THURSDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2017 THISWEEKLONDON.COM
NAOMI SHELDON: GOOD GIRL
If you were at the Edinburgh Fringe in the summer, you might have been fortunate enough to catch 'Good Girl', Naomi Sheldon's one-person show, a coming of age story exploring some important themes. If you didn't, you're in luck, because it's heading for a short run at the Old Red Lion Theatre next week.

To find out more about the show and its creator, I put some questions to Naomi, ahead of those upcoming dates. Read the interview here.

'Good Girl' is on the Old Red Lion Theatre from 27 Nov-1 Dec, see this page here for more info.



MOLLY NAYLOR: TRUE STORIES LIVE
If you're a fan of live storytelling, then rejoice, because Norwich Arts Centre's 'True Stories Live' is on tour and it's coming to a venue near you - The Rosemary Branch Theatre, to be precise. If you're not a fan, then you probably haven't seen any good storytelling, so here's your chance, right now.

Anyway, to find out more about what to expect from the event, and how it all came together, I had a quick chat with host Molly Naylor. Read the interview here.

'True Stories Live' is on at Rosemary Branch Theatre on 19 Nov. See this page here for info.


FRIDAY 17 NOVEMBER 2017 >>

Prince Of Fire | Tara Theatre | 17-18 Nov
"When Ravana the ten-headed demon draws darkness over the world, can Prince Rama and Princess Sita's love and courage bring back a glimmer of light?" This performance by immersive dance theatre company Forest Tribe is based on the story of Diwali, features an original score, dance, projections and puppetry, and sounds like the perfect candidate for a family outing. Head this way to find out more and book your tickets.

Anna Mann's Late Night Cheese And Sex Party | Soho Theatre | 17 Nov
I dare say you're all aware of Anna Mann, Colin Hoult's entertaining alter-ego. Here she hosts a wild night of cheese, sex and late night comedy, joined by a couple of excellent special guests, Zoe Coombs Marr and Steen Raskopoulos. Great fun for those of you who can afford to miss the last train home, and aren't really old and tired, like me. See this page here for info and to book.

Tom And Bunny Save The World | New Diorama | 17 Nov (pictured)
"As 2018 falls to a zombie apocalypse and London grinds to a halt, Tom and Bunny begin their perilous journey to Yorkshire in quest of sanctuary and a reasonably priced pint. A zombie epic for our time, defying gender stereotypes and joining black comedy with a live folk soundtrack, join Tom and Bunny as they discover what it is to be British in a crisis". This did well up in Edinburgh in the summer. If you didn't manage to catch it then, now's your chance. All the details are here.


SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2017 >>

The Rake's Progress | Wilton's Music Hall | 17-25 Nov
A first production from OperaGlass Works, and it's a staging of a classic, 'The Rake's Progress', as musicked by Stravinsky and libretted by WH Auden and Chester Kallman (yes, I may have just made a couple of words up, but it's been a tough week). It tells the story of Tom Rakewell, who abandons true love for the excitement of the city and is seduced by the vice-ridden underworld of London's East End, which looked a bit different back then from how it does now. See the venue website here for more.

Catriona Knox - Adorable Deplorable | Pleasance Theatre | 18 Nov (pictured)
"Some men have brought us to the brink of apocalypse. Now meet their wives. For too long they've been kept in the shadows. For too long they've been just a piece of lean meat on the arm of a sociopath. Well, not any more, London. For one hour only, open your earholes and hear them speak!" Really very excellent character comedian Catriona Knox introduces you to the women behind some not-great men. Head this way for info and to book.

The Coolidge Effect | New Diorama | 18 Nov
Storytelling, poetry and science come together to tackle the difficult subject of what effects the exponential growth of the porn industry and the consumption of porn is having on our mental health, relationships and sexual experiences. With the aim of opening up that conversation, this show has been devised using interviews with porn advocates, addicts, mental health experts and scientists to create a quartet of intertwining narratives. Important stuff. See this page here.


SUNDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2017 >>

Knock Knock | TheatreN16 | 19 Nov (pictured)
There's a reason why we gave 'Knock Knock's writer and and performer Niv Petel a ThreeWeeks Editors' Award up at the old edfringe this summer just gone. It all began when our reviewer saw it and came out and said this: "When the play ended, the audience didn't move, didn't breathe for what felt like an age; even now, hours later, I'm still reeling". Don't miss your chance to see this extraordinary show, see this page here for info.

And Then The Rabbit Died | Hope Theatre | 19-20 Nov
"As a storm batters against the doors of a small north Dublin community centre, a book group gathers inside to discuss their weekly readings. But something boisterous is coming this way.New member Aisling bursts in late and crashes the group who are already ready well under way. She is drunk, soaked to the skin and worst of all, she's pregnant". This promises to be a funny account of what it's like to be pregnant in contemporary Ireland. Click here for more.

Thirty Christmases Fundraising Comedy Night | New Diorama | 19 Nov
A fab looking fundraiser connected with 'Thirty Christmases', a show we will definitely be tipping in the near future. The amazing line-up consists of Josie Long, Jonny & The Baptists, Felicity Ward, Ahir Shah and Bilal Zafar, so you can be sure you are in for a very good night. See the venue website here for details.


MONDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2017 >>

The Wunderkammer | Soho Theatre | 20 Nov (pictured)
Excellent improv lot Do Not Adjust Your Stage bring their fab Wunderkammer shenanigans to Soho Theatre for the evening. If you're not familiar with the MO of the show, expect a fairly unique format in which the company take their inspiration for their improvisation from TED-style talks from leading experts of all kinds. The guest on this occasion is  film critic Helen O'Hara of Empire Magazine, talking about superheroes in film. Details right about here.

Glass Splinters | Pleasance Theatre | 20 Nov
A collection of new writing pieces inspired by women's stories, and written and performed by female theatremakers. There are nine different plays, including ones with some rather high profile historical characters at the core - the likes of Boudicca, Cleopatra Eva Braun and Ruth Ellis. See the venue website here for info.

Action At A Distance | New Diorama | 20-21 Nov
"In a small Nevada town, out-of-work plumber Chris stumbles across Josh, a charity worker exposing the truth behind US drone strikes in Syria and Iraq. Her fascination with his world and determination to win his approval sends her down a path towards desperation, obsession and the darkest of ethical dilemmas". Another Edinburgh success story (quite a few make it to London around this time of the year, don't they?) for your delectation. Click here.


TUESDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2017 >>

We Are The Lions Mr Manager! | Tara Theatre | 21-25 Nov (pictured)
"What you are running here is not a factory, it is a zoo. But in a zoo there are many types of animals. Some are monkeys who dance on your fingertips, others are lions who can bite your head off. We are the lions, Mr. Manager!" The story of the late Jayaben Desai, leader of the 1976-78 Grunwick Film Processing Factory Strike, as told by the excellent Townsend Productions. See this page here for details.

Wild Bore | Soho Theatre | 21 Nov-16 Dec
Three immense talents - Zoe Coombs Marr, Ursula Martinez, and Adrienne Truscott - get their arses out in the name of entertainment and sticking it to the critics; or, as my reviewer put it when he saw it in Edinburgh this summer "interrogating the relationship between artist and critic in the patriarchal framework of contemporary theatre". It's a super show, and won a lot of edfringe love, so don't miss your London chance to see it. Click here for more.

The End Of History | Tristan Bates Theatre | 14 Nov-2 Dec
A new musical about a group of teenagers attempting to deal with both puberty and the events of the 20th century - the treaty of Versailles, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and so on. Sounds like the music is influenced by the different periods referenced, which seems promising to me, plus it's from the same team that brought you the well-received 'Blair On Broadway'. Info right about here.


WEDNESDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2017 >>

Eugene Onegin | Arcola Theatre | 22 Nov-23 Dec (pictured)
Hurrah, the brilliant OperaUpClose are back with a new English version of Tchaikovsky's 'Eugene Onegin'. The company have set their production in the early 1960s, which seems like a promising setting for a coming of age story of lost innocence and hard-won independence, and of course, you know that the music is glorious. See the venue website here for all the details and to book.

Sex Workers' Opera | Ovalhouse | 22 Nov-2 Dec
"Whether you want to save us, judge us, lust for us or empathise, come down for a night of opera to hip-hopera, contemporary dance to pole dance, where Sex Workers take back the stage to tell our own stories in our own words". This multimedia production, written and performed by sex workers and their friends, has won much acclaim in recent years, see this page here for more info.

Typhoon West 2017 | Soho Theatre | 22-24 Nov
An international play reading festival, featuring three new works in development by East Asian playwrights, brought to you by Yellow Earth Theatre. Tonight, you can attend 'Fulfilment' by Jeremy Tiang, about the pursuit of the American Dream; tomorrow it's 'Zen', by Joyce Lee, about a Hong Kong expat living in London, under pressure and looking for peace; and on Friday it's the turn of 'Forgotten' by Daniel York Loh, set in China in 1918, inspired by the little known story of the Chinese Labour Corps who worked behind the front lines during the first world war. More details here.


THURSDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2017 >>

Tom Stade - I Swear | Leicester Square Theatre | 23-25 Nov
I think we should focus on things which might make us laugh and smile today, so you have a choice of two comedy acts and a pantomime. First up is Tom Stade, much beloved for a number of years by our Edinburgh review teams. Here are some phrases they have used in the past to describe him: "Brilliantly entertaining", "hilarious, blunt and rude " "foul mouthed and smooth talking". So I expect you'll be wanting to head right this way for all the details.

Cinderella | Greenwich Theatre | 17 Nov-7 Jan
I've kind of been caught by surprise, for lo, panto season has begun and I didn't realise. And that's made me realise just how much I have to do and get before Yuletide hits and now I am in a bit of a panic. But enough about me and the disappointed faces of my children on Christmas morning. Expect more panto tips coming your way, but this is the first one, 'Cinderella' at the Greenwich Theatre. You're probably aware of the venue's great track record in pantomimery, so don't delay booking your tickets, they'll be going quickly. See this page here for details.

Dan Antopolski - Return Of The Dan Antopolski | Museum Of Comedy | 22-25 Nov (pictured)
And so to your second comedy recommendation of the day, a show from the excellent Dan Antopolski, whose return to stand-up was very well received when he performed it at the 2017 edfringe. I bet lots of you are looking forward to seeing this silly and brilliant (and also thrice Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated) performer in action, so click this link here for all the info and to book.
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