A strange but enjoyable comedy with plenty of laughter and darkness

an hour of fast-paced and vividly delivered entertainment with an unexpected twist

Billed as a spoken word performance, it’s a slight surprise when our host begins proceedings as a presentation, and not in the flowing proses you would normally expect; another example of the scope of this oft misunderstood genre. As she slips on her white lab coat, for this is a properly conducted experiment after all, Rose Condo explains what she is attempting to do; to survive 24 hours without her smartphone in an effort to reconnect with the world, to ...

A charming two handed comedy whose unique presentation style makes this a perfect end of night show

A fun idea that is let down by its insistance to add too much filler when it should focus on the core of the story

“What if I promise you I won’t let the bomb off by the hot food counter?” is not a line you would expect to hear from someone about to strap said bomb to their chest, but it is a line that perhaps best hints at the tone for the Sarah Nelson penned Letter To Boddah, a tale of domestic terrorists who want to stick it to the man by blowing themselves, and a whole load of shoppers, up in their ...

A man and his guns are wandering the Wild West. His name, Roscoe ‘Blackjack’ Porter. And he’s bleeding. He owes his life to his loyal weapons, Bess and Bella, and his inseparable deck of cards. Those, together with a good bottle of whiskey, are all the family he has left. He’s got a long walk ahead, so he takes the opportunity to recall the events that led him to this state with flashbacks of his last few days. It all ...

Was it ever thus? Horny humans playing every trick in the book to win some love, or at least satisfy their lust? Well, yes, probably, but the eternal quest makes for brilliant entertainment in this smart and exuberant four-hander from writer Ryan Craig and director Anthony Banks. Proceedings start with a bang as the brilliantly energetic opening scenes provide key background information on the characters, punctuated by infectious music and movement, all played out against Simon Scullion’s beautifully colourful abstract ...

With theatre access and diversity issues continually in the headlines lately, it’s worth remembering Chickenshed has been blazing a trail for inclusiveness for over forty years now. As well as championing the under-represented on stage, they have clearly learned a thing or two about creating crowd pleasing work over that time too.  Mr Stink, first seen last year and now returning as a slightly slimmed down touring production, is an uncomplicated affair perhaps, but, by gosh, it is a gloriously ...

Pre show, I grabbed a flyer for Sh!tfaced Shakespeare. The early signs were not promising; according to said blurb the show features a cast of professional Shakespearian actors; each night one lucky victim is selected and carefully intoxicated for up to four hours prior to the show. The remaining sober cast members then have to navigate their way around the play with their drunken comrade in tow. The play was introduced by the compare, a blonde sequinned ringmaster who screamed ...