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Hello there. It's Thursday again and time for another edition of the TW Weekly from ThreeWeeks Edinburgh and ThisWeek London. Once again, this bulletin has top tips for shows to see in both Edinburgh and London in the week ahead. From the Edinburgh Festival, check out the latest Quick Quiz interview with Ed Gamble, this week's TW:TALKS podcast with Yianni Agisilaou, plus three shows to see at the Fringe tomorrow. For a daily helping of features, Three To See and all the latest ThreeWeeks reviews, sign up for the TW Daily here. Also in this bulletin is our weekly guide to the cultural week ahead in London, which is also looking really good. Have a great week, Caro Moses Editor, ThreeWeeks Edinburgh and ThisWeek London |
With the Edinburgh Festival still in full swing we have more TW:TALKS podcasts coming your way direct from the Fringe. This week a former winner of a ThreeWeeks Editors' Award, the brilliant Yianni Agisilaou, who TW:TALKS about his many Edinburgh shows, from his first stint at the Gilded Balloon all the way to new show 'Pockets of Equality'
CLICK HERE to tune in to this edition of TW:TALKS - going live very soon!
Yianni Agisilaou performs 'Pockets Of Equality' at Edinburgh Festival 2017 at Banshee Labyrinth until 27 Aug.
Giants: For An Hour | Pleasance Courtyard | 4.30pm
Highly recommended sketch comedy with musical infusions, says our reviewer of these two guys: "Possessing a great rapport and the ability to riff easily with their audience, this pair are nearing the level of comedy duo The Pin".
Prom Kween | Underbelly Cowgate | 8.35pm (pictured)
Looking for something a bit musical? "Full of pithy jokes, on-point pop culture references and superb surprises", says our reviewer, this is "a life-affirming musical that fuses all your favourite high school movies with 'RuPaul's Drag Race'". And what more could you want from a Fringe show?
Bacchae | theSpace @ Surgeon's Hall | 10.15pm
"Flying Pig Theatre makes the narrative accessible while still engaging with the lustrous depth of the characters and preserving the play's identity", says our 5/5 review of this production. "Through hypnotic musicality and a cohesive dynamism, Flying Pig makes watching a classic not just enriching but really enjoyable". Go see.
This August the Edinburgh Festival celebrates its 70th anniversary. To mark the occasion, we have asked a plethora of performers about their personal Fringe experiences. Today comedian, podcaster, actor and one half of Peacock & Gamble, Mr Ed Gamble.
CLICK HERE to read Ed Gamble's answers to the Quick Quiz.
Ed Gamble performs 'Mammoth' at Edinburgh Festival 2017 at the Pleasance Courtyard until 27 Aug.
FRIDAY 11 AUGUST 2017 >>
The Monk And The Lotus | Arcola Theatre | 11-16 Aug
Another show from Arcola Theatre's Grimeborn season, 'The Monk and The Lotus' is an operatic adaptation of well known Chinese story 'Zen Master Yu', and combines a modern operatic approach with elements of classical Chinese aesthetics and innovative stage direction. For more info see this page here.
Dancehall Sweethearts | Upstairs At The Gatehouse | 11-13 Aug
Back over to the Camden Fringe now for this play by Mial Pagan, which is set during the Northern Irish sectarian civil war of the 1970s and 80s. Focusing on music loving teenager Donal, it promises to be a hard hitting drama which examines how even the unwilling can end up involved in conflict, and what impact that can have on their lives, and those of their families. See the venue website here for details.
zazU Part II - A Fete Worse Than Death | Soho Theatre | 11 Aug (pictured)
If you are a regular reader then you possibly know just how much we like the work of the zazU team and the wacky narratives that come forth from their alternate universe. They're actually doing a run of their whole trilogy, but I somehow managed to miss the first one. Thank goodness I managed to find out about the second and third parts in time to tell you about them. Click here for number 2 and here for number 3.
SATURDAY 12 AUGUST 2017 >>
The Non-Parent Trap | Hen & Chickens | 12-13+19-20 Aug
The overall sentiment behind this show seems to be that in contemporary times, people still don't accept that it's okay for a woman to decide that she just doesn't want children. And I must say, I agree that's the case: people level weird accusations at those who do - say that they are cold, or even selfish - or tell them that they will definitely change their minds. It will be interesting to see what Nina Davis comes up with in exploring this sort of attitude, click here for more.
