MONDAY 8 OCTOBER 2018 THISWEEKLONDON.COM
TYRELL JONES: WAR WITH THE NEWTS
We first came into contact with the work of producing company Knaїve Theatre when we sent a reviewer along to their Osama Bin Laden show at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe.

Our writer was totally impressed by that, so when I heard that their latest show 'War With The Newts' (an edfringe 2018 success) was headed for a run at The Bunker Theatre, I naturally pricked up my ears.

To find out more about the show I arranged a chat with Tyrell Jones, director of the show and founder and co-artistic director of the company. Read the interview here.

'War With The Newts' is on at The Bunker theatre from 9-27 Oct, see the venue website here for more info and to book tickets.



SOPHIE WARD: THE PARADISE THEATRE
Up next at The Playground Theatre is a production of a play from the late James Purdy, a Twentieth Century American novelist whose name should probably be way more familiar to UK readers than it seems to be, given the influential nature of his work. 'The Paradise Circus' was not published until 2009, and gets its world premiere in London this month.

I wanted to find out more about the play, and the production, so I spoke to cast member (and well known star of stage and screen) Sophie Ward. Read the interview here.

The Paradise Circus is on at The Playground Theatre from 8 Oct to 3 Nov. For all the details, see the venue website here.


TUESDAY 9 OCTOBER 2018 >>

Finishing Touches | White Bear Theatre | 9-13 Oct
This deals with a difficult subject, and it's an important issue to discuss. The show looks at the impact of childhood sexual abuse on four survivors, each at various ages and stages of adult life. The story sees the relationship between between a mother and daughter, Carol and Dawn, reaching breaking point while their family friend Neil has a chance encounter with policeman Roy, a friend he hasn't seen since boarding school, and is forced to look back at his past. See the venue website here for info.

Skate Hard Turn Left | Battersea Arts Centre | 9-13 Oct (pictured)
This is interesting, a collaboration between theatre makers and skaters, exploring space, gender and resistance, directed by Jemima James and starring Lucy Bairstow, Rachel-Leah Hosker, Anna Tierney and Yasmin Zadeh. "A female sporting community built on sweat, speed and fierce ownership is growing at a phenomenal pace. In sports halls all over the UK, skaters are redefining what it means to be a woman in sport. Taking up space. Taking charge. A revolution is happening and it's happening on wheels". Details here.

Elephant And Castle | Camden People's Theatre | 9-20 Oct
"Do you tell the truth when you talk in your sleep? Are sleep-talkers always on the verge of admitting some dark desire or, even more unthinkable, telling the person we share a bed with what we really think of them?" This sounds fascinating, a gig theatre piece about sleep talking, and its possible effect on people's most intimate relationships. "The first time my wife and I shared a bed I told her "I want to get in a wardrobe and take you to Elephant and Castle". I was asleep". See this page here for more.


WEDNESDAY 10 OCTOBER 2018>>

Falling Through The Cracks | White Bear Theatre | 10-13 Oct
"Ben is 35 years old and has been on the streets of London town for the last ten years. He finds himself trapped in a world of no escape. Where thoughts of entering the land of the so called living seem like an unrealistic dream... That is until he meets Beth". An exploration of homelessness, how we are all just a few steps away from being destitute, and how hard it is to get back out of the trap. See this page here for more.

The Little Prince | The Cockpit | 10-14 Oct
A version of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's well loved tale, directed by renowned Central Asian theatre director Ovlyakuli Khodzhakuli with a focus on the themes of the book: love, responsibility and loyalty. It's a story that resonates with both adults and children, of course, but this particular staging is in Russian with English surtitles, so best for older kids with appropriate reading skills. Unless they speak Russian, obv. Head this way for info.

The Trench | Southwark Playhouse | 10 Oct-17 Nov (pictured)
The absolutely very brilliant Les Enfants Terribles are the team behind this First World War epic featuring music, puppetry and physical performance. It's inspired by the true story of a miner who became entombed underground in a collapsed tunnel during the Great War: as the horror of his situation starts to take over, he finds that not everything in the darkness is what it seems, and the lines between fantasy and reality blur as he attempts to survive in extreme circumstances. See the venue website here for all the details.


THURSDAY 11 OCTOBER 2018 >>

Working Girls | Tara Theatre | 11-12 Oct
Two of a series of shows produced under the banner Women's Voices/Voix des Femmes, from a British-French theatre project exploring female prostitution from different perspectives, and which you can choose to watch in either English or French. 'The Last Little Girl' by Kay Adshead is about a teenage girl who falls into the hands of gangsters involved in the sex trade, while 'Simple Maria' by Isabel Allende is about a famous historical prostitute, who speaks from beyond the grave. Details right about here.

Wonder Girl | Ovalhouse | 11-13 Oct
"Wonderful, a seemingly silent 17 year old, seeks revenge on adults who let young people down. She uses the devices at her disposal - a few pizzas, Pentecostal rhetoric and one lost soul". An early look at this production, a play by Eva Edo which explores the notion of children in care being superheroes, escaping into their own surreal worlds in order to survive their realities. See the venue website here for more.

Quietly | Omnibus Theatre | 9-27 Oct (pictured)
A second show from Omnibus Theatre's mini Irish theatre season, a production of Owen McCafferty's 2012 play 'Quietly'. "It's 2009. Northern Ireland are playing in a World Cup qualifying match. In a Belfast pub, under the watchful eye of a Polish barman, Jimmy and Ian meet for the first time. They need to talk. Will their attempts to deal with the past, allow them to reshape their future?" Head this way for info.


FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER 2018 >>

Declaration | Stratford Circus Arts Centre | 12-13 Oct
A show about not fitting in, a blend of autobiographical storytelling, comedy, and conversations with audiences, developed in consultation with medical professionals and mental health support groups. Sounds like it might be a good one for older teenagers, as it promises to be "a vibrant and daring adventure of school day survival tactics, super-hero alter-egos and the stumbling blocks to self-acceptance". See the venue website here for more.

Hopeless | Camden People's Theatre | 12-13 Oct
"Leyla Josephine is hopeless, she's been lying in bed all day eating full viennettas by herself again". Our reviewer saw this darkly comic show up at the Edinburgh Festival back in 2017, and wrote a highly complimentary four-star review of it. So I can guarantee quality here, though I think it's fair to say that there's also a lot of anger and bleakness, so be prepared for that: it's justified, though, isn't it? Hard at times to look around at the world we are living in and be entirely optimistic... very much worth seeing, in any case, see this page here for all the details.

Richard Carpenter Is Close To You | Bloomsbury Theatre | 11-12 Oct (pictured)
If you were at edfringe in 2017, or even just reading our publication about it, you might remember this hit show from Matthew Floyd Jones of Frisky and Mannish fame. It's an acclaimed one man theatrical musical comedy which is kind of about Richard Carpenter but not, in that he's the inspiration, but it's not a biographical show. You can in fact read all about the show if you take a look at our Q&A here, and after that, you will surely want to book tickets, so head right this way.


SATURDAY 13 OCTOBER 2018 >>

One Life Stand | Canada Water Theatre | 13 Oct
"When we can have sex whenever we want, with whomever we want, why settle for a normal relationship? With the promise of fresh excitement just a swipe away, is Kat's long-term lover really her lifelong dream?" A gig theatre production from an award-winning company Middle Child, who you may remember for 'All We Ever Wanted Was Everything' or one of their other quality shows. Anyway, expect good things. See this page here for details.

D-Code | Tara Theatre | 13 Oct
"Where do you come from? Where's your home? What's in your home? What's in your fridge?" Award winning performer Yael Karavan uses a DNA test as the jumping off point for a show which "reimagines our perceptions of origins in a globalized, multicultural world, tracing a line from the intimate and personal to the common and universal". Physical theatre, dance, visuals, video mapping and an original soundscape by Carl Beukman, see the venue website here for info.

Things We Chose To Save | Greenwich Theatre | 12-13 Oct (pictured)
This sounds like an interesting idea for exploration: "In ten years' time, we discover a way to record, store and replay memories at will. Editing memories becomes a booming business, and Molly is one of its leading lights. She watches thousands of other people's memories every day. Billie, on the other hand, has no idea what she's getting into when she decides to sell a memory of her own". Already had a showing at Diorama's Incoming Fest, and promises to be a "thoughtful and funny exploration of how we remember, what we remember, and why". Head this way for more.


SUNDAY 14 OCTOBER 2018 >>

From Zimbabwe With Love | Jermyn Street Theatre | 14 Oct
"One man's journey across continents and cultures; a heart warming story about family-ties, live, truth and honesty. Meet Robert Matalasie, a professional footballer join him as he tells his funny touching, and explosive story within the world of the beautiful game". A new play, written and performed by Michael Angus Clarke and directed by Steve Wooldridge, see the venue website here for more.

Dracula - Welcome To D's | Greenwich Theatre | 14 Oct (pictured)
Chantry Dance Company present this fab looking new ballet, a re-imagining of the classic vampire tale, inspired by Bram Stoker's novel and given a steampunky Victorian setting. Not that it wasn't always set in Victorian times, of course. It's the steampunkiness that's a bit different, I suppose. And yes, no writing in to tell me that steampunky and steampunkiness aren't real words. Hie ye hence for ticketry and more info. And no, ticketry's not a word either.

Petrichor | Finborough Theatre | 14 Oct
Must confess, I was attracted to this one because I really love the smell of petrichor, and so the title leapt out at me from the line up of plays on as part of Finborough Theatre's Vibrant 2018 strand. Anyway, when I looked more closely, I discovered it's not just the title that's promising. It's by young playwright Hannah Morley, and was originally written as part of the Writer's Lab course at Soho Theatre. To read more about it, head to this page here, and scroll down until you find it.


MONDAY 15 OCTOBER 2018 >>

The Rebellious Women Of Wimbledon | Tara Theatre | 15 Oct
"Welcome everyone. Do take a seat, and enjoy the refreshments. We're here tonight to talk about the cause of women. Quite simply, we're here to change the world". A new play from acclaimed playwright Beth Flintoff, which promises to be "an impassioned, unsentimental and sharp-witted tribute to the Suffragette cause in this centenary year". See the venue website here for all the details.

The Giant Killers | Greenwich Theatre | 15 Oct
And speaking of historical fights for inclusion, here's a footie focused piece set in the early years of Association Football: it's about a group of Lancashire mill workers who defied the status quo to become the first working class team in the country to play in the FA cup. Strange to think, given its contemporary universality, that the game was previously the reserve of only upper class players. See this page here for more.

Ray Bradshaw - Deaf Comedy Fam | Soho Theatre | 15-17 Oct (pictured)
"1 in 6 people suffer from hearing loss. 2 of those people are Ray's parents". Acclaimed Scottish Comedian Of The Year finalist Ray Bradshaw heads to Soho Theatre with this edfringe hit replete with funny and revealing tales of growing up with deaf parents, which he performs in English and British Sign Language simultaneously. Head this way for more information and to book.
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