The FringeGuru guide to the VAULT Festival on on Friday 31 January

Can you remember your first time? Nathaniel can’t seem to forget his. To be fair, he has had it playing on repeat for the last 15 years.<br/>Now the party is over, the balloons have all burst and he’s left living his best queer life: brunching on pills and Googling kangaroo vaginas, ancient condoms and human cesspits on a weekday morning... or is he? <br/>Fresh from his critically-acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe debut, award-winning HIV+ theatre-maker Nathaniel Hall presents this ‘hilarious’ and ‘heart breaking’ autobiographical solo show about growing up positive in a negative world. <br/>Join him as he blows the lid on the secret he’s been keeping all these years.<br/>***** “Moving and educational” The Stage (included as one of the best shows at the Edinburgh Fringe 2019)<br/>“Packs an emotional punch that resonates even after you’ve left the theatre” The Guardian<br/>"An unabashedly heart on sleeve crowd, pleasing-show... crucial for raising awareness of HIV" Lyn Gardner, StageDoor<br/>***** "Compelling, motivating, triumphant" BroadwayBaby<br/>***** "A must see" ThreeWeeks<br/>***** "One hell of a ride" Northern Soul<br/>**** "Universal and deeply moving" Attitude<br/>“A truly remarkable story of triumph, I was in awe” Russell T. Davies<br/>Winner of the inaugural Venues North Edinburgh Fringe Award 2019.<br/>Supported by Arts Council England, Waterside Arts and Creative Industries Trafford. Proud to be partnered with George House Trust, Terrence Higgins Trust and HIV Scotland.

"Don't stack me away in little boxes to collect dust!" <br/>Laugh and cry as Joann Condon (Little Britain, Dad's Army: The Lost Episodes, The Office, Edge of Heaven, Cradle to Grave) presents Little Boxes. "My new one woman show lifts the lid on all the little boxes that are created for us: Mum, woman, actor, writer, comic, cook, cleaner... who am I... and who are you... really? <br/>Have you ever felt that you have been unfairly categorised, pigeon-holed, "boxed-up"? You want to scream, "That's not me! You don't know me!" It happens to all of us; friends, family and people you've just met put you in a box and keep you there. And yes, we do it to ourselves and to other people.
Well, actress and comedian Joann, has had enough. "Just because we look a certain, way and speak a certain way, and are of a certain age, people make snap decisions about who we are." Follow Joann on her journey of discovery, as she sorts through the boxes she has accumulated during her life.

Can kids be parents? From the team behind the multi award-winning We Live By The Sea (Critic's Pick and Best Theatre of the Year- The New York Times) comes a funny and uplifting story of childhood and adulthood, responsibility and fun, accompanied by live original music and projection.<br/>When Cassie’s mother leaves in the night, the teen wants to care for her younger sisters on her own. But is Cassie the right person to be "Mum" now, or should she let their foster parents adopt her sisters, and create a new family?<br/>Based on real-life events and interviews with children in care, Cassie and the Lights examines our ideas of what makes a family, and celebrates the incredible determination and resilience of teenagers. <br/>Patch of Blue's accolades include Best Theatre, Critic's Choice and Peace Foundation Awards, Adelaide Fringe 2017; The Guardian Top 6 Shows and Off West End Award nominations for Best Production and Best Ensemble. <br/>The press on 'We Live By the Sea' <br/>***** British Theatre Guide
***** Adelaide Theatre Guide
***** Adelaide Advertiser
***** A Younger Theatre
**** The Scotsman
**** The Stage

