TW April Round-Up: Paul Currie, Edinburgh Fringe CEO, SNL UK 14 Apr 12:30 AM (4 days ago)
It’s the TW Backstage Round-Up – once a month we select and summarise three key developments in the culture business…
PAUL CURRIE V SOHO THEATRE IN COURT
A preliminary hearing took place earlier this month in the legal dispute between comedian Paul Currie and Soho Theatre, in which Currie accuses the London venue of defamation over a statement it issued following an incident at one of his shows in February 2024.
The statement related to an altercation between Currie and an Israeli audience member in the final few minutes of a performance of his show ‘Shtoom’.
The comedian claims that the statement implied that he had deliberately intimidated an audience member after identifying him as Jewish, and that that harmed his reputation as a left-leading comedian who is against all forms of racism and prejudice.
According to another Jewish audience member at the 2024 show, who spoke to the BBC shortly after the incident, Currie displayed Ukrainian and Palestinian flags towards the end of his performance. After some audience members stood up in response, Currie began encouraging a standing ovation.
He then asked one audience member who had not stood up if he had enjoyed to the show. The audience member – the Israeli man – said that he had enjoyed the performance until the Palestinian flag was displayed.
This prompted Currie to tell the man to “get out of my show”, which in turn encouraged other audience members to start shouting “get out” and “free Palestine”.
Although they were not directly targeted, the other Jewish audience members said they suddenly felt unsafe and left the theatre. They told the BBC, “we felt threatened and marginalised – we did not know who was friend or foe”.
In its subsequent statement, Soho Theatre said that “Jewish members of the audience were subjected to verbal abuse and the performer aggressively demanding they leave the theatre”, adding it “will not tolerate intimidation of audience members due to their nationality, race, religion or beliefs” and “we will not be inviting Paul Currie back to perform at our venue”.
Venue bosses also said they were “continuing our investigation, discussing the incident with that evening’s audience and consulting with the police”, which, Currie says, suggested that his alleged conduct could have lead to a criminal charge.
Ever since the incident, Currie has stressed that, when interacting with the audience member at the end of his show, he did not know that the man was Jewish, and therefore he strongly objects to the implication that he targeted and ejected an audience member simply because of his ethnicity or religion.
Believing Soho Theatre’s statement contributed to what he sees has an inaccurate and unfair characterisation of the incident in the public domain, he launched the defamation proceedings.
The hearing earlier this month was tasked with identifying what meaning the public would have drawn from Soho Theatre’s statement, and what elements of that statement were opinion and what elements were fact.
According to the Evening Standard, the judge “rejected the suggestion that the theatre’s statement had gone as far as to allege Currie abused audience members ‘because they were Jewish'”.
He also concluded that the police investigation was “mentioned as a fact, rather than as the theatre’s opinion of Currie’s alleged conduct”.
Currie’s team may now appeal that ruling as the wider defamation case proceeds.
NEW EDINBURGH FRINGE BOSS STARTS WORK
The new CEO of the Edinburgh Fringe Society formally joined the organisation last week. Tony Lankester was announced back in January as the new boss of the Society, which supports the thousands of performers and producers, and hundreds of venues, which together deliver the biggest arts festival in the world every summer.
In a Q&A blog post published during his first week in the job, Lankester is asked what the most exciting part of his new role is. He replies, “Obviously, the Fringe holds a special place in the hearts of those who live here and those who visit in the summer – and being part of that world is the most exciting part”.
Asked what makes the Edinburgh Fringe so special, he goes on, “The world today – more than ever – needs the arts and the arts today – more than ever – needs the Fringe”.
“The Fringe ethos of being open and accessible to anyone with something to say, and the opportunity it provides artists and audiences to connect in an extraordinary way is vital”, he explains, adding, “Edinburgh, because of its history and legacy, is at the centre of that”.
SKY TO LAUNCH ‘SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE UK’
Sky has announced it will launch a UK version of the legendary US comedy TV show ‘Saturday Night Live’ next year.
The broadcaster says that ‘Saturday Night Live UK’ “will follow the same live, fast-paced style” of the US version of the show, with “iconic hosts, musical guests and a core cast of the funniest British comedians around”. Lorne Michaels, who created the US version 50 years ago, will also executive produce the UK version.
