THURSDAY 8 MARCH 2018 THISWEEKLONDON.COM
ANDREW WESTERSIDE: THE AUDIT
You might already be aware of producing company Proto-Type Theatre, whose acclaimed previous production 'A Machine they're Secretly Building' was on at the Edinburgh Festival last summer, and subsequently in London in the autumn. They're bringing a new piece, 'The Audit' to Artsdepot this week.

To find out more about the show, I spoke to Andrew Westerside, writer and director of the play, and co-artistic director of the company. Read the interview here.

The Audit is on at Artsdepot on 10 Mar, see this page here for more information and to book.


FRIDAY 9 MARCH 2018 >>

Zoog | Camden People's Theatre | 9 Mar (pictured)
"Zlil-hen Saks & Yoli Seker are not one of those couples who work together. Their relationship is none of anyone's business and they generally had no intention of making a show about a hackneyed subject such as couples. How did it end up happening?" This sounds rather novel, which is what I'd expect from something showing as part of Sprint 2018 at CPT. Presented in both English and Hebrew, 'Zoog' promises to take its audience "on an intimate journey which is both extremely personal and utterly universal". Details here.

Ok Bye | Vault Festival | 7-11 Mar
This is kind of a reminder, really, because you may already have seen and read our Q&A with the director and co-creator of this show, Vicki Baron, and therefore pretty much definitely decided that this is a must-see event. But in case you missed that... it's an eclectic show, featuring physical theatre and storytelling, and explores the theme of goodbyes: how and why we go through them, the different ways we do it, and the impact they have on us. See this page here for more information.

Follow Suit | Vault Festival | 7-11 Mar
And I thought we'd stay at Vault Festival, because we can, and because this other show caught my eye. That sounds familiar, I thought. And then I remembered why it sounded familiar, it's because it won so much critical and word of mouth acclaim up in Edinburgh last summer. It's a dark physical comedy set against the backdrop of the world of high finance. Head this way to book your tickets.


SATURDAY 10 MARCH 2018 >>

Comedy Club 4 Kids | Soho Theatre | 10 Mar
Well, it's come round again, our every-few-months tip of the brilliant Comedy Club 4 Kids. It's not that it's only on every-few-months, no no no, it's on more frequently than that, but even I, a huge fan, can't justify including it in the Three To Sees every time. Anyway, if you've not ever taken your young fry to one of these, it's time you did, and if you've been before, isn't it time you went back? Always lovely, great line up, see this page here for more.

One Last Waltz | Greenwich Theatre | 9-17 Mar
"Alice is becoming more and more forgetful. Her daughter Mandy is always on hand to help out but the strain is becoming too much. A long forgotten photograph stirs a memory and lures Alice back to the Crown Hotel in Blackpool. Hoping for a chance to dance in the tower ballroom one last time mother and daughter set out, but Blackpool isn't how Alice remembers and things become too much for her as she finds herself getting lost in the past". A funny and touching play dealing with the difficult subject of Alzheimers, details here.

Trap Street | New Diorama Theatre | 6-31 Mar (pictured)
I had this down for tipping yesterday but then when I came to write it up I discovered that 9 Mar was already sold out, which was vexing. Well, for me. I expect those associated with the show are perfectly happy about it. Anyway, I moved it to today, and, as of writing, there are still tickets for 10 Mar, for this no doubt utterly brilliant show. How do I know it's brilliant? Well, it's by TW favourites Kandinsky, so I don't need to see it to be pretty sure that it will be another high quality production. Click here for details.


SUNDAY 11 MARCH 2018 >>

Windibops | Jacksons Lane | 11 Mar
If you have kids who find anything scatological hilarious (I think they mostly do go through this phase, though not all of them do) then this sounds like the ideal show to delight them this Sunday afternoon. That said, there's a lot more to this than a poo-theme; expect a high quality, well choreographed show from this all female dance theatre company. But you know, the characters are named Volta Flatulence, Caroline Trumpface, Sally Silent But Deadly and Daisy Parphead, and it's set in their Windibops laboratory. See this page here for more.

Then Again | King's Head Theatre | 11-12 Mar (pictured)
"Scientist and YouTuber Millie is busy studying for her Phd in quantum physics, making videos of her oddball inventions and hanging out with her best friend Anna. She's just about keeping on top of things when she accidentally invents a time machine. Before long she meets duplicate versions of her future self who start to lend a hand. The increasingly ambitious and self-obsessed Millie is sucked into the fickle world of internet celebrity, replacing Anna with her millions of fans. Does she need more subscribers or does she need true friends?" Yay, it's time travel. And theatre. Most definitely my thing. And possibly yours. Click here for info.

After The Ball | Upstairs At The Gatehouse | 7-24 Mar
You may be thinking "that show name sounds familiar", and if you read last week's interviews then that's possibly why, because we published a Q&A with the writer of the play Ian Grant. As you might recall, it's a play set in London during and between the world wars that takes a look at how a family navigates its way through this difficult period, and explores political and social themes. You were no doubt planning to see it after you read the aforementioned article, so now that I've reminded you of it, why not head right this way to book a ticket or two?


MONDAY 12 MARCH 2018 >>

Shanter | Old Red Lion Theatre | 12-24 Mar
This show takes a look at what might happen when banter goes too far (though some might argue that any banter is going too far) and how it has the potential to affect a friendship group, offering an insight into current youth culture and how exposed young people are. Childhood friends Berty, Amber, Hamish and Sam get together for a pissed-up reunion at a festival, but an unexpected arrival plays havoc with their plans. See the venue website herefor details.

