Reviews

‘At its heights, it’s a new kind of in-yer-face theatre’ ★★★ Unflinching and hard-hitting, Quickening is the tale of three connected abortions over thirty years apart. By Flaming Creature Theatre Company, a new independent band of creatives, the debate around abortion is framed with fictional narratives, historical records and real-life transcripts. This six-member cast weave together a defiant, feminist and radical story of how women can be sidelined in gynaecology departments. At its heights, it’s a new kind of in-yer-face theatre. Running for an hour, the show investigates the recent medical and cultural history of abortions. The term ‘Quickening’ arose over time to describe when a pregnant woman first feels their baby move inside them. But this show investigates the dangerous implications of this word and how, for some mothers, the “coming into being” of a baby can signal the end of their future. Stand out performances come from Betty Blythe and Lola Gordine as two young women who become friends whilst having abortions in 1972. Blythe transitions magically from a pregnant teenager into a mother, revisiting the same pressures she faced onto her own daughter who has recently tested positive. Gordine, portraying a woman who is both incredibly avoidant and angry, has a wicked ability to create comedy where many would find none. The script’s dialogue can be just as unforgiving, powerful and tenderly poetic in its humour or anger. Yet, in moments, you can feel the devising sessions that should have stayed in rehearsal poking through the final product. Projections of statistics, facts and statements that appear across the back wall don’t stay long another to make an impact upon the action in front of them. Occasionally, scenes feel rushed, especially between writer-actor Madeleine Whitmore (the newly pregnant Darla) and Gaby Albertelli (playing Sam). Ambitiously, Quickening tells a story that many would shy away from putting on altogether. But for me, I would like it to be bolder, more rebellious and disobedient to accepted cultural norms. Show me in blistering detail the events in the history of abortions that many have tried again and again to sweep under the carpet. All being said, I hope this is just the beginning for this new theatre group. Quickening by Madeleine Whitmore at The Lion and Unicorn 25 – 29 August 2026 Part of Camden Fringe BOX OFFICE https://camdenfringe.com/events/quickening/ Cast: Lina - Betty Blythe Josey - Lola Gordine Darla - Madeleine Whitmore Sam - Gaby Albertelli Golder - Mary Alcott Welton - Horatio Holloway Crew: Writer - Madeleine Whitmore Director - Sophia Orr Sound designer - Dilan Kumar Associate Director - Arianna Muñoz Costume designer - Helen Lyster

‘Creditable effort’ ★★★ The plot of Mozart’s 1791 masterpiece is so impenetrable that I’ve long thought it’s best simply to sit back and enjoy the music. So I was amused to see that in director, Marcio da Silva’s programme note he admits that he and his company have more or less decided simply to enjoy the fun of this pantomimic, fairy story fused together with freemasonry rather than worrying too much about what it all means. Part of the annual Grimeborn Festival, this version of The Magic Flute is as accessible as it could be. Unusually for Mozart it comes with large chunks of German spoken dialogue. Here it is delivered in English complete with jokes about Camden and pizza. Most (but not all) of the sung work is in German and the mixture works surprisingly well. The basic story presents a young woman, Pamina, (Anna-Luise Wagner alternating with Helen May) who is held by a group of priests and who may or may not need “rescuing.” Various people then get involved in retrieving her. Wagner (soprano) is terrific as Pamina. She has a fine voice and her acting is warmly convincing. And in the intimacy of Arcola Studio 1 it needs to be because the action is very close to the audience. John Twitchen, tenor, excels as Tamino, who eventually hooks up with Pamina and Vedat Dalgiran has exactly the gravelly basso profundo voice required for Sarastro, the chief priest. Even his grandiloquent speaking voice is as sonorous as a massive old bell. The star of the show, however, is Flavio Lauria as Papageno (bass) the bird man, He leaps about, his elastically expressive face always telling a story and – it’s a huge part – he sings impeccably. And fancy being able to whistle the flute glissandi so incisively in tune! He really is a joy to watch in action. On the other hand this production comes with flaws. Studio I is configured the opposite way round from how I’ve seen it in the past. This means that the orchestra (string quartet with double bass, clarinet, oboe and percussion) is tucked into one corner where most of the cast can’t see da Silver most of the time – and it shows. There were missed entries and occasional tempo discrepancies. And, although these players did a generally good job the sound was ragged at the start, possibly because da Silva took the overture too fast. I was expecting to see a “chamber” production. In fact there are seventeen people in the cast plus six children who puppet and sing (quite well) the Three Boys. That is too many to get on an off smoothly in the Studio I’s small space. You really need only four people to sing the male chorus, for example and some roles