The Feathers return to the VAULTS with Tarot, their **** Edinburgh fringe hit, reworked and reimagined, conjuring up a night of circus, music, improvisation and divination. Hosted by the enchanting Ruby Wednesday and accompanied by our phenomenal soul-funk band Yoshi, audience tarot readings guide our performers in this unpredictable tale, where all is possible, and everything is unexpected. When the first card is turned our journey begins. Will the fool become the empress or the king lose his crown? Will the lovers be trapped in the caverns of the moon or the stars shine down on the hapless hanged man? You can shuffle the deck, you can lay down the cards, but the fates will dictate who will fly and who will fall.
Our Arcana adventure has taken us full circle from the underground tunnels of the Vaults back in May 2019 where we presented our atmospheric R and D findings to sell out audiences. We then headed to the Edinburgh Fringe where we performed in the brand new Assembly Bijou spiegeltent throughout August, gained rave reviews, performed on the Best of the Fest and the List UK’s Night at the Museum at the National Museum of Scotland. Wee Review **** stated we have ‘a magnificent, magical circus display with an incredible soundtrack and a look to die for’, and Broadway Baby **** that ‘This show infuses this powerful cultural imagery with music, energy and impressive, highly-charged physical performance’. Most recently we performed Tarot at Underbelly Festival Southbank in September. We are delighted to be returning to the Vaults where this show was born with a brand new reworked version of the show exploring the entire tarot deck and introducing the enchanting Ruby Wednesday as our compere and Tarot card reader to give the show a new and exciting vibe.

Santi & Naz are best friends living in a small village in pre-partition India. Their story spans between 1945 & 1949. When Naz is betrothed to an older man, the threat of separation for the young women looms large on the horizon. As the political situation around partition worsens and violence erupts, they take drastic action. Santi & Naz explores childhood friendship, identity and loyalty set against the backdrop of a country soon to be changed forever. New play by Guleraana Mir and Afshan D’souza-Lodhi, from award-winning company The Thelmas, makers of LADYKILLER & COCONUT.

Want to do something to fight the climate crisis but not sure where to start? Terrified of being branded a hypocrite, a public laughing stock or destroying your relationship with your family?<br/>From prosecution, to a political campaign, and a shot gun wedding this personal journey explores joining the fight against the climate crisis and all the things that go wrong when you take action without thinking. <br/>Funny, absurd and often painful, this personal narrative holds no answers but is an excellent place to start if you don’t want to make some terrible mistakes.<br/>‘Hypocrite’ - Jim Norton, Dailymail<br/>A work in progress, made with the help of friends and the assistance of the audience.<br/>Created by Waleed Akhtar & Zoe Lafferty
Lighting Design by Joseph Ed Thomas
Sound Design by Annie Fletcher
Produced by Creative Destruction

Simon David is ready to perform his brand new, all-singing, all-dancing show, 'Date Night!' where one lucky spectator will win a date with the star live on stage!<br/>But then his father is diagnosed with terminal cancer. And just months before he dies, writes, performs and films his own one-man show about his illness, mortality and legacy.<br/>Far too juicy to ignore, does Simon follow in his father’s footsteps or continue with his camp cabaret?<br/>Directed by Fringe First winner Chris Larner, this true story about a father and son combines stand-up, film footage and original songs in a show about a show about a show.

A tender, furious and fragile reimagining of Moby Dick from Fringe First winning writer and storyteller Casey Jay Andrews. A suburban fable of bad luck, reckless choices and irrational hope. THE WILD UNFEELING WORLD is a surreal and lyrical story about the times when we leap, where sometimes we soar, and sometimes we drown. <br/>The epic infamous whale is reinvented in London as a woman on the brink of self-destruction, caught in a chaotic quest for forgiveness. <br/>(Expect whale facts)<br/>By Casey Jay Andrews, creator of THE ARCHIVE OF EDUCATED HEARTS
Winner FRINGE FIRST Award Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018
Winner BEST THEATRE Award Adelaide Fringe 2019<br/>Reviews for THE WILD UNFEELING WORLD:<br/>Recommended in THE GUARDIAN's top picks of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2019
***** "Unique storytelling flair" Within Her Words
**** “Funny, and sad, and deeply human, this stands out for the elegance of it’s writing and the depth of its emotional journey" The Scotsman
**** "Deeply charming... intimacy and power" The Independent

Critically acclaimed comedian Tom Mayhew tries out brand new stuff! 'Authentic material we can relate to: funny, sharp, intelligent, meaningful and pleasing. Mayhew is a voice that needs to be heard." - Chortle<br/> Tom has written for The News Quiz (BBC Radio 4) and NewsJack (BBC Radio 4 Extra).

