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The Lambeth Fringe Festival (formerly Clapham Fringe) returns 25 September – 25 October celebrating 10 years of the festival with a programme of over 200 events.    The 2025 programme featuring theatre, comedy, cabaret, music and family events showcases the vibrant culture and community of Lambeth with a focus on platforming underrepresented voices in the arts.

Lambeth Fringe is produced by the team behind Bread and Roses Theatre, a 50-seat fringe venue above The Bread & Roses Pub. The theatre programs a wide-spread variety of productions for local as well as far-reaching audiences. Equality, diversity and artistic quality are at the forefront of the theatre's programming, which features in-house productions as well as many visiting companies.

Festival directors Velenzia Spearpoint and Rebecca Pryle said, “As we celebrate ten years of The Lambeth Fringe (formerly The Clapham Fringe) we’re thrilled to present our biggest and most ambitious programme to date. This year marks a major milestone, with support from Arts Council England, an expanded roster of venues across Lambeth, and the continued backing of our incredible partners and community. We’re especially proud to deepen our commitment to artist wellbeing through our partnership with Wellbeing in the Arts, and to introduce initiatives like the Lambeth Fringe Bursary and The Glitch Awards. The spirit of the Fringe has always been about creativity, accessibility and grassroots energy and in 2025, that spirit is stronger than ever.”

Programme highlights include:

Week 1, 25 – 28 Sept: CatGPT - Feline & Ferall (26 – 27 Sept) the ridiculous but true story of how one man dealt with the death of his beloved cat by bringing it back to life with tech, ingenuity and AI. In drag burlesque satire BINCELS (26 Sept) three incels hatch rotten plots to defeat the imminent threat of a “femoid” takeover delving into online subculture of InCels. In Bog Body: A One-Woman Show (25 Sept & 20 Oct) forensic anthropologist Dr. Alyssa Kim takes the audiences through a thrilling lecture about the discovery of a cursed 2000-year-old body found in a bog as she faces off against an ancient monster and her own deepest fears. The children of Lambeth are invited Myths, Maps & Monsters: Zeus' Birthday Bash! (27 – 28 Sept), but what promises to be a great celebration is tragically cut short when the evil Medusa steals all the birthday treats. The audience must navigate a chaotic world of mischievous Gods, wise Goddesses, and fearsome monsters, to retrieve the treasure, defeat Medusa, and restore order to Ancient Greece.

Week 2, 29 Sept – 5 Oct: A children’s poetry show for all the senses, A Noise Annoys (4 Oct) features rhymes, noises, songs, surprises and lots of interaction on a journey through the sounds of language and the language of sounds. The Ultimate Bubble Show (3 – 4 Oct) Ray Bubbles, International Bubbleologist and Guinness World Record Holder crafts bubble sculptures, volcanoes, bubble ghosts and a tornado inside a bubble in a show for children and adults. A comedy exploring the hidden propaganda in outdated children’s entertainment, Elephant in the Room (29 – 30 Sept) follows 94-year-old Babar, king of the elephants and one of the most adored childhood cartoons around the world, as he investigates if Babar is really the colonialist elephant in the room we've all been ignoring.

Week 3, 6 – 12 Oct: Willy Witches (8 – 10 Oct) four women navigate life in 17th Century England as women trying not to be burnt at the stake, crossing paths with an indifferent priest, a sassy teenage witch, a terrifying witch hunter and the men who are mourning the loss of their members. In outdoor experimental show Lost The Plot (8 Oct) a trio at the beginning of nowhere awaken to find nothing but a baby mobile above them and with no explanation for why they exist. MJ Hibbet: Data and Dr Doom (11 Oct) is a one-man musical performed by MJ Hibbet, the world's leading (also only) academic expert on Doctor Doom, explaining how all fictional characters can be understood with stats and randomised stratified sampling and why Doctor Doom is better than Batman.

Week 4, 13 – 19 Oct: head bucket bed (13 Oct) is a dance theatre performance building surrealist dreamscapes to explore the relationship between bodies and objects by playfully interacting, merging and transforming the material environment. In An Evening With Nana Funk (17 Oct), the great-great-grandmother of good times, Nana Funk, believes ageing well doesn’t mean behaving yourself in this One Nana cabaret show. This Wasn't the Plan (15 Oct) sees comedians Iman Ahmedani and Stuti Johri navigate identity, illness, love, and the messy art of self-acceptance in a show painting a tapestry of their experiences as women of colour in their early 30s. Mother Knows Best (18 – 19 Oct) is a play exploring how oppression is cyclical and how domesticity hides the horrors of the world outside your front door, through three daughters and mothers arguments taking place in three Jewish homes: one in 1900s Russia, one in 1960s South Africa, and one in 2020s Israel.

