bodies, metal, and sensuality” Ed Fringe Review
Growing up is hard, but most people manage it. Sian Davies (Funny Women Runner Up, Hilarity Bites Winner 2018) waited until she was 27 to grow up. Everyone agreed, it was about time.<br/>“Simultaneously warm and sharp, she’s what Jason Manford would be if he was a Liverpudlian lesbian, with a broad appeal and snappy jokes.”
Steve Bennett, Chortle.
“A cross between Peter Kay and Zoe Lyons.”
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke.<br/>About Time is the story of Sian's austerity sponsored gap year and her journey as a working class traveller in an unfamiliar world. From the Taj Mahal to the local Tesco, this overgrown kid has seen it all. She's been there, done that and got the T shirt to prove it. Along the way, much to everyone's relief, she finally manages to grow up.
Join Sian on this extraordinary journey as she shares the truth about what really happened on her gap year.
When Clem first dates Luke, she is a 32-year-old ambitious go-getter woman, (eggcount 115), with no interest in motherhood. Four years later, and happily in love, she decides she does want a child after all. Clem and Luke then gradually find themselves in a crisis of infertility, in which Clem becomes increasingly obsessed with time, (insisting it is going too fast), and counting things (like her remaining eggcount)... . To make matters worse, Clem’s older and best friend, Ruth, accidentally conceives a second child, aggravating her despair. By the time Clem is 42 (eggcount 7) she has become mentally and emotionally absent, slipping in and out of her own ‘egg-time’ (which runs faster than everyone else’s). Luke, fearing he has lost her, suggests that it’s time to give up on ‘project baby’.<br/>About 500 combines an unfolding drama between 3 characters with an exploration of the subjective nature of time and a docu-theatre thread suggesting the real women’s voices behind the play. It also uses movement and an ‘installation’ made up of 100s of tiny meringues to convey the spent and squandered ovulations that come to haunt the protagonist. The story’s 10-year passage of time is made explicit to the audience through an ever-present visual display of Clem’s remaining egg count, a forcible reminder of her ever diminishing odds.<br/>The average age of first conception for women in the UK is now 30 and climbing steadily. However, the cliff edge of female fertility remains brutal, dropping dramatically at 35, with the result that more and more women find themselves involuntarily childless in their 40s. This has a huge, and seriously overlooked, impact on women's mental health. The fundamental disparity between a punishingly finite female fertility and a potentially infinite male fertility remains an issue that our society has failed to address, and something of a blind spot for feminism.
About 500 invites audiences to consider this raw deal that contemporary women face.
EDINBURGH COMEDY AWARD WINNER 2019<br/>An hour of semi-improvised time-filling. I can’t promise anything. I don’t know what I’ll be talking about. I’ve no idea what this will be. The only thing I can guarantee is that it will have happened. At some point it will have happened, and you can’t say fairer than that.
Featuring movement and a club soundtrack Trying To Find Me is a semi- autobiographical show about the shame of pain. The show exposes the secret, heart-breaking and wonderfully honest and funny world of Ann — a black woman in her early 30s looking for love and in many ways, trying to heal. <br/>It incorporates BSL, creative captioning, visual sound technology and audio description, utilising a variety of communication styles woven into the narrative and movement fabric of the piece
“If I invited you to come with me on a journey, a story, will you come with me?”<br/>Northern Uganda. When Okumu’s village is attacked by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), he and his brother’s lives are changed forever.<br/>Far Gone is a profoundly moving story of a young boy’s journey from childhood innocence to child soldier. Seen through the eyes of those that love him and those that betray him, Okumu’s experience strikes straight at the heart through a powerful one-man performance by John Rwothomack, directed by Moji Elufowoju.
July 3rd, 1976. It’s Nora’s 19th birthday and it’s been three years to the day since she ran away from home. Standing outside the Pier Pavilion, Hastings, having just watched The Sex Pistols play live for the first time, she knows her life is about to change forever.
The world premiere of Invisibles by Argentinian writer Lola Lagos platforms the voices of two Latin women who despite being robbed from their dignity and freedom, never succumb to losing their spirit.<br/>Sandra and Marisa have been in this place for a long time. A place they thought would bring a better life but only takes and takes and takes away... Yet when the music plays, the women dance, laugh and love. Stuck between abuse and violence, they keep on living and dreaming. Dreaming of a better life, somewhere across the river. <br/>Directed by feminist theatremaker Nastazja Somers, Invisibles is a haunting and political piece of theatre that brings us closer to understanding the real weight of endurance and resistance carried by so many women in many foreign lands.
