It's a show we've tipped previously, when it came to London in July, and it's one that's already won acclaim across the pond.
So when I heard that 'Love, Genius And A Walk', from US-based group Bringing Up The House, would be returning to the capital for a handful of dates at two venues - the Drayton Arms and Etcetera Theatres - it seemed like a great opportunity to find out more about the show.
I got in touch with the show's director, Holly Payne-Strange, for a quick chat. Read the interview here.
'Love, Genius And A Walk' is on at Drayton Arms Theatre from 7-8 Oct, and at the Etcetera Theatre from 12-14 Oct. See this page here for the former dates, and this page here for the latter ones.
TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER 2018 >>
Everything I Am | Camden People's Theatre | 2-5 Oct
"Tash is a queer Black woman. She's also silenced, a lot. If it's not by her well-meaning yet homophobic Jamaican aunties, then it's by her equally well-meaning yet racist queer friends. And let's not get started on the white feminists ... Things will change soon, though. She's taking cues from the master of speaking their mind - Kanye West. What could go wrong?" I've tipped this before but I am tipping it again because it was only on for one performance then, and now you have more chances to see it. That said, this is a preview run, with a full run coming up sometime. Anyway, see it, go here.
Not Today's Yesterday | The Place | 2-3 Oct (pictured)
This is an international collaboration from award-winning UK-based Bharatanatyam artist Seeta Patel and Australian choreographer Lina Limosani, and is inspired by the whitewashing of history. A one-woman show blending techniques from Bharatanatyam, contemporary dance and theatre, it offers a poetic narrative that has "the beauty and disquiet of a Grimm fairy tale". For more details and to book your tickets, head right this way.
Egg | The Albany | 2-3 Oct
"What does it take to make a baby? An accident / right timing / a drunken night / right people / right parts? But what if you don't have all the right parts? Or you do, and one of them is broken. As it turns out, some things are un-mendable". This aerial theatre production from circus theatre company Paper Doll Militia had a successful run up at the old edfringe this summer just gone, and won many fans. It's an exploration of female fertility, sexuality and choice and has been put together using original music and personal testimony. Info right about here.
WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER 2018 >>
Parents' Evening | Jermyn Street Theatre | 3-27 Oct
"She's been disruptive in class. She's rude to the teachers. And now she wants to learn the trumpet. But whose performance is really being judged? A mother and father prepare to discuss their daughter's progress at the local primary school, but their rare opportunity for some quality time together begins to test the bonds of love, work and family". A European premiere for this play by Bathsheba Doran that's already won much acclaim in the US. See the venue website here for more.
I'm A Phoenix, Bitch | Battersea Arts Centre | 3-20 Oct (pictured)
The brilliant and TW Editors' Award winning Bryony Kimmings heads to BAC with her with her first solo show in nearly a decade, which promises to be a powerful, dark yet joyful work in which personal stories combine with epic film, soundscapes and ethereal music. "In 2016, Bryony nearly drowned. Postnatal breakdowns, an imploding relationship and an extremely sick child left her sitting beneath the waves hoping she could slowly turn to shell. Two years later and she is able to deal with life again, but wears the scars of that year like a dark and heavy cloak. Who do we become after trauma? How do we turn pain into power? How do we fly instead of drown?" Details here.
To Have To Shoot Irishmen | Omnibus Theatre | 2-20 Oct
"Easter morning, 1916. Gunshots ring out in the Dublin streets. In her suburban sitting-room Hanna prepares for revolution. While Frank walks through the crowds calling for peace, John walks through his nightmares of the trenches and sees a city soaked in blood. 18-year-old William fearfully reports to the barracks for duty, determined to serve the British army with honour. But can honour survive the chaos of conflict, and once unleashed can violence ever be contained?" A truth-inspired play by award winner Lizzie Nunnery, and part of the venue's mini-season of Irish work. Info here.
THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER 2018 >>
Rallying Cry | Battersea Arts Centre | 4-6 Oct
"The world is revolting. People are angry. A storm is coming. This is a protest. This is a call to arms". A line up of brilliant spoken word artists - Francesca Beard, Roger Robinson, Joelle Taylor, Chiedu Oraka, Hannah Silva - appear alongside emerging artists mentored by Zena Edwards, joining forces to "declare their rebel yell". Presented by Apples and Snakes as part of 35-year celebrations, head this way for all the details and to book.
Inua Ellams' R.A.P. Party | Canada Water Theatre | 4 Oct (pictured)
And more from poetic types for you: "20 years ago, one of the greatest albums in hip hop was released. Combining classic rap lyricism and poetry with soul, jazz and funk, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill grew to supersede the hip hop genre in which it was conceived to become one of the greatest albums in the history of music, indeed of all time. This special R.A.P Party gathers the most incredible contemporary poets writing to create and share new verse in response the timeless songs, the journeys, questions and reflections raised by Lauryn Hill". More here.
Risklab | Camden People's Theatre | 4-5 Oct
"How can performing arts dismantle the distance created by political oppression and immigration using technology? How can we create a performance while not being able to be in the same room with our collaborators? Ada Mukhina's multimedia live art piece brings artists and audience together to answer these questions and to explore risk in arts itself". This sounds rather intriguing, doesn't it? Head this way for more information on it.
FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER 2018 >>
The Art Of Gaman | Theatre503 | 3-27 Oct
"Tomomi, a young Japanese woman stands at the hull of a ship staring out across the water to her new American life in the years prior to the Hiroshima bombing. There are stars in her eyes and a crackling radio pulled to her chest as she drifts towards a country, and a future, that resists her arrival". An exploration of the sense of displacement and loss of cultural identity that results in residing in a country where you are considered the enemy, from award winning playwright Dipika Guha. More info right about here.
