Off West End
Much like fringe theatre, trying to define what Off-WestEnd venue really means is a debate that would take us long into the night. So for our own sanity, we define it as those venues that are slightly bigger than the fringe venues (so roughly 100+ seats), but not the big West End or similar venues that form part of the Society of London Theatre (SOLT). Like fringe venues, Off-WestEnd are eligible for consideration for awards via the Fringe Theatre Awards.
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The Wordcatcher, Blue Elephant Theatre
Presented by Smoking Apples Theatre★★★ Pros: The show boasts lots of very interesting and original ideas. Cons: The actors overstretch their abilities making the show seem amateurish in places. Our Verdict: An interesting show with some great ideas. Credit: Jax…
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Lucy and the Hawk, Ovalhouse Theatre
Written and Directed by Phil OrmrodPerformed and co-devised by Tom Walton & Abigail Moffatt★★★★ Pros: Perfectly choreographed, great performances and nice design. Cons: Stream of consciousness monologues can make it a little hard to follow the plot in places. Our…
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The Soft of Her Palm, Finborough Theatre
Chris DunkleyDirected by Ola Ince★★★★ Pros: The cast give a very strong performance of gritty subject matter and complex characters. The story is told in reverse which is a fantastic way to challenge the audience’s perception of the circumstances. It…
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Cross Purpose, King’s Head Theatre
Albert CamusDirected by Stephen Whitson ★★★ Pros: A sharp production with an extremely strong cast. Excellent lighting, costume and sound design that compliment the seedy and unnerving themes and (not so under) undertones perfectly. Cons: It’s bloody depressing. Our Verdict:…
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A Life, Finborough Theatre
Hugh LeonardDirected by Eleanor Rhode★★★★ Pros: A remarkable script with a knock-out central performance. Cons: Not every actor can do the Irish accent convincingly which spoils the illusion at times. Our Verdict: A great revival of an underrated script. Courtesy…
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Bookworm, Etcetera Theatre
Written and directed by Jessie Cave★★★★ Pros: A solid hour of fun, quirky humour, spiced with some educational tidbits and some always-satisfying Fifty Shades of Grey jokes. Cons: A few sketches dragged, and some humour may be unapproachable for audience…
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The Collective Project, Camden People’s Theatre
Presented by The Pensive Federation★★★ Pros: The concept is fantastic and original. The acting is dynamic and there is lots of contrast from each of the plays. The more you think about what is going on, the more subtleties surface.…
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The Random Acts of Strangers, Etcetera Theatre
Anthony Bull★★★ Pros: A strong cast perform interesting monologues about modern life. Cons: Some parts of the play left me feeling a bit confused. Our Verdict: An enjoyable evening with some very impressive acting. Courtesy of Etcetera Theatre The Random…
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Childsplay, Normand Park
This unique theatre experience is enjoyable for adults and older kids alike.