You surely know how excited we get about the Vault Festival here at TW Towers, so perhaps it won't come as a surprise that this week's interview is with the creator of a Vault Festival show.
'All By Myself' - produced by Part Of The Main, and co-written and directed by Jessica Bickel-Barlow - is an intriguing, almost wordless piece exploring what might happen to an influencer come the apocalypse.
To find out more about the play, and about Jessica herself, I arranged a chat ahead of opening night.
CLICK HERE to read this Caro Meets interview.
'All By Myself' is on at Vault Festival from 7-12 Feb. Find out more and book your tickets here.
VAULT FESTIVAL>>
Cracked | Vault Festival | 7-10 Feb
Yes, you lucky lot, Vault Festival is still going on and will be for some time, so get ready to get some more Vault dates in your diary. Let's start with 'Cracked', a work in progress "pitch black comedy" with rather interesting themes, telling the story of "a woman who doesn't just know all there is to know about tiles, but a heroine for modern times". Find out more here.
General Secretary | Vault Festival | 7-9 Feb (pictured)
Next up, more funny stuff from acclaimed comedy theatre duo Thick n Fast, aka Cassie Symes and Georgina Thomas, who you may well have seen in action up at the old edfringe. The show sees a pair of hitherto insignificant individuals suddenly becoming world leaders and having to deal with all the big global issues. Will they handle it or will absolute power corrupt absolutely? Click here.
The Yellow Traffic Light | Vault Festival | 12, 25-26 Feb
"Grandpa Gerson was only living his best life. On that day, he woke up early to prepare a special meal for his beloved granddaughter arriving from the big town to visit the family. However, this encounter brings a generational and ideological clash, changing Gerson's life forever". Another dark comedy, this one by Brazilian Isabella Sperotto, inspired by the rise of the far right in Brazil. More here.
FUNNY SHOWS>>
Liv Ello: Swarm | Vault Festival | 7-10 Feb (pictured)
Oh, whoops. A Vault fest show fell out of the Vault shows section. But never mind, it's also a comical one, so it will be entirely at home here in the Funny Shows section. It would also have been at home in a "things we saw and loved in Edinburgh" section, if there had been one this week. It's a highly acclaimed show, a response to when David Cameron referred to migrants as a "swarm". Head this way for more.
The Oyster Problem | Jermyn Street Theatre | 9 Feb-4 Mar
"Madame Bovary made Gustave Flaubert the most famous writer in Paris, but thanks to a bad publishing deal he's barely earned enough cash for a croissant - let alone enough to indulge his appetite for oysters. In fact, he's flat broke. There's only one thing for it - Flaubert must find a job". This one's a "delicious comedy of literary fiascos" from historian Orlando Figes. Details here.
Full House | The Space | 9-11 Feb
Over to The Space now for 'Full House', which is a satire based on 'Lapin Lapin' by acclaimed French actress / director / writer Coline Serreau. "In the middle of an economic crisis and incompetent leadership, we meet the Rabbit family. Mama and Papa are just about managing when one by one their adult children return home, all looking for food, warmth and attention". More info here.
CHILDREN'S SHOWS>>
Jack V Giant | Polka Theatre | 11 Feb-26 Mar (pictured)
I thought it might be a good idea to talk about some children's shows this week because half term is around the corner, and all three of these will be on then, if you want to get booking now. First up is 'Jack V Giant' at Polka Theatre, which, as you may have guessed, is based on some familiar fairy tale themes, but in this case Jack's a girl. Suitable for kids aged four to eight, read more about it and sort out your tickets here.
The Instrumentals | Little Angel Theatre | 10 Feb-16 Apr
"When Belle is feeling down she slips into her grandfather's basement and discovers his old dusty instruments. But far from being junk, The Instrumentals are pure funk and they teach Belle to 'get down' in a whole new way". A musical treat aimed at four to eight year olds featuring soulful sounds and seventies grooves, with characters and story taking inspiration from the African-Caribbean diaspora. Click here.
The Flying Bath | Little Angel Theatre | 10 Feb-23 Apr
We're staying at the Little Angel Theatre for this next show, which is for little ones aged two to five and is based on the picture book of the same name, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by David Roberts. If you're not aware of what the book is about, basically: when the occupants of a house leave in the morning, the bath toys spring to life and have adventures! More here.
SHORTER STOPS>>
Pinocchio | Half Moon Theatre | 10-11 Feb
Ooops, it happened again, a children's show fell out of the Children's Show section and into this one. This production is, though, as you might expect, not on for anywhere near as long as the others, so you can only see it this week. This one's described as a show for all ages (from four up) and is ingeniously staged, as Steve Tiplady, as Geppetto, uses the objects of a carpenter's workshop to tell the story. Info here.
She | Tara Theatre | 8-11 Feb (pictured)
"Will she stop the baby crying, exact revenge on the school bully, fall in love and be loved, protest to change the world, accept advice from her mother's friends, come to terms with an unexpected illness, and grow old with dignity?" Seven short plays, performed by two actors, charting the experiences of different women from childhood to old age. Expect them to be "visceral, poignant and laced with humour". Details here.
Heaven's Gate | Pleasance Theatre | 13-18 Feb
I'm attracted to this one, but also kind of fear it, probably because it's about a horrific real life event in which members of the Heaven's Gate cult staged mass suicide. The show imagines the last hour of four members of the group, as they prepare to 'graduate' to the Kingdom Of Heaven, so you know you're looking at dark themes here, but you can also expect humour and pertinent political points. Info here.
LONGER RUNS>>
Duet For One | Orange Tree Theatre | 11 Feb-18 Mar
And finally, some longer runs for your viewing pleasure, starting over at Richmond's Orange Tree Theatre where a revival of Tom Kempinski's acclaimed and award-winning 1980 drama 'Duet For One' is showing until well into March. This staging stars familiar faces Tara Fitzgerald and Maureen Beattie as world renowned violinist Stephanie and the psychiatrist her husband sends her to see, Dr Feldmann. Book here.
Winner's Curse | Park Theatre | 8 Feb-11 Mar
Another one full of familiar faces - Clive Anderson, Nichola McAuliffe, Michael Maloney and more - written by Daniel Taub and Dan Patterson, with direction from Jez Bond, so it feels very starry indeed. It's a "brand-new show that combines humour and audience interaction to take you behind the scenes of a high stakes international peace talk", and I am rather intrigued. I expect you will be too, so head this way to find out more about it.
Breathless | Soho Theatre | 7-18 Feb (pictured)
And finally, another run that is not short, but is also not as long as the other two in this section, so make sure you get to it in time. And I really mean that, because you don't want to miss this highly acclaimed work from the excellent Laura Horton, which won a Fringe First in Edinburgh in 2022. It's a funny, emotional and intelligent play focusing on the issue of hoarding. Head this way to book your tickets.
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