I love it when the really great stuff we saw up at the Edinburgh Fringe makes its way to London and I am especially excited about this one, because it truly won the heart of our reviewer and generated a heartfelt 5/5 review.
Actor Ruairi Conaghan - a familiar face from both stage and screen - is the creator and performer of the show, which focuses on his own experiences and the impact of trauma, and is both moving and humorous.
I spoke to Ruairi to find out more, about the show, its creation and its creator.
CLICK HERE to read this Caro Meets interview.
'Lies Where It Falls' is on at the Finborough Theatre from 26 Nov-21 Dec. See the venue website here for more information and to book tickets.
REBECCA HOLMES: BRIGHT PLACES
Coming to Soho Theatre this week as part of a wider UK tour is 'Bright Places', an autobiographical Peggy Ramsay Award-winning show about a young woman facing up to a diagnosis of - and life with - Multiple Sclerosis.
The play, a darkly funny piece, is by Rae Mainwaring, who based it loosely on her own experiences with the chronic illness, and the show is produced by Carbon Theatre.
I was really interested to find out more - not least because of my own experiences of a chronic auto-immune condition - so I spoke to one of the three talented performers of the show, Rebecca Holmes.
CLICK HERE to read this Caro Meets interview.
'Bright Places' is on at Soho Theatre from 2-7 Dec, see the venue website here for more information and to book tickets.
TW EXPLAINER: POTENTIAL TIKTOK BANS
Earlier this year US Congress passed a law ordering TikTok owner ByteDance to sell the short form video app or face a ban within the country. The deadline set for a sale was 19 Jan next year.
TikTok is fighting the law through the courts, with a ruling expected next month. Meanwhile, there has been much speculation that Donald Trump‘s win in the recent US election might result in the law being canned.
In this week’s Explainer, we explain why a ByteDance-owned TikTok has caused so much concern around the world, how the US sell-or-be-banned law works, and what Trump’s election win might mean for the future of TikTok in the US.
Plus how can creators that use TikTok as a content or marketing platform future proof themselves with all of this uncertainty?
CLICK HERE to read the latest TW Round-Up.
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.
CHRISTMASSY SHOWS>>
Ghost Stories For Christmas | Drayton Arms Theatre | 1-2 Dec (pictured)
Hey everyone, it's not long until December starts and if you thought the Christmas coverage was heavy last week, well, that was small beans. Sorry if you don't celebrate, but so much of what's on right now is Christmas focused, so I just have to run with it. But look, these stories aren't just for Christmas, they are ghostly too! Perfect to help you segue from the spooky to the sparkly season. Click here.
Comedy Club For Kids Christmas Cracker | ArtsDepot | 1 Dec
If you're acquainted with our esteemed publication at all, you'll know that we are long term fans of 'Comedy Club For Kids'. We don't tip every single London show, but this show, like every show in this section, has Christmas in the title, therefore this time we must tip it. It will be ace, anyway, and have a festive twist, and it feels to me like a perfect way to kick off a fun December for your kids. More here.
Christmas At Woolwich Works | 30 Nov-23 Dec
You guys who really love the season are going to love this. I was originally planning to tip just one event at Woolwich Works this week, until I realised that it was just one in a big line-up of Christmas stuff, including such events as Christmas concerts and singalongs, a gingerbread exhibition, quizzes, cabaret and open mic nights, and lots more. Click here to see it all.
MORE CHRISTMASSY SHENANIGANS>>
The Holly King And The Oak King | Battersea Arts Centre | 29 Nov-24 Dec (pictured)
Bear with me, now: I know none of these shows have Christmas in their name. But, look at those titles. You know they're going to have a whole lot of festive about them and they are all suitable for family viewing. First up, an immersive adventure for anyone aged four and up, in which you'll join the quest to help The Holly King restore winter, and everything that's good about it. More info here.
The Snow Queen | Tabard Theatre | 29 Nov-4 Jan
"Embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime magical quest, Gerda faces the disappearance of her best friend Kai, taken by the enigmatic Snow Queen. Unless Gerda acts swiftly to rescue him, Kai faces eternal entrapment in an icy, endless winter". You're surely all familiar with this classic Hans Christian Andersen story and I think you can expect good things from this adaptation of it. Details here.
Cinderella | King's Head Theatre | 30 Nov-5 Jan
Loads of Christmas pantos are kicking off next week and I almost definitely will not be telling you about all of them. This week, however, I do have to tell you about one of them, that's on over at the rather lovely King's Head Theatre and is promising us a "north London upgrade" of the panto classic. Expect the usual music, fun and comedy, plus puppets. Info here.
MORE KID STUFF>>
Well Done, Mummy Penguin | The Albany | 1-24 Dec (weekends only until 23 Dec)
I'm calling it 'More Kid Stuff', but the truth is, this section does differ somewhat from the previous kid-friendly shows, largely because I feel like these ones are more squarely aimed at a child audience rather than a family audience. It's a subtle difference though. Also, this is wintery, rather than Christmassy, and is a sweet show for ages three to eight about what happens when Mummy Penguin heads off to find food for her family. More here.