can easily be doubled with the Three Ladies. And amongst the ensemble not all the singling was up to scratch. It is indicative of a problem when your percussionist is obliged to sing with the male chorus. Some of the acting is wooden and at one point they hold folders and appear not to be “off book”. A little more rehearsal might have helped. Nonetheless it is an enjoyable evening. Mozart’s glorious music (full marks to Juliet Petrus for her two dramatic Queen of the Night numbers) always carries the day whatever you do to it. It’s a witty production and I admire the ethos of Ensemble OrQuesta which works very hard to provide opportunities for performers and to open opera to everyone. The Magic Flute Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Ensemble OrQuesta Arcola Theatre, Dalston 25 – 29 August BOX OFFICE https://www.arcolatheatre.com/event/the-magic-flute/ This show is part of Grimeborn Festival at Arcola Theatre Full programme https://www.arcolatheatre.com/festival/grimeborn-2026/

‘A welcome addition to the fringe comedy cannon, original alternative material with a dead pan delivery.’ ★★★★ This solo comedy sketch show created by actor and comedian Mary Redmond, offers highly original material. Mary Redmon uses mime and cinematic voice over to very clever comic effect, introducing the audience to several characters. These range from Hermione who takes herself very seriously, to a sock puppet who possesses Redmond and a film director who is obsessed with the desire to shoot a scene focusing on the right knee. The sketches come so fast that there is barely time to laugh, as there is so much story to absorb, that takes some concentration, but the rewards are great. One of my personal favourite sketches is the Teddy Bear. Redmond delivers an epic, from first love (the Teddy), to children, to mid-life crisis to old age and death. Utterly convincing, endearing and hilarious. And how about the pub. Redmond becomes a bar maid, pulling pints and dealing with unpleasant customers. It’s a recurring sketch throughout the show. She announces ‘pub’ and we know exactly where we are. So, when an astronaut reaches space with his massive helmet (so well drawn by Redmond that we can actually see it), and she announces, ‘pub’ and pulls a pint, obviously the best in the world. Sadly, it just bounces off his helmet, and no one is more surprised than him to find himself in space and unable to quench his thirst. Redmond’s material has been worked on over many years, with some new gems added for this very short run at the perfect venue for this kind of show, with its café style set up. Hopefully, she has many more characters and stories to bring to the fringe. It clearly is a lot of work to finesse these complicated offerings. With real clarity of storytelling comes the need to have voice overs with exact timings. These are worked to perfection with Redmond playing all the roles and working alongside herself. It’s a multiplicity of characters, all played by one person. Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mazpantzcomedy/

‘good, fresh and original comedy ’ ★★★★ A foray into stand-up at the Camden Fringe rather than our usual drama, and a reminder of how good fresh, original, well-devised comedy can be. Renée Rossi gives an hour of sketches and gags based broadly around the theme of organised religion, specifically Christianity, and perhaps more specifically Catholicism. And, while like all sketch shows some bombs hit harder than other and some simply bomb, the energy of Rossi’s performance and coherence of her premise deliver far more hits than misses. Among other excellent skits, we get a glimpse of how the world might have been if the Serpent had had Adam rather than Eve taste the forbidden fruit (over-confident, self-regarding, bit creepy), how an actor who wants to be Mary in the nativity play can all the same do something unexpected with the role of ‘sheep’, and how all the other mothers have decent, smiling photos of their kids they can show around but Mary Mother of God can’t catch a break on that one. The show risks polemic without much humour in the sections on Mother Teresa’s absence of goodness, though the anger driving that justifies its inclusion. Around it all, there’s also a neat framing device where Renée applies to an unseen panel to be a Saint, even though she’s not good, or even Catholic, or has any of the required two miracles to her credit – no spoiler alerts on how she resolves that one. It’s a very fluent performance with a script that’s been worked on and honed and some excellent punchlines (a water into wine one’s beautifully set up), although the sketches sometimes take a little long to reach them. And all this is interspersed with ‘religious’ music (My Sweet Lord, Sympathy for the Devil etc) and entirely unexpected props (holy macaroni!). Only two nights, so already over, at least at this venue, but this feels like a show with legs, and well worth catching when it travels. GOD BOMB by Renée Rossi at Hen and Chickens 22 & 23 August 2026 Produced by TheHatchery — the resident creative incubator at the Hen and Chickens Theatre. David Weir is the author of the Westminster Mysteries novels and his plays include Confessional (Oran Mor, Glasgow), Murdering the Truth (Greenwich Theatre) and Better Together (Jack Studio, Brockley, London).