"You've fucked the planet mum but you're still on me bout my phone"
Emma wants to dance. Phoebe is struggling to stay out of referal units. Austerity hasn’t helped, screens are proving to be very challenging and trauma lurks somewhere in the very beginnings of the umbilical cord. When you are battling a storm you gotta hanker down and believe it will pass. But when the storm gets into your home what do you do to protect yourself and the ones you love? STORM is a raw, new play written by Juliet Knight and gives voice to invisible women who have sat alone in special care units and now wonder if that is why their miracle children are teenagers who fight so hard against the world. Reaching 50, Juliet Knight searched for manifestations of her own personal story. Quickly realising they weren't out there she wanted to shed some light on how chaos, conflict and closeness in a single parent unit can affect a mother and daughter’s mental health. Using live music and physicality the production explores how changing-hormones and parenting teenagers can be a monumental catalyst for change and deserves airspace. First supported by The National Theatre Studio and using lived in experience as a single parent, Storm tells the story of a mother and daughter's intense and complex relationship which has built up through years of broken public services and shut down centres. It looks at the comic and tragic ways in which two family members fight against each other and questions why two people who love each other so much can hate so hard. Emma is a mother who misses her little girl and Phoebe is the adolescent the girl has become. This play is for any parent who has navigated the teenage years, any child who has stood up to their mother or anyone who is living in these interesting times. A brand new score by Tristan Parkes and Aruhan Galieva with direction by Sam Hardie and Juliet Knight.
It's the season of cutting carbs, hitting it hard at the gym, and shaving everything from the chin down. Summer has rocked up and the media has us thinking about how our bodies aren't up to scratch and there are companies ready to capitalise on that. We've been shamed, dehumanised, and humiliated for how we look and we've had enough.
Join The Roaring Girls for a defiantly feel-good show which sticks two fingers up at how the media says you should look.
The Roaring Girls are getting Beach Body Ready. Are you?<br/>"Engaging, funny and inclusive" - The Guardian<br/>"Beach Body Ready is the show the world has been waiting for" - Within Her Words
“An impressive success for Australian-born Unlikely Productions, who assemble a poignant and thought-provoking line-up of talent.” ***** (Broadway World UK on The Apologists)<br/>1&Only is a near-fi, bureaucratic, satirical comedy. The show takes place in 2048. The government has two years left to fulfill their promise of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and so far, nothing has been done. In a last-ditch effort to save the planet, the Minister for Roads, Transport (and climate crisis) has decided to launch a one-child policy on the unwitting public.<br/>Led by a crack team of political strategists and marketing experts, the audience will join them in a secret underground vault for an emergency meeting as they brainstorm and blue-sky their way through catchy names, viral videos, subliminal messaging, propaganda pop and mind- control technology in their thankless mission to make the notion of a one-child policy sound like an appealing prospect.<br/>Brought to you by the team at Unlikely Productions (The Apologists), 1&Only is written by Gabrielle Scawthorn and Hugo Chiarella, directed by Sam Hooper (Death Suits You) and performed by Gabrielle Scawthorn (The Doctor Blake Mysteries), Rose Riley (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time) and Will Close (Great British Mysteries).<br/>In the age of Boris Johnson, Brexit and Trump, 1&Only is a comedic romp about the politics of selling and the selling of politics.
Rising star Chloe Petts presents a work-in-progress of her stand-up show, Alpha. She explores gender and sexuality and considers why she's so violent during non-contact sports... and contact sports to be honest. Expect introspection, outrospection and big laughs.<br/>Chloe is an alumna of the prestigious Pleasance Comedy Reserve, has been shortlisted for the BBC Comedy Award, was a finalist of Leicester Square New Comedian of the Year Awards 2017 and came runner-up in the Funny Women Awards 2017.<br/>She was recently heard on BBC Five Live’s Fighting Talk and has appeared on Channel 4’s Random Acts and BBC 3 Quickies.<br/>She is a co-founder of The Lol Word, a queer comedy collective that hosts sell-out monthly London nights, boasting the finest female and non-binary queer acts on the circuit. Their most recent Edinburgh run was a sell-out. Diva Magazine has described it as “a space that is demographically queer, inclusive, and safe, and on top of all of that – the comedic talent is smart, insightful, hilarious, and completely relatable.”<br/>"Petts... is confident, laid-back, casual – and very funny." - The Guardian
"Inexhaustibly funny mind" - Diva Magazine
"Compelling presence" - Steve Bennett, Chortle
This is a loose and silly work in progress show by a loose and silly comedian called Andy Field. <br/>It's setting out to answer a lot of big questions. Such as, in what way is this notebook magic? Why does it just look like a normal notebook? Is this a real show or just a person reading out their notes? What's the big deal? Are you taking the piss? How dare you charge people to watch this? What is love? <br/>All these questions and more will be answered, hopefully!
Not from the makers of ‘Making a Murderer’. Also not from the makers of ‘Kidnapped in Plain Sight’ – A journey of self discovery where Roann leaves no (wo)man behind. Piecing together what it means to be a mixed heritage, queer, woman having grown up in the 90's, in Wembley.<br/>Gender & sexuality, a spilt nail varnish, a murdered cat. Roann delves into her past, as she has some questions and questionable memories. All her family members are back in force in her second show and due to popular demand, more stories of her Algerian Mother and her unique take on life will take centre stage. <br/>'Congenial storyteller, a likeable stage presence, a lot of truth'
The Stage<br/>‘Ask her to read a train timetable and she could have her audience in stitches’.