Passion on the Night Tube is a solo play with music performed in English and Cantonese. It takes place in the early morning on the 24 hour Jubilee Line. Passion (Jimmy Wong) is a gay Chinese man who finds himself homeless and spending the weekend on the night tube. He tells the story of how he ended up in this situation. We see him not fitting in with his inherited culture and the gay scene. We meet, through his eyes, his family and others that have affected him. Passion will interact with the audience, but there is no audience participation (unless they want to). Warning there will be ukulele music!

“To be free is very sweet”
When one woman tells of her extraordinary journey to overcome the brutality of slavery, she becomes a beacon for the British anti-slavery movement. Mary Prince was an auto-biographer and champion of freedom. Her book had an electrifying effect on the abolitionist movement helping to free many Africans in bondage.
Mary was born into enslavement on the British owned Island of Bermuda 1788? As with many enslaved people exact records of births and deaths can be difficult to come by and Mary's birth year is an estimation. She was the daughter of a House slave Sue and a Sawyer nothing unusual there but through Mary's narrative we are given rare insights into her life as an enslaved person. We learn of moments of love, conflict and some of the intricacies of chattel slavery that are seldom heard. When Mary's narrative was 1st published in 1831 it was the harsh realities the brutality of enslavement the treatment and dehumanisation of enslaved people that shocked readers. Also it was the fact of a woman speaking of flogging, of work that wasn't just back breaking but life taking. She shares with us her words and thoughts of how it felt to be enslaved, owned bought and sold. Mary's story gives us the voice of the 'chattel' those voices that are often silent, silenced, ignored or spoken for. Many who read her book could now picture enslaved people more fully as people with feelings, hopes and dreams. It also again highlighted Britain's role in enslavement. Often today many of us think of slavery as an American experience, hearing stories of the deep south, and forget that Britain played a major role. Mary's words help to remind us.
Told through theatre, song, drumming and dance, this masterpiece of Black British theatre is inspired by the storytelling traditions of the West African Griot/ Jeli.

James' grandad, Terry Downes, became world middleweight champion in 1961. By contrast, James' school PE teacher once told him he was so unfit he'd be dead by the time he was 23. This is a heart-warming, hilarious true story about fighting and family.<br/>“A heavyweight hour of stand-up and storytelling” **** The Guardian<br/>“A magnificent mix of stand-up, theatre and memoir which packs a powerful punch” ***** iTalkTelly<br/>“Compelling and poignant” **** The Scotsman

Thom Tuck sings The Mountain Goats. Heartfelt and really stupid. Featuring a full band and original arrangements. This is an unwise endeavour that has been going on for years.<br/>"he is a joy to spend an hour with, even when singing a song about domestic violence" The Scotsman<br/>"his hair is an ever-moving objêt d'art" Fringe Review<br/>"fruity, befuddled and increasingly melancholy" The Guardian

After a fatal stabbing, a promising young boxer is left for dead. As he lays unconscious he's transported to 18th century London where he receives lessons in not only Bare Knuckle boxing but what it really means to have courage. <br/>Black Terror takes you on a historical journey through Georgian England as boxing superstar Bill Richmond breathes life into a troubled young present day boxer. <br/>This is a work in progress written by Award Nominated Actor/Writer Kalungi Ssebandeke(ASSATA TAUGHT ME).

Ali is exhausted. Unable to detach reality from her own imagination she spins a tale that tests the limits of her identity and our own understanding. But does she know more than she’s letting on?
Seeing the world solely from her perspective we untangle a web that she herself seems scared to touch.
From the young voice of Sophia Capasso comes a gut punch that will leave audiences questioning the meaning of sanity. What do you do when you can no longer trust yourself and the system just isn't there to support you?

Award-winning international company HUNCHtheatre bring you an urgent modern adaption of Joseph Roth’s neglected 1939 European masterpiece. Andreas, a homeless immigrant alcoholic, is miraculously given a large amount of cash by a stranger. We follow him as he tastes luxury, drinks everything, confronts his dark past and tries to avoid more miracles. Using a team of refugee artists from across Europe, and incorporating their personal experiences, HUNCHtheatre update the text from a Europe on the brink of disaster in 1939 to London in 2020 . It is a tale for our times, a tale of homelessness, addiction, immigration and miracles in our city.