Wayne McGregor's +/- Human | Roundhouse | 10-28 Aug
Some brilliantly innovative shizzle for you over at Roundhouse this month, a collaboration between award-winning choreographer and director, Wayne McGregor and contemporary art collective Random International, put together with new music from iconic electronic music label, Warp Records. The result is a fusion of immersive installation and live dance, which sounds pretty funky. Head this way for details.
The Odyssey | The Scoop | 9 Aug-3 Sep
Hurrah for open air theatre, especially if the weather is nice. If it's not, wrap up and dig out your waterproofs, and head for the free theatre at The Scoop. The show, which, you'll have deduced, is a staging of the epic Greek tale, is divided into three sections - one at 6pm, one at 7.30pm and one at 9pm, so you can take in all three in one night or spread it out over more. For all the info, see this page here.
SUNDAY 13 AUGUST 2017 >>
V | Arcola Theatre | 13 Aug
This is another pick from the previously mentioned Grimeborn fest at Arcola, and I've a couple of reasons to be extra interested in this show: Firstly, it's a musical conceived by younger people aged 14-25 from Arcola's Creative Engagement department and written and composed by emerging artists. Secondly, it's inspired by 'Twelfth Night', and I have always liked 'Twelfth Night'. See this page here for info.
Sparky TKO: Mansplaining | Hen & Chickens | 13-15 Aug (pictured)
"Sparky's new narrative adventure (not geographical per se) through song and poem explores the shouldn't-actually-be-that-complex-but-is topic of gender - the problems with binary perspectives, the ongoing pursuits of equality, and just what his obsession with his arch nemesis is. How can the privileged work to support a more level playing field?" Very contemporary issues explored in an interesting manner. Definitely on my to-see list. Click here for info.
There Be Migrants Here | Theatre503 | 13-14 Aug
Another very contemporary issue explored by playwright Sara Bodinar, but from a slightly surprising angle: "In the Brexit aftermath, war rages in England and France. Daisy and Tom are British refugees who have escaped to the relative calm of rural Romania, where ill-equipped to cope with life on the run, they stalk the house of local couple; Mariam and Cezar, looking for somewhere to hide". Head this way for details.
MONDAY 14 AUGUST 2017 >>
Xi Xiang Ji (Romance Of The West Chamber) | The Lion and Unicorn | 13-15 Aug
"Set in the Tang Dynasty, Xi Xiang Ji tells the story of a secret love affair, in a monastery, between a high-ranking beauty and a lowly scholar. Tensions arise when life or death obstacles befall them. Torn between love and honour, the two must fight for their survival and for each other, with the help of the maid". A production of the very famous romantic comedy written by Yuan Dynasty playwright Wang Shifu, which looks very promising. On as part of our beloved Camden Fringe, see this page here for more.
James Veitch - Dot Con (and some extra bits) | Soho Theatre | 14-16 Aug (pictured)
He's fairly well known - not least for the speedy popularity of that TED talk - so he might already be on your to see list, but I thought it worth pointing out that James Veitch is headed for this run at Soho Theatre. As his blurb points out, you can expect unashamedly nerdy and hilarious techie-themed content. See the venue website here for all the details.
The Lost World | Wilton's Music Hall | 14-18 Aug
The Lucky Dog Picturehouse is dedicated to recreating the original cinema experience, bringing together classic silent films and live, period specific music. And so, you lucky dogs, you get to experience the 1925 film of Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 book of the same name, which features pioneering techniques in stock motion by Willis O'Brien, and will be accompanied by the Lucky Dog Picturehouse Quartet. Hurrah. Click here for info.
TUESDAY 15 AUGUST 2017 >>
Fall Out | The Bunker Theatre | 15-19 Aug
This is part of The Bunker Theatre's InMotion Festival and is the latest show from contemporary tap ensemble Old Kent Road. I love a bit of tap, me, and this promises an experimental journey through the process of falling out of love, accompanied by a live band. I really, really want to see this, and wouldn't be surprised if you lot want to see it too. Head this way for all the info.
