It’s a warm, barmy evening along the South Bank, just the type of evening that makes the Underbelly festival a perfect place to be. Within its inner hub, the bars and food outlets are buzzing with activity, the whole place crowded as people wait to enter one of the two tents for the evening’s shows, or maybe just enjoy a drink and the atmosphere the place has to offer. Given how many people there are, the latter seems very likely ...

A talking gorilla. A linguist. A choice. Brodie is expecting her first child, but receives unsettling news about the baby. The medical profession offer no answers, and her girlfriend offers no mental or spiritual assistance. Brodie’s quest for guidance leads her to two unlikely sources: the elderly speaker of a dying language, and a gorilla. This is Precious Little, directed by Kate Bannister and currently at home in the Brockley Jack Studio Theatre. The cast of three highly skilled performers ...

I love the metaphor at the heart of The Glass Menagerie. Laura, the daughter of the play, overwhelmed by the expectations of the world, treats her collection of tiny glass animals with such care lest they break. To stage this play, the metaphor must radiate through every facet of its production. Laura’s anxiety threatens the security of her family, should she not find a husband. Her mother Amanda’s desperation to micro-manage her life maintains a familial tension that holds the ...

A smart, fresh take on a modern dystopian setting

A celebration of life, and a reminder that the fight is far from over.

Does My Bomb Look Big in This? was born from actor Nyla Levy’s dissatisfaction with being typecast as a ‘jihadi bride’. It deals with teenager Yasmin’s (played by Levy) slow enticement into, what she thinks, is a hopeful new life for her with ISIS. There’s a meta aspect to the play, as it consciously acknowledges its theatrical form to put forward the story of Yasmin, and her best friend Aisha (Halema Hussain). The two play myriad characters, including their family ...

If you’re into dance, the Peacock should be on your radar. It plays host to some of the most original productions around, yes. But just as importantly, it gives you an up-close-and-personal view of that all-important footwork from virtually every seat in the house. This intimate vibe works particularly well for Beats On Pointe, a groundbreaking Australian dance show on the first stop of its world tour. It’s sold as ‘an electric fusion of street dance and ballet’. But that’s ...

'Kill Climate Deniers' playwright David Finnigan chats about the maximalist show and the controversies it's already generated.

Bryony Taylor heads to Overtures Piano Bar for a night of singing and interview with founder Ray Rackham.

The posters displayed around the always welcoming lobby of Waterloo East Theatre ask the questions “Love Kylie? Love the 90s? Love Soap?”. The worrying thing is I can confidently state the answer is “no” to two of these questions; as for the 90s, I have vague recollections of them, usually of being in some dark dingy venue watching long forgotten bands. So even before taking my seat I was a little concerned I was not the shows target audience. Thankfully ...