We've been following the career of performance artist Paula Varjack for a while now, having really enjoyed her previous work, through which she's addressed some really interesting cultural topics.
Her latest show looks at how black women are treated by media, and the difficulties they face when in the public eye, exploring this with reference to the backlash faced by Janet Jackson following the infamous "wardrobe malfunction" during her performance at the 2004 Superbowl. As well as tackling important themes, it promises to be a fast and fun multimedia performance.
I spoke to Paula to find out more about the show and how things have been going since our last pre-lockdown chat.
CLICK HERE to read this Caro Meets interview.
'Nine Sixteenths' is on at Pleasance Theatre from 6-16 Nov, see the venue website here for more information and to book.
SEPY BAGHAEI AND PAIGE EVANS: WISH YOU WERE HERE AND GATEWAYS
Currently completing a run at the Gate Theatre is a production of 'Wish You Were Here' by acclaimed US playwright and screenwriter Sanaz Toossi, whose 2022 play 'English' won the Pulitzer Prize For Drama.
'Wish You Were Here' is about five female friends growing up in post-revolution Iran, and looks at themes such as female friendship and the weight of social expectation on women.
I spoke to director Sepy Baghaei to find out more - about Sepy and the play - and to Paige Evans, the producer of Gateways, a series of short plays and other events taking place this month in response to the main production.
CLICK HERE to read this Caro Meets interview.
'Wish You Were Here' is on until 23 Nov, see the venue website here for more information and to book, and here for all the details of the accompanying Gateways events.
AMY CLARE TASKER AND KATHARINA REINTHALLER: VOILA! THEATRE FESTIVAL
As someone fascinated by the study of languages, and also reasonably proficient at a couple of them, I've long had an interest in Voila, a festival that began as a French language focused thing, but expanded and expanded and is now panlingual, and way bigger than it used to be.
We've done Q&As about the festival before, but this year is a particularly exciting one given how much has changed for 2024, so I thought it was a good time for a catch up. And of course, the programme looks like it's full of great stuff.
I spoke to co-Artistic Directors Amy Clare Tasker and Katharina Reinthaller ahead of this year's event.
CLICK HERE to read this Caro Meets interview.
Voila! Theatre Festival runs from 4-24 Nov at multiple London venues. See the venue website here for all the listings.
TW EXPLAINER: CULTURE SELECT COMMITTEE AND ITS CREATOR REMUNERATION REPORT
The Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee in the UK Parliament is tasked with scrutinising the work of the government's Department For Culture, Media & Sport, and the culture, media and sport sectors more generally.
Earlier this year it published a report on Creator Remuneration, which the government has just responded to, covering topics like copyright, AI and the challenges faced by freelancers in the creative industries.
In this explainer, we explain the role the select committee plays, and focus on what it said about freelance workers earlier this year, and how the government has now responded.
CLICK HERE to read this TW Explainer.
TW Culture now offers training courses for creative businesses which can be delivered in-house for your team - either online or in-person. Click here for more information.
VOILA! FESTIVAL>>
Stampin' In The Graveyard | The Cockpit | 8-9 Nov (pictured)
You may already be well aware that the lovely Voila! Festival is happening, not least because we briefly spoke of it last week, but this week we're really diving in, because we've interviewed the artistic directors as well as doing some tips. First recommendation is for this immersive headphone experience featuring poetry, live music and movement from award winning company Saksi Bisou, written and performed by Elisabeth Gunawan. More here.
Q. | Theatre Deli | 8-9 Nov
I think this sounds fascinating and, under normal circumstances I'd say it's very focused on language, but of course this is a festival that celebrates all things language so that feels a bit redundant. This is on specific aspects, though, I guess, and that's what's intriguing, because it looks at perceptions of translation in the digital age through absurdism and black humour, decoding an ancient text through the lens of hidden tech. Info here.
How To Urn A Living | The Space | 5-10 Nov
Well, you know me, I'm a sucker for a title with a pun in it, and I'm also a fan of a good farce, and this ticks both of those boxes. As an added bonus, though, alongside physical comedy and witty dialogue, the play "questions how class, religion and traditions intersect with our own impermanence, and, ultimately, asks what the consequences are of capitalising on death". So click here for that, and here for all the Voila! listings, which you should, frankly, peruse.
LGBT THEMES>>
Sweetmeat | Old Red Lion Theatre | 5-23 Nov
Three very different shows, I think, but connected by an LGBT theme, so I thought it might be nice to talk about them all together. This one, created by a majority queer team, combines video projection and elements of folklore and verbatim theatre, and promises to explore "gay loneliness, fantasy, pain and internet escapism through the lens of a love that burns too bright". For more information and to book tickets head to the venue website here.