“Three years after its Edinburgh debut, this three-hander once again attempts to bring the pair back to life with a personal touch” ★★ Lights fade on Winston Churchill and David Lloyd George posing together in shapes that you can still find in bronze just outside of the Houses of Parliament. Yet three years after its Edinburgh debut, this three-hander falls flat when bringing the pair back to life. Written by none other than Robert Lloyd George, great-grandson of Welsh prime minister David, the script is informed by previously unseen family documents. But despite his well received family biography named Winston and David: How a Friendship Changed History and a decent fringe run a few years ago, the piece fails to sparkle. Instead, Winston’s rise to power and David’s fall from it becomes a list of historical events which only occasionally spotlight what bound these two together as friends. During an obituary tribute to the House of Commons in March 1945, Winston Churchill named David Lloyd George, “the greatest Welshman which that unconquerable race has produced since the age of the Tudors.” Much time is spent showing how the respect between these two men grew in this play and yet, too long a time is spent merely affirming Churchill’s statement. Very rarely and, usually through the incredibly short speech of the play’s female characters, do we see the Welsh prime minister morally questioned. The lack of perspective, especially female perspective, serves as a central problem. The script had ample chance to portray David Lloyd’s George’s secretary, then mistress and finally, second wife, as more than a plot device pushing the narrative forward. You cannot introduce the women surrounding great political actors by merely giving them the role of chorus. Only when Frances (David Lloyd George’s mistress) refuses to marry after becoming pregnant does the Welsh PM finally take shape in front of our eyes. David Lloyd George was both the man who would suggest his mistress remarry to cover up a potential child but also the politician who so well advocated for the votes of women. The acting is also unbalanced. Peter Swales quickly becomes the ‘bull dog’ in Churchill we have come to know so well and invites us into the contradicting obsessions — namely painting, warring and drinking — to great effect. Joseph Emms’ Lloyd George, more cartoonish and less convincing, struggles to make himself properly known to the audience. Alexandra Donnachie switches at pace between female characters but never really loses the austere look of David Lloyd George’s mistress. Theatre scripts can always work as active, full-bodied, history lessons and yet, the balance between both must be maintained if a show doesn’t want to feel like a mere roll call of important dates. But whilst the work creates the atmosphere of the commons and often of war, the play often reveals its reliance upon structure, history and dates. What clearly worked in Robert Lloyd George’s family biography in 2005, now struggles to settle with a stage beneath its feet. There’s too much historical event dropping and not enough drama that makes these political figures into theatrical characters. One only has to take note of the simple arrangement of history through this piece by hearing how many times “Order, Order”, can be heard through the speakers BOX OFFICE https://www.tabard.org.uk/production/winston-and-david-26 Directed by Nick Hennegan

‘The play reaches its climax with a genuinely shocking twist’ ★★★ A travelling salesman in his fifties and a glamorous teenage social media influencer may at first appear to have little in common. However, Victor and Malika share one key attribute: they both struggle to move on from previous relationships, and are haunted by the ghosts of their respective pasts. Significant Other explores the ways in which old flames are constantly re-ignited, pervading everyday life and becoming impossible to ignore. The narrative follows the separate journeys of Malika and Victor as they attempt to navigate their lives after the demise of their respective relationships. Malika’s ex-boyfriend begins to stalk her obsessively after their relationship ends, and Victor is troubled by the presence of his ex-wife in seemingly implausible situations. The play allows for some ambiguity around whether all of these appearances are tangible, or if something more metaphysical