Week 5, 20 – 25 Oct: Thou Shalt Sit The F*** Down (20 – 21 Oct) Ben Everett Riley tells the true stories of the awkward, the outrageous and the outright unbelievable world of kid’s entertainment that you never knew existed in our very city. Joan: The Musical (20 Oct) is a triumphant tale about a woman’s dwindling confidence and her journey of self-discovery following Joan, an ex-West End dancer scorned by her ex-husband's wayward ways. #Hysteria: A History of Human Sexuality (20 – 21 Oct) is a satirical, educational comedy show exploring the historical views and problems surrounding sexuality and the health system. In Jane Eyre Convention (24 Oct) aficionados gather at the Jane Eyre convention to squabble over lines, scenes and interpretations as they piece together their reenactment of the book, but beneath the arguing and scene-stealing, real-life stories emerge and emotions run amok.

Full programme here

The festival is supported by The Bread & Roses Pub, This is Clapham, Carlsberg, Station to Station, Mondo Brewing Company, Wellbeing in the Arts

Venues

Arch 555 at Silly Towers (Bureau of Silly Ideas), Arch 18 Valentia Pl, London SW9 8PJ

Art4Space, 31 Jeffreys Rd, London SW4 6QU

The Birds Nest, International House, 6 Canterbury Cres, London SW9 7QD

Bread and Roses Theatre, 68 Clapham Manor St, London SW4 6DZ

Brixton Brewery Taproom, Arch 548 Brixton Station Rd, London SW9 8PF

Calder Bookshop & Theatre, 51 The Cut, London SE1 8LF

Central Film School, 72 Landor Rd, London SW9 9PH

The Cinema Museum, The Master’s House, 2 Dugard Way (off Renfrew Road), London SE11

Effra Social, 89 Effra Rd Brixton London SW2 1DF

The Glitch, 134 Lower Marsh, Waterloo, London SE1 7AE

Golden Goose Theatre, 146 Camberwell New Road Camberwell London SE5 0RR

The Great North Wood, 3 Knights Hill, Norwood, London SE27 0HS

Longfield Hall, 50 Knatchbull Rd, London SE5 9QY

Mondo Taproom, 86-92 Stewart's Rd Battersea, London SW8 4UG

Morley College, 61 Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1 7HT

Network Theatre, 246A Lower Road, Waterloo, London SE1 8SJ

Omnibus Theatre, 1 Clapham Common Northside London SW4 0QW

The Railway Clapham, 18 Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UR

The Sparrowhawk, 2 Westow Hill, London SE19 1RX

Teahouse Theatre, 139 Vauxhall Walk, London SE11 5HL

Upstairs at the Ritzy, Ritzy Cinema, Brixton Oval, London SW2 1JG

Vaulty Towers, 34 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RG

Vauxhall City Farm, 165 Tyers St, London SE11 5HS

White Bear Theatre, 138 Kennington Park Rd, London SE11 4DJ

SE Fest is back at Jack Studio Theatre and Bridge House Theatre September 2025

23 July 2025

SE Fest is a theatre festival based in southeast London to promote and celebrate new writing. It is hosted for the second year by two neighbouring venues, The Jack Studio in Crofton Park and The Bridge House Theatre in Penge, two award-winning theatres with a reputation for supporting and presenting new work.

SE Fest 2025 runs from Tuesday 2nd – Saturday 13th September 2025.

This festival brings exciting new theatre south of the river from intense family dramas to queer love stories, these shows encompass lived experience, explore the conflict between thought and reality, and what it is to find your way in the world.

The full programme can be viewed on the respective websites.

Jack Studio Theatre programme of shows

The Bridge House Theatre programme of shows

PENTAMETERS THEATRE OPENS FUNDRAISER TO PRESERVE ITS LEGACY AFTER RECEIVING EVICTION NOTICE

16/7/2025

Scott-Matthew comments: "We have loved ascending the delightfully creaky staircase above the venue you all know as Pentameters. Sadly, the leaseholder and their lawyers don't appear to share our vision and have served eviction notice. We are doing all we can to persuade them to allow more time, but last Sunday's 'Moon at Night' may be the last Pentameters event at the Horseshoes pub.  Of course! the show must go on! - Theatres like Pentameters are the cornerstone of a community, bringing people together to be rewarded with inspiration and entertainment, as well as in the proven links between theatre and positive mental health."

For those who can afford it,  a crowdfunding appeal has been set up - this money is what is needed to enable the theatre to move and store all the props and artefacts that have been so loved as part and parcel of the experience of Pentameters, to update the website and to pay for all the insurances and other fees in the new relationships being built with other venues.  This will enable the continuation of the Sunday's Moon at Night, and mounting new exciting productions. 