Diary Of A Gay Disaster | Arcola Theatre | 5-9 Nov (pictured)
"Ellis wakes up in a turbulent fever dream created by the Gods of Sapphic Desire. Mia and Finlay, self-proclaimed expert angel dykes, say she's expected to 'reflect' on her life or some crap like that". This one, created by Rachael Mailer, who also stars in the show, won a lot of fans up at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the summer, and no wonder, because it's a hilarious and upbeat musical tempered with some serious points. More here.
Can't Wait To Leave | Jack Studio | 5-9 Nov
Another show with a successful Edinburgh run behind it (though this was in 2023) and that's won lots of critical acclaim, and which explores social isolation in young people and adolescent bisexual identity. Written and directed by Stephen Leach, it's set in an A&E department, where a young man called Ryan tells the story of what's happened to him the previous six months. Find out more about the show and book your tickets here.
SHORT STOPS>>
The Daisy Chain | Camden People's Theatre | 6-8 Nov (pictured)
This one isn't any old short stop, it's a final pick from the fabulous The State We're In fest over at Camden People's Theatre, which continues until 10 Nov, so do check the listings for other things you might want to see. Definitely consider seeing this though, as it sounds great, and looks at something very important - the state of the children's social care system. It focuses on Asharn, a troubled teenager who has lost faith in the grown ups, and is described as a "hip-hop-gig-theatre-TED-talk". Details here.
Jason Byrne: No Show | Leicester Square Theatre | 7-9 Nov
You know what I feel we need in November? You know, now that the clocks have changed and everything's getting darker? Yes, we need something to laugh about. Well, that, or some of that spooky dark autumnal stuff that you goth types go in for. Only kidding, we all go for that a bit, don't we? Anyway, this guy needs no introduction, which is a good thing, given I wasted all the words on other stuff. A long term, very funny, TW fave. Click here.
Rogues So Banished | Bread & Roses Theatre | 11 Nov
Okay so this might be one of those slightly darker things I just referred to, so very November, but also very recommended by our reviewer who saw this at edfringe in the summer. I mean, seriously, read it. It's a "brilliantly bloody and brutal tale exploring the depths of human desperation" focusing on three convicts who escape a penal colony in New South Wales in 1790. A solo show, written and performed by Paul Case, told in the demotic slang of the era. Find the listing here.
LONGER RUNS>>
Natalie Palamides: WEER | Soho Theatre | 6-30 Nov (pictured)
Right, time for more comedy, I reckon. And it's also another one of those shows that did brilliantly at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe: our reviewer gave it five stars and so did lots of other critics. You're probably already aware of Natalie Palamides, not least because she got the Edinburgh Comedy Award Newcomer gong back in 2017, but if not, it doesn't matter, just take it from us that you need to see this show. Book tickets quickly, here, because they'll be going fast.
Going For Gold | Park Theatre | 6-30 Nov
This one, based on the true story of Frankie Lucas, is about a young black boxer navigating 1970s London and attempting to realise his dreams of winning the national middleweight title, and competing on an international level. The show explores themes of identity, belonging and success, charting the difficulties he faces, and the will and determination he shows to follow his chosen career path. Find out more about it here
Queen Bette | King's Head Theatre | 5-23 Nov
"The Queen has no hour for love. Time presses and events crowd upon her. And for a shell, an empty, glistening husk, she must give up all that a woman holds most dear". I was a weird child/teenager who mostly watched black and white films and eschewed modernity, so obviously an acclaimed one woman show about Hollywood's "biggest bitch" Bette Davis was always going to appeal to me. You'll love it too, though, click here.
MORE GREAT STUFF>>
Tottenham Literature Festival | Bernie Grant Arts Centre | 11-17 Nov (pictured)
Okay, one last set of tips for you, and it's a bit of a mixed bag, as the last set of tips is often wont to be, and we're starting the section with a whole festival for you. And for once, it's not a festival of theatre, or comedy, like the ones we tend to dwell on the most, but a literary one, which makes a lovely change. There are loads of brilliant events and some of them are for families/children, which is lovely. Peruse them here.
Eugene Onegin | Jacksons Lane | 8-17 Nov
And now, because I did promise you a varied selection here, an opera from the excellent HGO, featuring rising young opera types. It's a new production of the Tchaikovsky classic based on the Pushkin novel, which, as you may know, is full of love, missed opportunities and tragic consequences as "four young lives are altered forever". Head to the venue website here for more information and to book tickets.
Tube Chronicles | Etcetera Theatre | 5-9 Nov
Okay, and on to our final tip for the week, which is a very fitting show for Londoners, if you ask me, and one I did not hesitate to put on the to-see list. We are going to join Razak Osman - actor by day and tube worker by night - for a night shift on the tube. Expect a funny, revealing and inventive show that will take you on a journey through the sights, sounds and characters of the underground. For more info and to book, click here.
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