is taking place, giving the performance an unsettling undertone that effectively portrays the stranglehold of the past on the present. These two characters are also similar in their propensity for egotism. Victor’s delusion that he deserves to win every prize at his corporate annual awards, and Malika’s obsession with documenting every mundane aspect of her daily life at stage school to her Instagram followers creates an amusing parallel between the two. Bold, self-concerned and slightly ditzy in comparison to her aspiring medic friend Sophia, the social-media obsessed Malika has the potential to come across as unlikeable. However, Christie Fewry plays her with so much heart that it is impossible not to root for her, as she struggles to balance schoolwork, her relationships and her all-consuming dreams of becoming a star. The friendship between the two feels genuine, and with her ex-boyfriend casting such a sinister shadow, it feels only right that Malika has a loyal compatriot to guide her through post-break-up life. Writing young people can often be challenging due to the ever-changing nature of their idiolect, but playwright Shireen Shaikh manages to effectively capture the speech patterns of contemporary teenagers, allowing the two characters to feel all the more authentic. In contrast, the romantic relationships in Significant Other feel a little less developed. The dynamic between Victor and his ex-wife is an interesting insight into the resentment that can grow between former lovers. The audience are offered glimpses into their idyllic past of picnics and dancing by moonlight, building a picture of their bygone romance. However, some aspects of this feel a little undercooked; in particular, their relationship to their child and how this drove a wedge between them, which feels as though it could benefit from deeper exploration, due to the complex subject matter. Similarly, the relationship between Malika and her ex-boyfriend creates enough sinister tension to propel the play forwards, but also feels as if some key aspects of how the toxicity of the relationship really took hold are missing from the story. The performance is sprinkled with lots of genuinely very funny moments, most notably the visual gags that arise from Victor’s bizarre relationship with a life-sized doll, which functions as a stand-in for his more opinionated ex-wife. But underneath the comedy is the deep sadness of a man who struggles to be truly alone once his relationship has dissipated, which is balanced masterfully by actor Kit Smith. The frequent switches between characters played by the same actors, and jumps in the chronology of the story are a little hard to follow at times, although a lot of the unclear details of the plot do become apparent by the ending. The play reaches its climax with a genuinely shocking twist (evoking actual gasps from the audience) and feels like a satisfying culmination of the tension that builds up until that point. Despite its issues with characterisation and structuring, the play is still an engaging, and poignant exploration of past relationships, and how they continue to torment the present. Significant Other is on at the Brockley Jack Studio Theatre from Tuesday 18 – Saturday 29 August 2026 at 7.30 pm Box Office https://brockleyjack.co.uk/ Cast, Crew and Production Victor: Kit Smith Malika: Christie Fewry Sophia: Leila McCalla The Woman/Receptionist/Reporter: Kate Russell-Smith The Boy/Waiter/Jerome: Bryan Seisay Voice of Awards: Host Leila McCalla Voice of Gary: Bryan Seisay Voice of Judge: Kate Russell-Smith Written by Shireen Shaikh Presented by Thisisnow Productions Director: Julia Stubbs Set & Costume: Designer Willoughby Brow Lighting Designer: Ben Batdorff Technical Assistant & Operator: Danny Turner Design Assistant: Minna Keenan PR & Photography: Grey Swan