Over its long history Scott-Matthews has nurtured the talents of numerous writers who are now household names.   Dannie Abse (1923-2014), Kingsley Amis, Margaret Drabble, Ted Hughes, Laurie Lee, Roger McGough, Edna O'Brien, Harold Pinter, John Wain and the psychiatrist R.D. Laing.

Performers who appeared right at the start of their careers include: Adrian Edmundson, Ben Elton, French and Saunders, Nigel Havers, Celia lmrie, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Jenny Seagrove, Pamela Stephenson and Alexei Sayle. 

Léonie has been honoured many times for her work, including Camden Council an ‘Asset of Community Value’ award,2019 London Pub Theatres Award for Lifetime Achievement,2021 the Olwen Wymark Award for Encouragement in Theatre Writing (by The Writers Guild) and in 2020 she was awarded a British Empire Medal for services to British Theatre and the community in Hampstead.

Read LPTM interview with Léonie here

Donate here https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/saveourtheatres-1

BAFTA award-winning writers to debut new reimagined history play Dr Freud Will See You Now, Mrs Hitler at Upstairs at the Gatehouse

14/7/2025

BAFTA award-winning writers to debut new reimagined history play Dr Freud Will See You Now, Mrs Hitler Thursday 4th – Sunday 28th September 2025 Upstairs at the Gatehouse in Highgate.  Making its world premiere this autumn, Dr Freud Will See You Now, Mrs Hitler is a new dark comedy from BAFTA award-winning writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran (Birds of a Feather, BBC 1; Dreamboats and Petticoats, West End; The New Statesman, BBC 1).

This groundbreaking and plausible play reimagines a history in which Adolf Hitler visited Sigmund Freud for psychiatric treatment. This production by Chromolume (Road Show, In Clay, Tom Lehrer Is Teaching Math And Doesn’t Want To Talk To You, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown), the in-house company at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, is backed by extensive research.

The compelling story offers a new perspective on two profoundly influential figures of the 20th century who never met, but could have. Set in late-19th century Vienna, the production takes inspiration from a recommendation given by Hitler’s childhood doctor that he should visit a children’s psychiatric clinic opened by the world-renowned psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. In reality, Adolf’s father refused to take him for treatment. This poignant new work explores whether the 20th century's greatest psychoanalyst could have saved humanity from the era’s greatest psychopath.

The show moves from biting dry humour to creeping dread, leaving the audience to consider what therapy can and cannot achieve in the face of monstrous potential. Written by the British Academy Writer’s Award-winning duo behind Birds of a Feather and Goodnight Sweetheart, a 60-minute version of the play was originally broadcast in 2007 as part of BBC Radio 4’s The Saturday Play. This production is the first time the show will be fully realised on stage.

Produced by Chromolume, the in-house company at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, it will be directed by the Gatehouse Artistic Director Isaac Bernier-Doyle (Road Show, Upstairs at the Gatehouse; Blood Gold and Oil, Upstairs at the Gatehouse/ Riverside Studios; You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Upstairs at the Gatehouse /China Tour; Tom Lehrer Is Teaching Math And Doesn't Want To Talk To You, Upstairs at the Gatehouse).

Dr Freud Will See You Now, Mrs Hitler is a deeply researched piece, with strong connections to the Freud Museum in Hampstead – the location where the Freud family lived after escaping Vienna. Writer Laurence Marks comments, "Our play was a result of many years of studious reading, when it suddenly occurred to us that it was possible that two of the greatest German-speaking figures of the 20th century could have met one another. Our curiosity was such as to imagine what might have happened had they done so...and when we came to that conclusion, we thought a stage play was brewing." This is a work of the imagination, of course, but the line in the play, said by Sigmund Freud, "It's fascinating how, as modern life becomes more complex, the masses look to their leaders for ever more simple solutions", really resonated with what is happening over in the United States and Russia, under the Presidency of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. This is very much a play for today. We must never forget at this very moment in history the impact Freud and Hitler had on our lives, even if they are on the horizon of our memories. Would today's world have been a vastly different place had the two men really met?

Further details and box office

 Olga Braga has been announced as the winner of the 2025 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award for her play Donbas. Olga accepted the Award from Theatre503’s Chair James Dacre and Artistic Director Anthony Simpson-Pike, joint hosts of the Award event which took place at the 503Studio at Nine Elms, 10 July 2025.  Donbas was selected from 1377 plays from writers from 49 countries. 

The world premiere production of the play will be staged at Theatre503 as part of the Award. The prize also includes £6000, a production licence, and publication of the play by Samuel French Ltd, a Concord Theatricals Company.

