Ellie Jay Cooper: Down To Chance
I first heard about the play 'Down To Chance' when it was on at the Edinburgh Fringe back in 2025 and decided it sounded rather intriguing, including it in our Three To See recommendations for that year's Festival.

So it's good to know that not only did the play have a successful run in 2025, it returned to the Fringe in 2026 and is now doing a tour of the south east, calling at several venues not far from our London-based readers.

The play offers a narrative based on real life events – a massive earthquake, in fact – and how people responded to it.

To find out more about it, I spoke to Ellie Jay Cooper, Co-Artistic Director of Maybe You Like It Productions, and writer and co-performer of the play.

Minister says ticket touting ban should become law "quicker than we initially intended"
The UK's Creative Industries Minister, Ian Murray, told delegates at the Labour Party Conference this week that the UK government hopes to implement its promised ticket touting ban "quicker than we initially intended". The minister's comments followed reports in The Guardian last weekend that the Department For Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has now assembled "a sizeable bill team" to draft legislation that will introduce the ban.

Equity again calls for AI protections one year on from Tilly Norwood launch
Equity says it is close to securing AI protections for film and TV actors, including around consent, remuneration and transparency, revealing that talks with PACT, which represents film and TV producers, are now "at an advanced stage". The performer union put out its latest statement on AI ahead of the first anniversary of the unveiling of "AI actress" Tilly Norwood at the 2025 Zurich Film Festival.

Shows to see in London this week - including performances from people we first discovered at the Edinburgh Festival.

FESTIVAL STUFF

Emma Davies: You Are All Resources | Bread & Roses Theatre | 2 Oct (pictured)
How is it October already? Seems but moments since we were waving a fond adieu to the Edinburgh and Camden fringes. Luckily, we still have a Fringe to talk about! For yes, we are making a return trip to the lovely Lambeth Fringe and it's for something very loosely based on 'A Christmas Carol', so of course I picked that from the varied and excellent line up. Read about it here and all the rest of the shows here.

Moments Of Grace | Holy Cross Church | 2-31 Oct
And now let's head to the Bloomsbury Festival to check out what's on offer there. Well, I can tell you there are loads of great exhibitions, events, workshops and performances, so take a look at the whole line-up right about here, but I will also add that 'Moments Of Grace', an immersive oral history installation focusing on nursing and midwifery, sounds awesome, so please click here to find out more.

A Collection Of Conversations | Theatre Peckham | 2-3 Oct
This one isn't really on at a festival, it's part of a season, but – as I have argued before – a collection of events under a specific theme is very similar to a festival. So there. Anyway, the season in question is Theatre Peckham's Young, Gifted And Black, though this show that I have picked out from the line-up, and which focuses on the lives of three young black women at university, is on at Canada Water Theatre. Anyway, head this way to book tickets.

FAMILY STUFF

A Class Of Your Own | Polka Theatre | 3-4 Oct
Thought it was time we had a section for the small people in your life and this week I have very cleverly picked something for almost everyone under the age of twelve With one small exception. Sorry, two year olds, I'll try and sort you out next week. But first up, this one is for children aged eight to twelve and is about "what sticks to you as you grow up, what you can shake off, and what happens when we shine a light inside?" Click here.

Home Song | Unicorn Theatre | 2 Oct-8 Nov
This one is for teeny tots aged six to eighteen months, and is about Adwoa and her mum who go on a journey to find the true meaning of home. Written, directed and composed by Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong, the musical show features puppetry, interactive soundscapes and soothing a cappella singing. It's a return Unicorn visit for the show, having had a sold out run there last year. Book your tickets here.

The Three Little Pigs | Polka Theatre | 1-4 Oct (pictured)
"There's a wolf coming… but for now, The Three Little Pigs have tricked him onto a bus. If he catches them, he'll huff and he'll puff and we all know how that ends…" Finally, a joyful retelling of that classic piggy tale aimed at three to seven year olds that promises a unique physical style, raucous puppets and high octane shenanigans. Head to the venue website here to find out more about it and to book yourselves in.

SPOOKY STUFF

The Hungry Ghost | Bush Theatre | 1-31 Oct (pictured)
Well, as you know, we are segueing into October, the month when all the creepy things start happening. And that is, to some extent, reflected in the theatrical offerings available in London, though I am honestly not sure if that's happened on purpose. Anyway, this is a "sexy horror romcom", which is honestly everything I want from a show right now, and I reckon you should all go and see it. More here.

The Hound Of The Baskervilles | King's Head Theatre | 6-10 Oct
And the other thing I want right now is a comedy thriller – a laugh out loud one, no less – based on Arthur Conan Doyle's extremely popular and much adapted tale of The Hound. This promises to be a fun filled comedy mystery, featuring the ever popular Holmes and Watson, as you would surely expect, and who will crack this case right open. Head to the venue website here for all the details.

My Screaming Pomegranates | Camden People's Theatre | 4-5 Oct
Okay, full disclosure: this one isn't really spooky, it ended up in this section because of that screamy title. But it is, like the previous two, comical – darkly so – and is Greek myth themed, which the classical scholars among you might already have deduced. Expect mask work, stand-up, Commedia dell'Arte and clown-inspired performance in a show that recently made an edfringe debut. Click here.

MORE GREAT STUFF

Tides (An Autism Story) | Drayton Arms Theatre | 6-10 Oct (pictured)
And talking of things that have been to the edfringe, here's another show that has done that very thing, back in 2025, and won lots of friends and critical acclaim. It's about Dylan Ward, who is is autistic. "He has his own way of thinking and his own way of doing things, but no one seems to understand him. How do you navigate a world which operates on a completely different wavelength to the one that you're on?" Get more info here.

Spin Cycle: The Lesbian Launderette Play | LowMac | 30 Sep-12 Oct
"Eyes lock. Hearts thump. Palms sweat. But something is off. Against the thrum of whirring washing machines, Kitt and Noel exchange secrets of the past. Under neon lights they must decide whether it's better to have loved and lost, or never loved at all?" And yes, it's yet another show with edfringe success behind it. It's almost like the old edfringe is full of good stuff, like this witty evocation of sapphic yearning. Get more info here.

Bull | Park Theatre | 30 Sep-24 Oct
I am interested in the topic of bullying because I think it's a really hard thing to stop happening, whether it's in school, in adult life, wherever… which is why my eye was caught by this play from Deafinitely Theatre that looks at workplace bullying and workplace culture shaped by competition and hierarchy. Expect a blend of sign language, spoken English and creative captions, and general all round brilliance. Details here.

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