Liberty Rides Forth! | Waterloo East Theatre | 2-21 Oct
A new and already somewhat acclaimed musical by David Kent: "Liberty, a mischievous drag queen, unexpectedly springs to life from the pages of Trevor's new novel. The hapless author is attempting to write a best-seller to win over Susie, the woman he loves from afar; but now suddenly he and the three apprentice Muses sent to inspire him are fighting for Susie's very survival!" Head this way to find out more.
The Sweet Science Of Bruising | Southwark Playhouse | 3-27 Oct (pictured)
"London, 1869. Four very different Victorian women are drawn into the dark underground world of female boxing by the eccentric Professor Sharp. Controlled by men and constrained by corsets, each finds an unexpected freedom in the boxing ring. As their lives begin to intertwine their journey takes us through grand drawing rooms, bustling theatres and rowdy Southwark pubs where the women fight inequality as well as each other. But with the final showdown approaching only one can become the Lady Boxing Champion of the World ..." So this really was a thing? I had no idea. Colour me piqued. Details on the venue website here.
SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER 2018 >>
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To the Gynecologic Oncology Unit ... | Finborough Theatre | 2-27 Oct (pictured)
A European premiere from acclaimed American playwright Halley Feiffer, starring TW Editors' Award winner and general all round TW favourite Cariad Lloyd. "Karla, a foul-mouthed twenty-something comedian, and Don, a middle-aged man embroiled in a nasty divorce, are brought together unexpectedly when their cancer-stricken mothers become roommates in the hospital. Together, this unlikely duo must negotiate some of life's biggest challenges ... while making some of the world's most inappropriate jokes". Details here.
The Missing Light | Stratford Circus Arts Centre | 6 Oct
"When Warple moves into his new house by the seaside, he discovers his neighbour, Hilda, looking out towards the horizon each night, searching for a glimpse of her long-lost husband. When loneliness, curiosity and a far-off flickering light brings them together, the two elderly friends embark on a surprising journey to reconcile their pasts and find what might lie within their futures". A blend of puppetry, film, music and live animation that might be a good family outing, as it's recommended for 7+. See the venue website here for more.
Dice Festival | Camden People's Theatre | 6-7 Oct
An artist-led festival of chance, at which you will have no idea what you are about to see, featuring live art and experimental performance from a range different artists across over the course of two nights: expect live art, performance art, cabaret, clowning and storytelling, though not necessarily in that order. Each night's entertainment features six acts, but when and if each act will perform is determined by by the dice roll. See this page here for all the info.
SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER 2018 >>
Love, Genius And A Walk | Drayton Arms Theatre | 7-8 Oct
An interesting looking play (so interesting we organised a Q&A with the director, in fact) that's split between two stories with connected subject matter and themes. One, set in 1910, is about Gustav Mahler and his wife, while the second, set in more contemporary times, is about a Wall Street type and his artist wife who is writing about Mahler. The couples face similar challenges, and the play explores the theme of how we all need love, yet seem to sabotage it. More detail here.
The Olympians | King's Head Theatre | 7 Oct (pictured)
"1979, Belgrave Sporting Academy, South-West London. The qualification season for the biggest sporting competition in the world is about to start. Join Irina, Will, Carl and Cristina for one hour of their life as they are about to embark on the quest of obtaining the most acclaimed and desired medal in the world of sports, the Olympic medal. Secrets and intentions are being revealed, friendships are broken, but more importantly this hour is one that could potentially shape the destinies of these four teenagers". A coming of age story focusing on some very contemporary issues. Book your tickets here.
Lock Her Up | Finborough Theatre | 7 Oct
"Katherine and Oliver are media students at a prestigious American university. When their romantic hook-up takes a sinister turn, Katherine calls on her seminar group to support her. Into the ensuing explosive debate over coercion, pornography and consent, a mysterious figure arrives — to confront the strange gender games we all play, in the era of Trump and #metoo". A first play from screenwriter Rachel Anthony, and the first performance in the line up for the venue's Vibrant festival of Finborough playwrights. Info about this, and other events, right here.
MONDAY 8 OCTOBER 2018 >>
The Paradise Circus | The Playground Theatre | 8 Oct-3 Nov
"In the deep Mid-West old miser Rawlings pines for his perfect boy killed in The Great War. His two younger sons, neglected by their father, waste their lives away painting beautiful horses for the merry-go-round. When the enigmatic ringmaster of a travelling circus pays an unexpected visit, he makes the old man a terrible but tempting offer. Wracked with guilt over his decision, in desperation Rawlings is forced to turn to Alda Pennington for help. But, salvation doesn't come cheaply at the home of the witch doctor". A promising looking staging of a play from late, great US writer James Purdy, see this page here for more info.
(No) Leaves On My Precious Self | King's Head Theatre | 8-13 Oct (pictured)
A one woman show about the vagaries of being a performer: "What a crazy paradox that is. The industry that is based on pure beauty, whether it is the beauty of people's minds, if you write; people's gestures and movements, if you paint or play a musical instrument; people's selves, if you act; people's souls, thoughts, talents, auras, energies - makes you feel so ugly. Creating that beauty in any way, serving it to others, you crush your own soul, spit on it, mold it, destroy it with mind-eating doubts, hesitations and self-beating. It celebrates flaws and imperfections, but almost never forgives you your own". Book your tickets here.
Relativity - The Einstein Musical | Finborough Theatre | 8 Oct
Another pick from Finborough Theatre's Vibrant festival, this one an in-development script in hand presentation of a new musical exploring Albert Einstein's stormy first marriage to pioneering physicist, Mileva Marić. According to the blurb "their witty and passionate collaboration unlocked the secrets of the universe, yet ended in a devastating act of cruelty that ensured that Marić would never eclipse her husband's genius". See the festival page on the venue website here (scroll down for info about each show).
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