Skewed Judgement | White Bear Theatre | 15-26 Aug (pictured)
"It starts with a Tinder date between Ad and Claudine. A week later, they are at it again, only this time with the offer of breakfast from Claudine's ex-boyfriend and flatmate James. Ad and Claudine's relationship develops fast, but Ad knows all too well that sparks will fly once he introduces her to his dad Peter, and Peter's younger boyfriend Mikhail". A play that offers a comical glimpse into the lives of people bound together by circumstances, but separated by political belief, see this page here for info.
Broken | Etcetera Theatre | 14-17 Aug
Back over to the Camden Fringe for another show with themes of falling in and out of love, this time Matthew Lyon's poetic and satirical fusion of Shakespeare and modern language, set in London, and focusing on the end of a relationship. For details and to book, see the venue website here.
WEDNESDAY 16 AUGUST 2017 >>
Samson And Delilah | Arcola Theatre | 16-26 Aug
More from Arcola's excellent Grimeborn now (there are so many good things to see) and this time it's a bold new take on Camille Saint-Saëns' biblical epic, directed by Aylin Bozok, who won the WhatsOnStage Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her production of Pelléas et Mélisande at Grimeborn in 2013. I totally love Saint-Saëns, and I can sense this will be brilliant. Click here for more.
Dirty Tap Funk | The Bunker Theatre | 15 Aug-2 Sep
And yay, also more goodness from The Bunker's InMotion Festival, thanks to a three week residency from Dirty.Tap.Funk. "What happens when you combine four of the most talented dancers in the U.K. with a heavy duty pop funk combo in the heat of a London summer's night?" ponders the blurb. And yes, we are about to find out. See the venue website here for details.
Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre Do Shakespeare | The Bill Murray | 16-17 Aug (pictured)
If you are in the mood to laugh your socks off, then spending a bit of time with the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre might well be in order. This act has been wowing our reviewers and their fellow audience members for years up at the old edfringe and if you haven't ever seen them before it is totally time to put that right. See the venue website here for info.
THURSDAY 17 AUGUST 2017 >>
Collision | Arcola Theatre | 17-19 Aug
Yes, yes, yes, we are back to Arcola's Grimeborn season, and there's a reason for that, it's because everything looks so blooming good. This next one sounds like such a cracker, part absurdist science-fiction, part sultry cabaret, conceived by Kurt Schwitters in 1928 as a Dada-esque piece combining hyperactive farce and nihilistic satire, but never produced in his lifetime. Fantastic, see this page here for all the info.
Foreign Body | Soho Theatre | 16 -18 Aug
The blurb contains a warning that I feel it's important to repeat here, and that's that this show contains sensitive material on the subject of sexual assault, so it might be a tough watch. If you can bear it, however, Imogen Butler Cole's debut solo show promises to be liberating and life-affirming, an exploration of healing and forgiveness after sexual assault told from the dual perspective of both survivor and perpetrator. See the venue website here for details.
Earth - A Children's Story For Adults | Hen & Chickens | 16-20 Aug
"Earth was born in a family of orphans and she struggled whilst trying to gain independence from her overly possessive elder brothers, Sun and Jupiter. Despite her brother's warnings, she is determined to become a mother, unaware of the complications involved". This interesting sounding one-woman show, written by Kashyap Raja and performed by Karolina Kriks is an autobiographical fairy tale narrated by Earth herself. Part of Camden Fringe, see the festival website here for more.
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At TW:CULTURE we champion the best in culture. ThisWeek London recommends Three To See in the capital every day. ThreeWeeks Edinburgh covers the best of the Edinburgh Festival. The TW:TALKS podcast talks to great cultural people. © UnLimited Media, a division of 3CM Enterprises Ltd UnLimited Media, Kemp House, 152 City Road, London EC1V 2NX t: 020 7099 9050 (editorial) 020 7099 9060 (sales) Send press releases to TWlondon@unlimitedmedia.co.uk publishing@unlimitedmedia.co.uk | complaints@unlimitedmedia.co.uk |