So what do you do when you’ve made the brilliant decision NOT to have children and then, at age 35, you find yourself pregnant? Answers on a postcard, please. <br/>A mischievous look at the existential crisis of motherhood. Award-winning Popelei return to the stage to take you on an exhilarating journey through the guilt and the glory of one woman going her own way. <br/>Featuring blisteringly honest confessions, vibrant dance theatre and one extremely knocked up performer.

Soph and her best friend Jel love scary stories. They hunt for the best ones on creepypasta sites, hunting the darkest online corners. But then strange and beautiful new girl Ellie turns up at school with a horror story of her own; a mysterious figure in the woods, the shadow of an axe. And when a girl in a nearby town goes missing, it seems their online monster’s come to life. <br/>Something Awful is a new play from Vault Award winning and Off West End Award nominated team Tatty Hennessy and Lucy Jane Atkinson, inspired by the real true crime story of the Slenderman. It’s a play about what we should be scared of, and where the real monsters live.

They say the truth hurts but it also sets you free. 'Radical honesty asserts that lying leads to stress and speaking bluntly even about the taboo creates happier people.'
But Zahra has her foot in her mouth so often, her breath tastes of the trifle that Rachel made in Friends. You know the one where she accidentally makes half a Shepherd's Pie and half an English Trifle and Ross tells Joey that it, 'tastes like feet'?
In this incredibly honest (and funny) show, Zahra reveals everything; because George Carlin said that 'Comedy is Truth' and Keats said that 'Truth is beauty'. Or was that Phoebe from Friends?
"A buzzy fluffball of comedy unafraid to take risks, like a cute lhasapoo puppy with a surprising snarl." Mumble Comedy ****
As seen on BBC I Player.

In this historical feminist coming-of-age musical comedy show, Harriet brings forth a team of rebellious women from the history of science to help her wage battle against ignorance, patriarchy and her inner demons. She also looks back over her career as a performer, from school plays to now, presenting her achievements alongside those of renowned inventors, healers and technological pioneers.
Bold move, idiot. <br/>***** EdFringeReview
**** Edinburgh Festivals Magazine "A highly enjoyable hour" The Scotsman

Come! Escape into the Realms of Warquest, where you can level up, complete quests, defeat monsters and watch a cheeky little man do some stupid character comedy. That's right my friends, it's another bit of fun from David McIver, all about escapism, loneliness and role-playing games. 'An outstanding, theatrical piece of one-man comedy' **** (Chortle). 'Uniquely inventive in its approach to comedy' ****½ (Short Com). Appearances on BBC Radio 1, Radio 4 Extra, BBC Three and iPlayer. Directed by Jordan Brookes.

“Why can’t you just be yourself: an actual person, not a look. Not an image”<br/>Carl is 21, skinny, afraid to come out and hates his body. <br/>Cameron is 30, has the classic Instagram body but can’t connect with the real world. <br/>Phil is fat and 40, which in gay years feels like life is already over.<br/>Toned, fat or skinny? Bodies can be a big part of a gay man’s world. But for Carl, Cameron and Phil having the ideal one matters a little too much. <br/>Following the critically acclaimed 'Open' in 2019, Full Disclosure Theatre return to VAULT Festival with a touching three-hander that tackles the timely LGBTQ+ issue of male body image, and asks if our desire to look perfect cuts more than skin-deep. <br/>Sometimes to bare all, means taking off more than just your clothes. Join us for a whole new reveal on a gay’s anatomy.<br/>The cast includes Dominic Jones as Carl, Mark Philip Compton as Phil, and Taofique Folarin as Cameron, best known for starring in TV & Web Series 'The Grass is Always Grindr'.

