Have you ever wondered how long a £5 note survives in circulation? Experts suggest the polymer note introduced in 2016 can last up to five years. But who might take ownership of the said note during its lifetime. What impact did it have before it was passed onto the next recipient? All these questions are imagined and explored in Fiver, currently running at the Southwark Playhouse. Most fringe theatres have a studio space secreted in its bowels. The playhouse is ...

Superb gay drama about relationships and polygamy.

This musical will make you smile!

With a small cast, the action takes place in the modest kitchen-living room of dysfunctional husband and wife Tam (Charlie Brooks) and Martin (Simon Lipkin), as they struggle to care for their severely autistic and non-verbal child, Laurence. Also in the equation is Laurence’s carer of two years, Gary (Michael Fox), who is both a blessing but also a constant reminder of the couple’s own failings as parents. The play has received a barrage of negative press for its representation ...

Playwright James Saunders presents us with a classic scenario. A younger couple and an older couple gather together in a living-room, having not seen each other for nine years. Each spouse has cheated with the spouse of the other, and no-one is really sure why they agreed to meet. Chaos ensues; drama is born. This is the first staging of Bodies since 1979. Certainly Saunders is not a playwright I’ve encountered much in my long and lovely affair with drama. ...

'Seussical the Musical' director James Tobias tells us about bringing the whimsical musical to Southwark Playhouse and the importance of theatre for young audiences.

Pros: The cast can sustain tension and passion; it is genuinely moving to watch this less-discussed side of WWI history. Cons: A stiflingly hot venue makes several audience members lose concentration; due to the thrust stage, some lines are hard to hear when actors aren’t facing you. At the end of this month, it will be 101 years since the Battle of Passchendaele began. It lasted until November 1917. Unlike the current British heatwave, Passchendaele started with heavy rainfall, turning ...

Poignant and thoughtful depiction of a couple where one of them suffers from dementia at a young age.

Eight effective short plays with an LGBT+ theme

From the dullness of the day-to-day to the dread of a dystopian downfall, this play is compelling and ominously logical.