‘heavy topics seamlessly incorporated into a lightweight delivery; laugh out loud, energetic and a lot of fun.’ ★★★★ Three friends Michelle, Denny and Sebastian have set up a business with a new take on counselling. Women can come and role play their issues with men. Michelle is the founder and facilitates the sessions with ‘good guy’ Denny and ‘bad guy’ Sebastian. The sessions cover a number of contemporary issues: Cass has daddy issues, Joan keep being overlooked for promotion, Lucy is an influencer who isn’t getting her man and Owen has mild incel issues and thinks he might have more success if he was gay. As the story progresses some of the company’s ethical structures are exposed, mainly due to the blossoming romance between client and provider. Michelle tries to rein it in without success, and then she confesses her own shortcomings which results in the business folding. Writer L. T. Hewitt also plays Denny whose persona grows during the show. The character is a little zany but quite lovable and this is one of the strengths of the play. All the characters are likeable and have warmth, so not likely to put audience members on high alert considering the sensitive issues being raised. The heavy topics are seamlessly incorporated into a lightweight delivery. It is all wrapped up in a lot of fun with laugh out loud lines and scenarios. The overriding theme suggests that an obsession with notching up achievements in life, is counter-productive to our well- being. Chill out and enjoy time with friends is something that audiences might take away from the show. All the performances work well, with Calum Goring playing unloved Owen on a knife edge between sanity and insanity with excruciating awkwardness. He’s playing in counterpoint to Brontë Beckett in the role of self confident influencer Lucy, sex starved and available for love. It’s an obvious pairing, but this is comedy, so nothing runs smoothly until the very end when the various story lines in the play are tied up in a feel good resolution. All the actors play their roles well, but Brontë Beckett is a stand out, effortlessly and believably giving a picture of an influencer who spends more time on line rather than with people, and yet, she is surprised by her lack of success in relationships. Beckett throws herself into the role with the knack of knowing how far to push it, grounding her character in truth, allowing her character flaws to show through along with a level of vulnerability. A little niggle here, some of the actors go a little over the top and lose the credibility of their characters. Director Heather Collier does a terrific job considering the breadth of the themes, and story lines, but L. T. Hewitt’s script is a gift to comedy. It’s the perfect show for the fringe, without any need for expensive sets, sound or lighting or costume design. These were all achieved nicely at a basic level, and sometimes the most fun can be had in a room with a great script and a cast who are able to play comedy. Unseen Theatre presents THE FAKE MAN INSTITUTE 11th to 22nd August The Golden Goose, London, SE5 0RR BOX OFFICE https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/118177 Cast: Michelle – Rachel Greenwood Denny – L. T. Hewitt Sebastian – Charlie Wright Cass – Sadi Masego Lucy – Brontë Beckett Owen – Calum Goring Joan – Audrey Kong Crew: Writer: L. T. Hewitt Director: Heather Collier Producers: Heather Collier and L. T. Hewitt Tech: Mig Dulevicius Set design: Heather Collier and L. T. Hewitt Assistant Director: Jimmy Morgan

“Deeply satisfying, camp, and somehow cosy” ★★★★ ½ If you’ve ever wondered who that stranger is you sometimes see on the bus, or that guy who’s always sat in your local pub, then ‘I Pie With My Little Lie, Something Beginning With Murder’ is for you – because you’re about to find out who they could be. This fantastic solo comedy welcomes us into a local greasy spoon by the river, where we unwrap the hidden inner lives of an unassuming regular crowd. With a brilliant Mark Lyminster in all the roles, we’re served a straightforward series of vignettes linked together by our weary server-host’s narration. It’s not necessarily the recipe that makes this solo show so special; it’s the cooking and raw ingredients, like a nice steak. The 60-minute piece is simple – but utterly engaging from start to finish. They’re just really good stories, told really well. We meet a transplantee with a shady family history, a vengeful quizzer, an uppity book club chair, a cottaging youth, all with one thing in common: they have in one way or another committed murder in the most domestic and unshowy of ways. The sheer ordinariness of these individuals bears the twinkly darkness of some of Roald Dahl’s best adult creations. And like that literary master, Lyminster makes use of whimsical wordplay throughout, with an alliterative motif appearing like the Grim Reaper to signal death is on the way. It feels