After their award-nominated, sell-out run at VAULT Festival 2019, The LOL Word returns with a Coming Out Special! Join Chloe Green, Chloe Petts, Jodie Mitchell and double act Shelf as they present an hour of stand-up about that ancient queer ritual: coming out.<br/>This gang of best buds and rising comedy stars will have you hooting with laughter at VAULT, with a brand new show about all things queer. Get ready for a raucous, inclusive, relatable and joyful celebration of being a lesbian, queer, non-binary or bisexual (while we collectively process our trauma, of course).<br/>Tickets for last year's Prom Special sold fast and they were nominated for the coveted After Dark award, so grab a date or your mates and get tickets, quick!<br/>As seen at Soho Theatre, Southbank Centre, London Pride, Latitude, Bestival, Gilded Balloon. As seen in the Guardian, the Independent, Time Out, and seen on BBC3, Pink News and LADBible. Sell-out run at Edinburgh Fringe 2017, 2018, 2019.<br/>“Hilarious, slick and smart ... it’s refreshing and revitalising to watch: they are energetic and exciting, oozing with passion." - Guardian
"My favourite comedy club in London" - Sofie Hagen
"Fierce, fiery and every so funny" - Broadway Baby
"Smart, insightful and completely relatable" - DIVA

Satire. Politics. Sex. <br/>'The Murder of Kuchuk Hanem' explores the idea of the 'Oriental' woman: who she was. is and would like to be; how she has come to be seen and how she sees herself. It is a an exploration of a long taken-for-granted narrative that, through this unconventional farce of a play, we hope to finally challenge.

Both ex-models looking for a more stable career, sketch comedy duo MOTHER are back for a raucous night of the best low brow, high camp sketch London has to offer. <br/>Bringing their hilarious brand of no holds barred comedy underground, grab a bev, get comfy and empty your bins because things are about to get trashy.

Winners: People's Choice Award Vault Festival<br/>As heard on BBC Radio 1. A ball-busting compere takes four improvisers to their physical and mental extremes in a series of games designed to test their wits and bodies. You get to decide who's worthy and win the ultimate prize: your respect.<br/>It's a high-octane mix of impossible challenges and incredible feats of daring. The teams contort their bodies, fight invisible giants and create jokes on the spot all climaxing with a terrifying audience vote. No two shows are the same! Expect big laughs, big cheers and good times.<br/>“In a league of their own” **** Fringe Review
What to do: Evening Standard Magazine<br/>StageWon Editor’s Award<br/>Independent on Sunday Top 10 Comedy Acts in the UK

Red Fox Theatre are excited to bring our award nominated show, "Catch of the Day." back to London this January.
?
Ireland, 1966. Joe Welch, a skipper, sails into Dingle Bay with a very unusual catch...what follows is a ridiculous series of events, involving Eamon De Valera, Queen Elizabeth and whole lot of nuns.
?
One fish can make a big splash.
?
A true story, Catch of The Day is a raucous and little-bit-political play with a lot of heart, a lot of laughs and live trad-inspired music, all set in a Dingle pub.
?
Fresh from its award nominated run at Edinburgh Fringe and sell out shows in London and Oxford, Catch of The Day returns to its birth place this summer for a 3 week run.

Ben Pope is 'a total delight' (Fest). <br/>This is his charming, dewy-eyed, freshly-jellied new work-in-progress show - jokes, stories and verbal potpourri about God, faith, weddings, constellations, hoarding, murder, STIs, dogs, postcards and (urgh) love. Expect a 'consistently funny and deceptively thoughtful' hour (The Scotsman) as Pope putzes around with a new project. It'll be sublime. <br/>**** 'Undeniably funny' EdFest Mag

Shh! If you’re reading this, then you’ve been invited to Ladylikes Top Secret House Party! With all their friends getting engaged, promoted, pregnant and the odd OBE award, Miztli and Phoebe (AKA LADYLIKES) felt it was time to celebrate the chaotic joy of being lost in your twenties. <br/>Join them for a party like no other, as they delve into the world of hen-do nightmares, office party creeps, and misguided kids' entertainers in a fabulous (and sometimes terrifying) exploration of what it means to be a modern-day party girl. So dust off your glad rags and gear up for an hour of sketch comedy featuring wacky characters, outlandish scenarios and a good dose of musical comedy from your BFFs-to-be!

Dirty stop outs is a party sketch show with a banging playlist, audience interaction and silly sketches are at its heart.
On the surface it’s a pretty typical house party; there’s awkward chat, unhinged hosts and a weird neighbour in the corner who nobody invited. They're here to entertain you with some of their newest sketches and silliest ideas.