British Theatre Guide<br/>‘Packed full of love, integrity, wit and humour.’ ****
Bath Echo <br/>‘McCloskey broaches the subjects of sexuality, family and dating in a fresh, tender and delicate manner that will leave an impression on you that is impossible to ignore.’ ****
WithinHerWords<br/>‘My Father... offers a mixture of meaningful reflections on family whilst still being able to relatably laugh at the fact your dad can't use Facebook properly.’ ****
Somewhere Magazine
Bede always worried that her classical training in musical theatre stopped her being seen as a proper comedian, serious actor, or decent human being. However, much like nationalism and Greggs, musical theatre is having a bit of a moment, and, always the fair weather friend, Jenny wants in on the action. <br/>In her bid to become a younger, sexier Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jenny has written roughly somewhere between 35-45 future West End hit shows. Jenny Bede: The Musical will feature some of the very best songs from some of her favourite attempts. In a bid to show off her - admittedly quite limited - range, Jenny will take her audience on a semi-autobiographical journey of singing ghosts, bad feminism and her time in a girlband, whilst giving her own unique spin on some of the big issues of the day, from gender politics to privilege, in this riotous celebration of musical theatre and modern pop music.<br/>As seen on Catastrophe (Channel 4), Humans (Channel 4), Stan Lee’s Lucky Man (Sky One), Lovesick (Netflix), Episodes (BBC2), Watson & Oliver (BBC2), Misfits (E4) and Broadchurch (ITV).
Fresh off another sell out season at the Edinburgh Fringe, character comedians and IRL sisters Maddy and Marina Bye head to Waterloo for their Vaults debut! Bringing their hit show with a sprinkle of never before seen sketches.<br/>Blending clown and physical comedy with very intensely serious, classically trained, theatrical performance, strap in for a raucous hour of absurdist sketch comedy from two hot twins (we are not twins but can be for casting purposes). <br/>Material is suitable for anyone who has or has seen a sister. <br/>***** 'A kaleidoscopic fever-dream' (Entertainment Focus)
***** 'Totally absurd' (BroadwayBaby)
**** 'Absurdist comedy at its best' (ScotsGay)
**** - A ridiculously absurd sketch show that is hilariously relatable (ThreeWeeks) <br/>‘Magical to watch' (The Guardian)
‘Grotesque’ (Daily Mail)
A play about luck and the stories we tell about money. <br/>Natalie. 25. Life on hold. <br/>Staring at an uncertain future, she picks over a series of moments in her life – both small and significant – trying to understand when things began to fall apart.<br/>‘6/49’ sets about defining the shapeless pressure of debt on low-income families. A new play by journalist Angus Harrison, directed by Elin Schofield.
Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness' meets Roald Dahl's 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'.<br/>Set in a country not so far away, Colin Clutterbuck, a British diplomat is brutally arrested by the National Intelligence Agency. Thrown into a cell and accused of conspiring to overthrow the government; Colin fights back with wit and great British banter. But with the infamous master interrogator, Pacifique Muamba as his opponent, the young diplomat is about to be painfully re-educated and taken to the brink of madness.<br/>Following a sold-out NYC Premiere, Outer Gaea Company makes it Vaults Festival debut with 'The Ballerina'.
“I swear for this- in this moment I’m dreaming. And I’ll end up believing my mind’s complexities in telling me what I shouldn’t be.” - Show Extract<br/>Abstract in nature, we meet Sam. As he journeys towards the pier his world becomes fragmented as he feels his personality splitting. Gripped by a MANIAC within - Sam’s story doesn’t only belong to him.<br/>Driven by true stories and crafted through free-writing, Project Lockout’s 3rd show taps into the mental health of young adults and brings it to the forefront.<br/>Built around the concept of personifying the darkest corner of our mind, The Maniac Complex thrills through a physical ensemble of actors as themselves in mime-inspired attire and face-painted masks concealing all that which we hide beneath our very own smiles.<br/>“Immersive, inventive and incredible. The sheer brilliant use of light and sound. It’s so original.” - Audience Member<br/>The five performers control the stage elements; from torches and portable lanterns to an old corded telephone wire, all wielded through tightly-knit choreography.<br/>Through dynamic movement, intricate sound design and cinematic mime, Project Lockout’s London debut promises to deliver an incredible, emotional and powerful theatrical experience.<br/>Written by the company/cast. Directed by Michael Lynch.
Ireland’s star of BBC’s ‘Blame Game’, ‘Monumental’, podcasting’s ‘General Banter’ and fluffer for Netflix show ‘Flinch’. Strap in, you’re gonna love it! ‘Accomplished... intelligently done... always funny’ (Broadway Baby),
‘Impressive... a stand-up natural... Masterful’ **** (Chortle)
Kayfabe: a pro wrestling term that refers to the act of blending characters and reality, which is sometimes how it feels to be a woman. In I'm OKayfabe, two failing humans smash the lights out of each other, trying to pin down what it is to be a woman in a brilliantly crafted hour of silly, dumb fun with an exceptionally smart narrative.
As enjoyable for hardcore wrestling fans as it is for those who've only ever known WWF as the World Wildlife Fund, I'm OKayfabe offers side-splitting laughs alongside heartbreaking social commentary. Come along for a night of slams, power bombs and DDTs, guest comedian commentators and the most remarkable shooting star press ever to have been performed by a baby.