as though these irresistibly likeable killers inhabit a parallel world, reflecting back our own, where complicated evil makes us laugh and the everyday becomes macabre. It’s a madcap, random idea that never tries too hard. Not only is this a quality script that I think would make an equally good read, but Lyminster is a second-to-none comedian, conjuring a cast of colourful characters with the warm and cheeky charm of Victoria Wood. His delivery is terrific, folding the audience into laughter with a single glance. And he’s clearly a fantastic actor, able to create such double-take realism in his caricatures that once or twice I thought our protagonist’s limp was a sign that he’d actually injured himself during the performance – then it would effortlessly disappear. With the donning of a hat or a pair of glasses, Lyminster dissolves into his characters around the café without the need for gimmicks; he barely changes but somehow changes completely; his deployment of the occasional accent is refined for maximum comedic effect. This is a confident and capable performer. Overall, I Pie, is a rare gem: deeply satisfying, camp, and somehow cosy. Completely non-threatening despite all the death. Lyminster himself is gold and the script is stellar, a gift for any actor. The only critique is that the show could possibly be elevated even further with a co-writer, just to help polish off some of the lines. Lyminster’s delivery of even the weaker moments is excellent, so I reckon still greater heights could be achieved. But that doesn’t diminish the enjoyment of it as it is. If you’re hungry for a good laugh, find a performance of I Pie, or anything featuring Mark Lyminster for that matter. I know I will: because I could definitely do with another slice. I Pie With My Little Lie, Something Beginning With Murder Hen & Chickens Theatre, 15 & 16 August 2026 Written & Performed by Mark Lyminster Directed by James Wren Produced by The Hatchery Reviewed by Alix Owen

‘tackles some important themes with sensitivity and humour’ ★★★ The obscurely named The Whisper Comes Before The Plant is a flat share dramedy about a young woman in an abusive relationship with her inner voice. Writer and performer Nia Braidford leads the cast as Faith, a relentlessly uptight 20-something looking for a lodger. Enter Timmy, with the aforementioned pot plant. He is sweary, outgoing, frequently shirtless and, Australian. In a hugely likeable performance from Louis Walwyn , his superhuman tolerance and compassion prove to be a much-needed antidote to Faith, who is gloomy in the extreme. But you can hardly blame her for that when she is haunted by a physical embodiment of some dark corner of her own psyche or past, who spouts a torrent of demands and abuse. As The Whisper, Sonny Pilgrem lends his resonant voice to a role strictly limited to a narrow range of emotion, and indeed, lines. Still, he cuts an imposing figure with a strong presence and suitably ghoulish air. The Whisper’s dynamic with Faith is a compelling idea and a rich opportunity for nuance and depth. Their relationship is the cornerstone of the story, and its development represents Faith’s character arc. However, that development rests entirely on Faith’s responses to The Whisper, while his lines remain repetitive and one-note. The plot also leaves something to be desired. There is a well-conceived and dramatic climax, but too much of the story is interpersonal and introspective, rather than arising out of any real action. Technical operator Iqbal Garewal makes fair use of the simple lighting equipment on offer to add dimension and colour to the serviceable set, and the sound design is atmospheric. The two elements come together in a montage-style transition in which a few weeks pass by in flashes. This standout sequence shows thoughtful work from debut director Wesley Bozonga . It is a brief foray into non-naturalism which I would have loved to see taken further, much like the part of The Whisper. The Whisper Comes Before The Plant tackles some important themes with sensitivity and humour, and showcases promising creatives. With an hour to spend on live theatre in a fringe setting, you could certainly do a lot worse. The Whisper Comes Before The Plant by Nia Braidford, directed by Wesley Walwyn at The Hen & Chickens Theatre 13 – 16 August 2026 Part of Camden Fringe Instagram therainbowroomproductions