Now in its 20^th year, Camden Fringe has announced a programme of more than 400 shows playing across 40 venues this summer. With a huge offering of theatre and comedy, the programme also offers dance, magic, music and more at venues including Etcetera Theatre, Hen & Chickens, and The Old Red Lion, which is presenting festival-within-a-festival Shakefest. From one-off performances to longer runs, the programme spans everything from — Bloody, Bloody Kansas (28 Jul – 2 Aug, Hen & Chickens Theatre), a show about America’s first known serial killing family — to the operatic The Marriage of Figaro (7 – 9 Aug, The Cockpit and 16 – 17 Aug, Upstairs at the Gatehouse), to musicals including NEPO, BABY! (20 Aug – 22 Aug, Etcetera Theatre).

Camden Fringe is an affordable alternative to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, offering performers the chance to try out new material and different ideas in a supportive setting with less time and financial commitments. The festival aims to give anyone the chance to perform and showcase their talents, from very experienced performers and companies to ambitious newcomers. With hundreds of shows covering all manner of subjects, the full programme on the Camden Fringe website allows audiences to find shows by venue, genre and even key themes, and, like the Edinburgh Fringe, shows will be on throughout the day.

Running over four weeks, highlights of the festival include:

Week 1, 28 July – 3 August: Kicking off the festival, Etcetera Theatre will host the fast-paced, witty feminist two-hander I’m Fine, It’s Just the Wine (29 Jul – 31Jul),  Rabbie Burns Bottom Drawers (28 Jul – 2 Aug, Barons Court Theatre) imagines the Scottish poet’s erotic fiction and Upstairs at the Gatehouse stages The Musical Medea (29 Jul – 3 Aug), a new folk musical retelling the Greek myth with an original score and actor-musicians.

Week 2, 4 August – 10 August: Lion & Unicorn Theatre presents MISS (7 – 9 Aug), a day in the life of a secondary school English teacher navigating her highs and lows. Rosemary Branch Theatre hosts Magic & Sex (4 – 6 Aug), Kathryn Haywood’s comedic exploration of magic, sex, and mentalism. T

Week 3, 11 August – 17 August: Please Shoot the Messenger (13 – 15 Aug) at The Hope Theatre is a show mixing Shakespeare, clowning, and physical comedy about a cursed royal messenger during a plague, whilst over in Shakefest at the Old Red Lion, (Un) Shakespearean Nightmares (15 – 17 Aug) looks at the bard’s minor characters and underdogs.  Dirty Laundry (14 – 19 Aug) at Etcetera Theatre is a visceral exploration of sex, shame and faith set in a Catholic laundrette, Fickle Eulogy (16 – 18 Aug) at The Hope Theatre is a solo show confronting grief and loss following a mother’s death from COVID-19. On the lighter side, Operation Blank (12 – 15 Aug at Hen & Chickens Theatre, 17 – 20 Aug at Canal Café Theatre) is a comedy about a junior government staffer trying to trigger a response to an atomic bomb threat via Microsoft Teams. 

Week 4, 18 August – 24 August:  At Hen & Chickens Theatre, Power Power (20 Aug – 24 Aug) is a silly situational comedy about hospitality and superpowers in a budget hotel, whilst LISA! The Mona Lisa Musical (22 – 24 Aug) is a comedy musical that fictionalises the story behind the world’s most famous painting.

Camden Fringe was established in 2006 by Zena Barrie and Michelle Flower. Zena Barrie said, “"We're proud that The Camden Fringe provides a platform and advice for new companies to experiment and get their ideas up and running and in front of an audience. We can't quite believe the two of us have been doing this for 20 years!"

Listings information

28 July – 24 August

camdenfringe.com

Click on the link below for shows at these venues:

Etcetera Theatre Camden

Hen & Chickens Islington (Highbury & Islington)

Old Red Lion Islington (Angel) SHAKEFEST

Barons Court Theatre West London

Lion & Unicorn Theatre Kentish Town

Upstairs at the Gatehouse Highgate

The Hope Islington (Upper Street)

Canal Café Theatre Little Venice

Rosemary Branch Theatre Islington

Social media

Bluesky           @camdenfringe.bsky.social

X (Twitter)        @CamdenFringe

Instagram     @thecamdenfringe

Facebook     www.facebook.com/CamdenFringe/

TikTok       @CamdenFringe

 The Bridge House Theatre in Penge is set to break new ground in June and July with the launch of PENGE WEST – A CONTINUING DRAMA, blending the addictive appeal of soap opera with the immediacy of live performance. In what is believed to be a first for London, this series of 8 live, episodic performances  unfolds over three weeks, promising to deliver fast-paced, emotionally charged episodes, just like East Enders or Coronation Street. The project plans to be a hybrid of classic soap opera tropes, theatrical storytelling, and audience interactivity — all set in the heart of south-east London, and more specifically, PENGE WEST,  following the lives, secrets, and relationships of a diverse group of local residents. Each performance includes two shows in one evening: the main soap episode and A CONTINUING DRAMA — a meta, behind-the-scenes story chronicling the fictional creation of the very soap the audience is about to watch. The result is set to be a self-aware, and hilarious theatrical double-bill that blurs the  lines between satire, drama, and community theatre. Performed script-in-hand by a talented ensemble — many of them familiar faces at The Bridge House — the show aims for spontaneity and evolution, with audience feedback actively shaping future episodes.