Captain Sandy & The Sea Monster | Puppet Barge | 30 Nov-26 Jan (pictured)
"In the little village of Rocky Snore, all the fisherfolk are in a mess, where have all the fish gone? There are no fish to fish! Join Captain Sandy on her adventure to try and find out what happened!" This one's recommended for ages four to ten, but I think I'd probably be happy to go and see it on my own. Again, not Christmassy, but a definite Christmas treat. Info here.
The Elves And The Magic Bear | Old Royal Naval College | 30 Nov-23 Dec
Well, this is definitely Christmassy in subject matter, and it's also part of the Old Royal Naval College's Christmas In Greenwich line-up, which is full of good things. This is an interactive performance about Santa's elves, who find a bag of previously unnoticed children's letters just before Christmas and have to save the situation and ensure that every child gets their gift. Find out more here.
RHYTHMICAL STUFF>>
What The Dickens | OSO Arts Centre | 26-30 Nov
I was about to proudly declare that we are now moving on from the whole Christmas thing, but - although this section is grouped on the basis of the shows involving music and/or dance - this one, a musical, is set on Charles Dickens' final Christmas Eve in 1896. The drama sees the Scrooge creator forced to face his own past, present and future, and is accompanied by live Victorian songs and carols. Fab. Click here.
Critical Moment | The Place | 30 Nov (pictured)
It's a second year for 'Critical Moment', which returns to London with work by nine older choreographers from a variety of backgrounds - ballet, contemporary, African Caribbean and dance theatre. The mixed bill of work tackles a variety of themes: resilience and regrowth, sacrifice, friendship, cultural assumptions, and violence against women. Head to the venue website here for all the info.
Entertaining Murder | Upstairs At The Gatehouse | 26 Nov-1 Dec
"The sensational court case of Edith Thompson in 1923 was a cause célèbre with people queuing outside The Old Bailey for days to get tickets. Edith stood accused of colluding with her lover to murder her husband. But did she do it?!" Not gonna lie, the words "murder mystery musical" immediately appealed to me, and not just because of the alliteration. More here.
BRUSHES WITH DEATH>>
James Rowland Dies At The End Of The Show | Camden People's Theatre | 28-30 Nov (pictured)
And, speaking of things where people died, here's a whole tip section of shows with a reference to death in the title. Um, yay! I'm starting with a show by a chap I've no doubt tipped oodles of times before and he's also a past recipient of one of our ThreeWeeks Editors' Awards. This, his latest show, gained a not-surprisingly glowing 5/5 write up from our writer at the most recent edfringe. Go, get tickets here.
Death And The Cat | Drayton Arms Theatre | 26-30 Nov
"Death and his pet cat, Panther, have been guiding the souls of the dead into the afterlife for time untold. Until they have a falling out, that is, and the Grim Reaper's pet cat runs away. Alone, angry, and missing his best friend, Death goes rogue, sending the universe tumbling into chaos. And that's just the beginning…" I'm totally intrigued by this notion. Brilliant. Click here.
The Simple Life & Death | Pleasance Theatre | 27 Nov-7 Dec
This one also pulled me in with its premise, but also because of the success of previous work by co-creator Shane ShayShay Konno. The idea here is that Paris and Nicole Richie, the stars of 'The Simple Life' - if you remember it from back in the early 2000s - go back to the farm but have to deal this time with a mysterious murderer situation. Find out more here.
MORE GREAT STUFF>>
Cutting The Tightrope: The Divorce Of Politics From Art | Arcola Theatre | 26 Nov-7 Dec
You're maybe aware that we really go for a short play collection here at TW towers, but this one's kinda special, because it's addressing something really important - it's a response to warnings, even by the Arts Council, that artists shouldn't be political. It's a line-up of work from a host of excellent and acclaimed creatives, so you can expect brilliant things. Details here.
The Crumple Zone | Waterloo East Theatre | 26 Nov-22 Dec
A production of Billy Thomas's 'The Crumple Zone', which was an off-Broadway hit back around the turn of the century and, sorry, but it is set at Christmas. It's a very funny and moving play about an out-of-work actor who "can't keep a job or get a date, and spends his days swilling cheap vodka and playing referee to a messy love triangle". Then things reach a crisis point. Find out more here.
The Lost Library Of Leake Street | The Glitch | 28 Nov-22 Dec (pictured)
And finally… another show set during the festive period and it looks fabulous. It's focused on Isla, lost and wandering on Christmas Eve, looking for a gift for her mother, and failing until she finds her way to the lost library of the title, where she explores all the stories London has to offer. Not a children's show, but it is suitable for older children. Lots of info about it, and the lovely venue, here.
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