Invisible Museum is a female led melancholic surreal comedy, about the life (and thoughts) of Yolanda, a Latin American immigrant, who works as gallery invigilator in a famous museum. Her job is to sit at the corner of the obscure “Emergent Artist’s Room” watching over the visitors to make sure they wouldn’t touch the art pieces. That’s ALL what she’s in charge of. She’s not allowed to interact with anyone or patrol around the rooms. She has to be still. Nevertheless, Yolanda’s mind is free to fly. And so, it will. Lost in her thoughts Yolanda mixes reality and fantasy, bringing to the audience her most secret desires. In the real world, she interacts with Laurelle and Wanda K. The first one the museum’s new curator recently nominated the youngest most successful Art Curator in UK, a true rising star. The second, a conceptual artist from East London, author of the art piece Yolanda looks after. An unknown emergency locks the three of them inside the room, forcing them to endure a very long time together. Reality merges with Yolanda’s dreams and desires (among them her burlesque fantasies) and we enter into a journey throughout her mind. Choreographies pop up as possibilities for relationships, spoken word suddenly seems to be the only way of communication and an increase surreal environment reveals layers of humanity. Invisible Museum is an all-female cast playing a melancholic and funny tale of self-exposure. An allegoric parade revealing the invisibility of lowers social classes, the clash of hierarchies and how pathetic humans and art can be, when truly undressed.

Two transgender performers say 'up yours!' to the gender binary and invite you to their radical dance party! Under disco lights, over pulsing music, a queer celebration takes place. Set in nightclubs, Sound Cistem is an exuberant verbatim show about the cisgender gaze on the transgender body. Featuring recorded interviews from trans and non-binary people, a self-love manifesto is made through riotous, glittering disco. This duo keep moving to reject conformity and shame, despite the current transgender debate. See the beauty in these bodies, and your own.

Collective act of golden manifestation, sacred laughter bath and ceremonial mess-about orchestrated by a preposterously dazzling goddess. Very golden, mostly truthful. Sacred as holy hell.<br/>Lucy Hopkins is an award-winning clown, director, teacher, priestess, clever person and lover of humans. Recently, she has appeared in the Spencer Jones's The Mind of Herbert Clunkerdunk (BBC) and been an associate director of Caroline Horton's acclaimed piece of theatre All Of Me.<br/>"Hopkins is fantastic" Guardian<br/>**** ‘Hopkins is utterly present... an otherworldly vision in gold... in this extraordinary transformative happening, which leaves its audience with a deep feeling of peace’ Scotsman<br/>***** ‘Outstandingly original... Lucy Hopkins is a golden-goddess revelation in this extraordinary power hour of one woman’s improvisation and the healing power of comedy’ ToDoList<br/>MUST SEE SHOW ‘Only Lucy Hopkins can Lucy Hopkins like Lucy Hopkins’ FringeReview.com<br/>***** ‘Lucy Hopkins will transform you... takes femininity and turns it into the most spiritual, enchanting and indeed: powerful of phenomena... a wickedly enjoyable hour"’ EdFringeReview.com

SOLD OUT RUN: Edinburgh Fringe (2017-2019)
SOLD OUT RUN: Melbourne International Comedy Festival (2017-2019)<br/>A raunchy, chaotic, and full-on trainwreck, Stamptown Comedy Night is a late-night variety show featuring the best alternative performance on the international scene. Hosted by the bad boy of comedy, Zach Zucker. <br/>Past acts include Catherine Cohen, Jordan Brookes, Natalie Palamides, Richard Gadd, Aisling Bea, Neil Hamburger, Lolly Adefope, Daniel Simonson, Bridget Christie, Tom Walker, Demi Lardner, Sam Campbell, Rosie Jones, John Kearns, Olga Koch, Reuben Kaye, Lauren Pattison, Jamali Maddix, Zoe Coombs Marr, Tim Key, Betty Grumble, ABANDOMANx and more. <br/>"If you don't got no sauce, you lost. But you could also get lost, in the sauce" Gucci Mane