The series is written by acclaimed playwright Tim Connery (The Man in the Shed, Chet Baker: Let’s Get Lost, What A Gay Day – The Larry Grayson Story), and directed by John Handscombe (The One Hundred Year-Old Letter) and Luke Adamson (The Bridge House Theatre’s Artistic Director).

Tim Connery explained: “We wanted to create something truly communal, addictive, and entertaining. This is for theatre-lovers, soap fans, and anyone who just wants a night of unpredictable, fresh, funny, and touching live drama.”

Tickets are being sold on a Pay What You Decide basis in order to encourage repeat visits so that participants can follow and influence the ongoing storyline.

INFORMATION: A Continuing Drama Written by Tim Connery Directed by John Handscombe and Luke Adamson 17 Jun - 06 Jul Tickets: Pay What You Decide

VENUE: The Bridge House Theatre 2 High Street Penge London SE20 8RZ

TICKET PRICE: Pay what you decide

BOOKINGS: https://thebridgehousetheatre.co.uk/shows/penge-west/

TRAVEL Penge West (30 secs) Penge East (10 mins) Crystal Palace (13 mins)



OFF WESTEND AWARDS 2025: FULL LIST OF WINNERS & PUB THEATRE TRIUMPHS 

18/3/2025

The OFFIES 15th Annual Awards were held at the spectacular Central Hall Westminster with its beautiful domed roof on Monday 17 March 2025. The star-studded glittering event saw theatre professionals honoured for their work across eight categories. Our interviews with nominees and a full list of winners is below. 

Our award for best dressed goes to OFFIES Patrons LOUISE JAMESON, resplendent in sparkly suit and LINDA MARLOW rocking it in navy blue.  Not to be outdone, Presenter DIVINA DE CAMPO wowed in a drag queen outfit and Executive Producer DENHOLM SPURR was impressive in a contemporary glamorous two piece. 

With the OFFIES change of management effective at the end of last year, comes a new model with just eight categories. Concerns were raised that this would make it tough for smaller theatres to compete but at the beginning of the ceremony it was announced that there would be multiple winners in each section. Many pub theatres were successful in their categories. We caught up with some of the nominees for a chat, but did they win? 

MONICA SALVI was nominated for production for her show SPIRITS IN MY CLOSET (Stage Door Theatre). Salvi was one of the first to became aware of the new pub theatre in Covent Garden because she lives just down the road. ‘It had a brilliant lighting rig, and it had intimacy” which was exactly what she needed for her cabaret show about paranormal experiences. “All my life I’ve had this interest, and I’ve had a few experiences”. These fed into her songs, with “sleep paralysis, entities and a script”. Salvi had no intuition that she might be nominated for an award and although she didn’t win, she’s still a winner. 

REBECCA SIMMONDS and JACK MILES were nominated for creating IN CLAY musical (Gatehouse Theatre). IN CLAY is a “lockdown baby”.  Writer Simmonds was looking for composers to work with, and she discovered Miles who is “very into jazz”. The pair had the idea of a story about an artist of ceramics who doesn’t make the big time. “You can spend so much time chasing awards,” laughs Miles as he looks at the award that they have just won, “you can be looking for that kind of validation but it’s more about the creative process when it’s for you and you love doing it and you come away with something you’re really proud of.” IN CLAY has reached a fantastic level of success with upcoming tours to China (translated into Mandarin) and the States. 

NATASHA ROLAND and XHLOE RICE were nominated for their performances in A LETTER TO LYNDON B. JOHN OR GOD: WHOEVER READS THIS FIRST (Kings Head Theatre). The pair are from New York and had their London debut at King’s Head Theatre 2023 (in the days before the theatre moved into a purpose-built venue). Their following is here in the UK. “Luckily, we have such great friends in London now, who let us crash on couches.” The pair are known for very physical work with superb synchronisation.  “it’s based in clown, it’s very absurd, and all our shows have a similar DNA, based on Americana, pop culture and American history”.  After 11 years of friendship and working together, they can even “read each other’s minds.”  So, did they know that they would win, maybe not but they did. 

The full list of winners is below. 