The Search For A Black Browed Albatross | Camden People's Theatre | 13 Mar (pictured)
"Tent? Check. Food and water? Check. The unceasing drive to complete your late father's life-list? Check. When Charlie finds her father's old birdwatching book, she sets out to find one last bird to complete it for him, for her, and for their relationship". I'm close to someone who has a birding life-list, which is why this jumped out at me, though my mind boggles slightly at the thought it could actually be completed. This looks great, though, and is of course part of the ongoing and fabulous Sprint 2018. Information here.

Suzi Ruffell - Keeping It Classy | Soho Theatre | 12-17 Mar
"From the moment she arrives on stage she absolutely owns the room and the audience is with her from the very start", wrote one of our review staff about the excellent Suzi Ruffell, back in 2016. Would you like to hear a bit more? Yes? Here you go: "Exuberant and affable, her anecdotes bring her family and friends to life. Ruffell has a great talent for telling a story then hitting you with punchlines you didn't see coming". This is a different show, obviously, but it's the same charming and talented Suzi Ruffell. Head this way to book your tickets.


TUESDAY 13 MARCH 2018 >>

Dr Faustus | Arcola Theatre | 13-17 Mar (pictured)
"An unquenchable desire for fame drives Faustus to learn the magic of the dark arts. He summons the demon Mephistopheles using him to strike a deal with Lucifer - his soul for twenty-four years of infinite power. The cost of his worldwide notoriety is infinitely high as the damned hour approaches". You know the plot, and you may have seen the play staged before. But this looks like a fab production of the story, brought into contemporary times by Tangle, South West England's African Caribbean Theatre Company, and accompanied by  southern African-inspired music. All the info is here.

Jesus And Lucifer | King's Head Theatre | 13-17 Mar
This sounds guaranteed to cause offence to somebody, but it also sounds fun, so I am duty-bound to let you know about it. It's a musical in which Lucifer finds the love of his life in Jesus, and God is not at all happy about this. Not sure whether it's because God is homophobic, or if God just doesn't like demonic manifestations of evil. Either way, this looks like a potentially rather amusing piece of musical theatre for people who enjoy irreverence. See this page here to book.

Lord Of The Flies | Greenwich Theatre | 9-17 Mar
"Eleven children, one island... an incredible adventure turns into a fight for survival". Like 'Faust', this is also a well known tale (though probably less produced for the stage) and you can rest assured that it's in safe hands, as this production is from an award winning company who've been staging classic texts for a decade or more; you may have seen the work of Lazarus Theatre Company at Greenwich Theatre on previous occasions, most recently 'Edward II', earlier this year, and 'The Caucasian Chalk Circle' in 2017. Head this way for details.


WEDNESDAY 14 MARCH 2018 >>

The Woman Who Gave Birth To A Goat | Camden People's Theatre | 14 Mar
About time we got back over to Sprint 2018 at CPT, I reckon, as it's been a whole, um, day, away from there. Well, there is so much great-sounding stuff on, it only makes sense to keep talking about it. Anyway, here is our latest pick, a show that delivers exactly what the title suggests: a story about a woman who is pregnant with a goat, which promises to be an absurd comedy examining the tricky relationship humans have with animals. For more information and to book, head right this way.

Great Apes | Arcola Theatre | 14 Mar-21 Apr (pictured)
"When Turner Prize-winning artist Simon Dykes wakes up one morning after a wild night out, he finds his world has changed beyond recognition. His girlfriend, Sarah, has turned into a chimpanzee. And to his horror, so has everyone else. Immediately rushed to hospital, Simon is taken into the care of charismatic radical psychiatrist Zack Busner and treated for being under the psychotic delusion that he's human". Will Self's story, adapted for the stage by Patrick Marmion, staged using movement and puppetry. Sounds good, no? See this page right here.

The Dirty Thirty | Vault Festival | 14-18 Mar
I love things like this: a changing menu of thirty short plays, and excitingly, the audience get to decide the order in which the plays are performed, so each night will definitely be unique. Which is fun enough as it is, but then you've also got a variety of themes and formats to look forward to. Degenerate Fox promise to "engage, titillate, confront, expose, encourage, confess, and above all...entertain", and I reckon they will make good on that. See the Vault website here for details.


THURSDAY 15 MARCH 2018 >>

Misty | Bush Theatre | 15 Mar-21 Apr (pictured)
"Here is the city that we live in. Notice that the city that we live in is alive. Analyse our city and you'll find that our city even has bodily features. Our city's organs function like any living creature. Our city is a living creature. And if you're wise enough, you'll know not all of us are blood cells... Some of us are viruses". Award winning actor Arinzé Kene is the creator and performer of this journey through the inner city of London, which blends gig theatre, spoken word, live art and direct address. See this page here for more.

Dying To Please You | Jacksons Lane | 15 Mar
Jacksons Lane revives its Jacksons Five season of new work, which consists of performances by five different companies, spread out over the spring months. This first one looks really interesting, if kind of sad, as it's a devised piece exploring the humour that can be derived from death, dying and grief. The starting point is the true story of Vid Warren, diagnosed with terminal brain cancer at the age of 23. Head this way for more info.

For A Black Girl | Camden People's Theatre | 15 Mar
I recommended this earlier this year (crikey, where did January and February go...?) when it was on at Vault Festival, but at that stage I tipped it because I thought it looked good and now I know that it actually is good, because I've heard from people who saw it then just how very good it was. No need to kick yourself for missing it that time around though, as here's another opportunity to see it. Hurrah. Details here.
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