PRODUCTION 

• Blood Show / Battersea Arts Centre, Chapter Arts Centre, Colchester Arts Centre 

(Battersea Arts Centre) 

• Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five (or the children’s crusade) / So It Goes Theatre 

(Brockley Jack Theatre) 

• La Bohème / The Opera Makers (Arcola Theatre) 

• Run, Rebel / Pilot Theatre (Theatre Peckham) 

• Sleeping Beauty / Broadway Theatre (Broadway Theatre, Catford) 

• Sophie's Surprise 29th / Three Legged Race Productions (Underbelly) 

STAGING 

• Hannah Grennell / Giselle: Remix (The Pleasance) 

• Christopher Haydon / Never Let Me Go (Rose Theatre) 

• Tom Littler / Twelfth Night (Orange Tree Theatre) 

PERFORMANCE 

• Natasha Roland, Xhloe Rice / A Letter to Lyndon B. Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This 

First (Kings Head Theatre) 

• Victoria Hamilton-Barritt / Bronco Billy the Musical (Charing Cross Theatre) 

4 

• Mark Weinman / Captain Amazing (Southwark Playhouse) 

• The Cast / Dick Whittington and His Cat (Greenwich Theatre) 

• The Cast and Orchestra / Eugene Onegin (Jacksons Lane) 

• Faye Castelow / Here in America (Orange Tree Theatre) 

• Rosalind Ford / In Clay (Gatehouse Theatre) 

• The Cast / Journey of a Refugee (Stanley Arts Centre) 

• Mariah Gale, Elizabeth Dulau, Alexandra Jensen / The Bleeding Tree (Southwark 

Playhouse) 

• Milo Twomey / The Harmony Test (Hampstead Theatre) 

• Jo Fong, George Orange / The Rest of Our Lives (Battersea Arts Centre) 

• Heather Agyepong, Tosin Cole / Shifters (Bush Theatre) 

• The Cast / Sleeping with Beauty (The Union Theatre) 

• Victoria Yeates / Wormholes (Omnibus Theatre) 

DESIGN 

• Amanda Ramasawmy / by their fruits (Theatre503) 

• Mona Camille / Kim’s Convenience (Park Theatre) 

• Douglas Baker / Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five (or the children’s crusade) (Jack 

Studio Theatre) 

• Jack Weir / Remembrance Monday (Tristan Bates Theatre) 

• Ryan Day / Now I See (Theatre Royal Stratford East) 

• Richard Evans, Rochelle Parry Clifford / The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan 

(Harrow Arts Centre) 

• Helen Skiera / Toto Kerblammo! (Unicorn Theatre) 

• Casey Jay Andrews, Simon Wilkinson, Gareth Fry / Viola's Room (One Cartridge Place) 

SOUND & MUSIC 

• Xana / King Troll (The Fawn), Shifters, Guards at the Taj (New Diorama/Bush 

Theatre/Orange Tree) 

• Beats And Elements / Romeo & Juliet (Polka Theatre) 

• Liam Holmes / Songs for a New World (Gatehouse Theatre) 

CREATION 

• Rebecca Simmonds, Jack Miles / In Clay (Gatehouse Theatre) 

• Khalil Abdalla / Nowhere / Fuel (Battersea Arts Centre) 

• Benedict Lombe / Shifters (Bush Theatre) 

• Roy Williams / The Lonely Londoners (Jermyn Street Theatre) 

5 

• Ollie Maddigan / The Olive Boy (New Wimbledon Theatre) 

INNOVATION 

• Contra, Le Carré Magique, Cambridge Junction / Spectacle of Herself (Battersea Arts 

Centre) 

INDUSTRY & INCLUSION 

• Birds Of Paradise Theatre Company / Don't. Make. Tea. (Soho Theatre) 

• Julia Thurston / Paved with Gold and Ashes (Barons Court Theatre) 

• Alex Hill / Why I Stuck a Flare Up My Arse for England (Southwark Playhouse) 

OffFEST 

• A Series of Introductory Lectures On Psychoanalysis (Producer: Zoe Hartland, in 

association with Musketeer Productions; Kings Head Theatre) 

• I Wish You Well (StoryWorks & Paul Taylor-Mills; Underbelly) 

• NeuroChatter (Sara Jane Harvey; The Fitzgerald 

• Ni Mi Madre (VagaMundo Productions, Laura Zlatos in association with Paul Morrissey 

Ltd; The Pleasance) 

• Spit In My Face (Something Queer Productions; Camden People’s Theatre) 

• μεταδραματικό / Postdramatic (EXPERIMENTA ART COMPANY AND THEKLA GAITI; 

Cockpit Theatre) 

• PRETTY, WITTY NELL (Rogue Shakespeare; Rotunda Theatre) 

2025 SPECIAL AWARD 

• Mischief Theatre 2025 SPECIAL AWARD Lynette Linton & Daniel Bailey

LOOK FOR THE WOMAN FESTIVAL RETURNS TO ROSEMARY BRANCH THEATRE FOR THE THIRD YEAR

21/2/2025

LOOK FOR THE WOMAN festival of female & femme clowning & comedy returns to Rosemary Branch Theatre for the third year this March. The much loved venue, on the border of Hackney and Islington, has been run by women for the last 29 years.  The festival celebrates Women’s History Month, by putting female humour on full display with a  lineup of comedians, clowns and comics. 

Artistic Director Laura Kileen comments:

"'Cherchez la femme' is a somewhat cheeky French phrase. It embodies a cliché of detective pulp fiction: no matter what the problem, a woman is often the root cause. However, to many of us this could be stated conversely: no matter the woman, there is often a problem she is having to solve. And usually, with a good dollop of humour.

We’re here to look at the past, present and future of performance and all that female and femme creators can make of it. Come to the Rosie this March to celebrate, interrogate, and above all, laugh your head off!"
‍

Some of the highlights include a first look at new work by Lorna Rose Treen (Dave’s Joke Of The Fringe, ★★★★★ Observer, Telegraph), a free event run by LA-based clown Natasha Mercado and many more shows from internationally acclaimed stand ups and creators.

Full details and tickets are on the Rosemary Branch website here

List of shows:

THE DIRTY THIRTY - IWD SPECIAL

March 7th, 9pm & 8th, 7pm

The Dirty Thirty is the livest of live theatre. Each weekend Degenerate Fox premiere new scripted works in an 

ever-changing menu of theatrical delights, all set right here at the Rosemary Branch Theatre on the day you are 

watching them. These plays could be anything - current affairs, games, dances, songs, dramatic monologues, 

comedic scenes, audience participation, feats of strength and stuff there isn’t a name for yet.

Degenerate Fox - The London Neo-Futurists - are talented performers, writers, directors and theatre-makers from across the globe, some of whom are LGBTQIA+ and disabled. They have been performing their signature show, The Dirty Thirty, as the  resident theatre company of the Rosemary Branch Theatre since April 2017. They have performed at Pleasance Main Space, edfringe, and Camden People’s Theatre.

LORNA ROSE TREEN: WORK IN PROGRESS

March 7th, 7pm

Award-winning, comedy-killing (The Sun), former-Cadbury World-working character comedian Lorna Rose Treen is trying out a bunch of new bits. And who knows, maybe one will win the next Dave’s Joke Of The Fringe? (They probably won’t) .

Creator and star of R4's Time of the Week. Telegraph’s Top 5 Comedy Shows 2023. Chortle’s Best Sketch Act 2024. Chortle’s Best Newcomer 2023. Funny Women Awards’ first-ever double winner (2022).

‍“The most fun a person can have in a room featuring folding chairs” ★★★★★ Observer

“One of the most exciting young comics around” ★★★★★ Telegraph

“I laughed so much I violently bit my tongue” Independent

SOFT CLOWN JAM - FREE EVENT!

March 12th, 7pm-9pm

A playful exploration of physical comedy, sensitivity, and earnestness. This is a space to experiment, take creative risks, and connect with others in front of an audience. Whether you're a seasoned performer or trying something new, join us for an evening of laughter, absurdity, and artistic discovery. 

Performers are invited up in small groups to improvise together, guided by live prompts from LA-based clown and director Natasha Mercado (as seen on The Joe Schmo Show and [adult swim]). All are welcome! Everyone is invited to come hang out to watch and/ or perform for any and all of it.

#1 SON

March 13th & 14th, 7.30pm

LA clown Natasha Mercado invites you to a mass that’s equal parts holy and horny — hosted by God’s sexiest son, Father Greg Orian. Experience a religious awakening like no other. Desire and devotion. Sacred, yet profane. It's like church, but with "smash or pass" revelations about lust, lies and living with your demons... As seen on The Joe Schmo Show and [adult swim].

“Ridiculously funny” ★★★★ The List UK

“Think Drake, but slimier” ★★★★ The Skinny

"Fearless and Completely out of your mind" -David Shiner, Co-Creator of Cirque Du Soleil

THE BEST WOMEN I KNOW

March 16th, 7pm

The Best Women I Know is a comedy celebrating the women in our lives, and the diverse and often absurd experiences of being a woman in today’s world. Join us for a series of comedic sketches and poetry in which we encounter the many faces of women: from dog-mums to dictators, agony aunts and witches, old enemies, new acquaintances, and everything in between. The show platforms the writing and performing talents of women with comedic and poetic backgrounds to bring a rich range of styles and experience. 

TAMSYN KELLY: WORK IN PROGRESS

March 18th , 8pm

Continuing her life’s theme of total chaos, Tamsyn moves to Glasgow to live with a guy she’s known for four months. Struggling to make friends and fit in, Tamsyn goes to see a psychic for reassurance that it will all work out, but instead gets the opposite.

“Hilarious” Independent

★★★★★ Lost in Theatreland

★★★★ Funny Women

CANDACE BRYAN: MILF (MOM I’D LIKE TO FIND) WORK-IN-PROGRESS

March 19th, 7pm

Long distance situationships. Exile in Paris. Unrequited sexts. Shroom trips. Foot fetishes. American standup comedian Candace Bryan was having a wild year, when one night she came face to face with someone unexpected and began to question everything.

In her new work-in-progress show MILF: Mom I’d Like to Find, Candace tells this story and shows that no matter how far and fast you run from your past, it can define you in unexpected ways.

In her sly, deadpan style, she pokes fun at modern dating, maternal relations, life in late capitalism, gender norms, and her own toxic masculinity.

“Maximum laughs” — British Comedy Guide
“Well funny…immediate approachability” — The Mumble
“A global talent” — her visa

TALL TALES & COCKTAILS

March 20th, 7.45pm

An evening where standup comedy & storytelling collide. A cast of female and femme comics will be entertaining an adult audience with crazy tales from their personal experiences with a wicked & comical twist.

THE MAGIC LADY

March 23rd, 7pm

A haphazard showbiz loon enters the Magic Circle after years as a glamorous assistant, stepping out of the shadows cast by famous magicians and into the spotlight to tread the boards once more! It's a faux magic comedy show featuring puppetry, camp surprises, body popping, levitation, exorcisms and hypnotism.

“Deliciously daft” The Guardian

“An electric performer” ★★★★ Everything Theatre

SMALL GIRLS WITH TALL ENERGY

March 26th, 7.15pm

Chantel Nash started performing stand-up comedy half way through 2022 and her effortless charm is winning over audiences one postcode at a time. She has reached the finals of both the So You Think You’re Funny? and BBC New Act competitions last year. Samira Banks is an exciting new comedic talent of middle eastern heritage. She has been making waves on the UK circuit since bursting onto the scene winning the prestigious So You Think You're Funny? Competition in 2023.

AYOADE BAMGBOYE: BREAKING MY SILENCE

March 26th, 9.15pm

A curious look from one of the greatest minds of Nigerian descent - Ayoade Zahrah Bamgboye is finally breaking her silence, because if it is to be said – so it be – so it is.

F*CK AROUND, FIND OUT

March 27th, 7.30pm

F*ck Around, Find Out - the new writing night that does just that. With a twist. 

This March, four writers will have a short extract of their new material performed in front of a live audience. They (the audience) will then vote for the piece they want to see more of – the one that they didn’t want to end. The winner will come back again at a future FAFO for a longer performance, alongside three new pieces, and the game goes on. Are you in? Expect daring, audacious comedy, 10/10 acting, and all in all, a great night out.

WHO TOLD YOU TO BE SMALL

March 28th, 7pm

After a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe, artist Beth Knight brings her show Who Told You To Be Small back to London. It’s a story of tackling her demons with painting, comedy, and a jab at the patriarchy.

Glasgow-based artist Beth Knight used nude self-portraits to overcome the shame she held about her body. She started small, painting herself in an unflattering light crying, and showing that painting to the world. Piece by piece, she put her loathing about her looks on blast, with each painting becoming larger and more intimate. It culminated in a pop-up gallery using wall-sized advertisement space in the London Underground, with her painted nude portrait standing 5 and a half meters tall for the world to see. She tackled the misogyny around the standards of beauty that kept her hiding her body for decades by diving into the fear with art and laughter. 

Beth received her Master of Fine Arts from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. In 2023, her paintings have gone on to be included in the Ruth Borchard Self- Portrait Prize exhibition and were in the pre-selections for the Royal Society of Portrait Painters competition. After launching her stand-up career in London last year, she’s performed in top comedy clubs, including The Billy Murray, Monkey Barrel, and The Stand. Now she’s blending her paintings and comedy into an hour show about her fight with internalised patriarchy.

★★★★ ... This show is an example of why the Fringe is wonderful (the show is wonderful too). —One4Review

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The Rosemary Branch

Theatre. Pub. Kitchen.

2 Shepperton Road

London, N1 3DT

An award-winning theatre & pub.

Anthony Simpson-Pike said: “I can’t wait to get started on working with game-changing writers that are the lifeblood of Theatre503 and I am honoured to build on Lisa’s rich legacy of supporting bold and diverse new writing. Theatre503 holds a vital and unique place in the industry, and in my heart, as the national theatre of debut plays. I have always been inspired by the breadth, ambition and innovation of the stories I’ve seen here. It is a vital space for artists to dare to write their boldest work and for audiences to see plays they couldn’t see anywhere else."

Anthony joins the company in February 2025, overseeing the final stages of the 2025 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award (to be announced in Spring), the next steps towards opening the 503Studio at Nine Elms, and programming his first season of work - to be staged from 2026 onwards.

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