There have, of course, been various attempts over the decades to produce a UK comedy show that plays a similar role to ‘SNL’ in the US.
Most notable is Channel 4’s ‘Saturday Live’ in the 1990s, which became ‘Friday Night Live’ in its last series, and which was very much based on ‘SNL’ despite having no formal connection to the American show.
Announcing the launch of ‘Saturday Night Live UK’, Sky Studios boss Cecile Frot-Coutaz says, “For over 50 years ‘Saturday Night Live’ has held a unique position in TV and in our collective culture, reflecting and creating the global conversation all under the masterful comedic guidance of Lorne Michaels”.
“The show has discovered and nurtured countless comedy and musical talents over the years”, she adds, “and we are thrilled to be partnering with Lorne and the ‘SNL’ team to bring an all-British version of the show to UK audiences next year – all live from London on Saturday night!”
James Rowland: Songs Of The Heart 11 Apr 3:00 AM (7 days ago)
If you read our words with a degree of regularity, you may well have an idea of who some of our very favourite performers are, especially those ones that we first made contact with up at the Edinburgh Fringe. Which means you may well already know and understand the high esteem in which we hold James Rowland.
James specialises in superlatively excellent storytelling solo shows, ones that never fail to touch and entertain us. This week, as part of an ongoing UK tour, he’s headed to Stratford East to perform two shows from his ‘Songs Of The Heart’ trilogy.
It seemed like a great time for a catch up and to find more about what you can expect from his work.
CM: You’re currently on tour performing the three plays from your ‘Songs Of The Heart’ trilogy, and you’re performing two of them – ‘Learning To Fly’ and ‘Piece Of Work’ – at Stratford East shortly. Can you tell us a bit about each of those plays? What happens in them and what themes do they explore?
JR: So, ‘Learning To Fly’ is about how I tried to spike an old lady with MDMA when I was a teenager and ‘Piece Of Work’ is about the Proustian power that chicken burgers hold over me… I’m choosing the more lurid story moments there.
‘Learning To Fly’ follows an amazing friendship I had as a teenager with a lonely woman who looked after me when I was very ill, and – as the title implies – how that was a part of my becoming the person I am now.
‘Piece Of Work’ is about the middle of life that is suspended in motion between birth and death.
CM: You’re not performing the third show in the trilogy this time, ‘James Rowland Dies At The End Of The Show’, which was on at CPT earlier in the year. But can you tell us about that anyway?
JR: Naturally, as the third component of the trilogy ‘JRDatEotS’ – easy acronym there -concerns mortality. Mortality as opposed to grief or the pain around death distancing us from our loved ones. The brief I gave myself was to deliver the show how I would if I only had an hour left to live.
CM: What is it that ties these three pieces of work together?
JR: As well as looking at the span of a human life, the way I made this trilogy of shows was also through thinking about the works of art that have been most fundamental to my life.
‘Learning To Fly’ revolves around Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, ‘Piece Of Work’ takes Hamlet as the art at its core, and ‘JRDatEotS’ has my favourite stories in it – as I continue to perform it I will add and subtract things depending on my perspective changes.
CM: Can you tell us about what inspired the trilogy?
JR: The first show I ever made, ‘Team Viking’, became the first part of a trilogy called ‘Songs Of Friendship’ and I loved the form.
Making a self contained show that is satisfying and whole but then putting it together with its companion shows allows a deeper interrogation of the themes and a richer artistic offering to people who want that.
CM: We’ve always loved seeing your work up at the Edinburgh Fringe, of course. What keeps you going back to it?
JR: I love the Fringe so much – not just the Edinburgh Fringe but the world of fringe theatre. I’ve been very fortunate to have good times there.
The audience is the best part of that: people who are seeking the personal, the handmade art. Also the community is a vital part of it. Other artists bringing work that is of a smaller, more personal scale, I find very inspiring.
I find that the mainstream of theatre now is very in thrall to a feeling of fast fashion and celebrity culture – often offering spectacle without substance.
Privilege, institutional cowardice and an environment that is more often about status and who is cool in the playground has been the prevailing wind for as long as I’ve observed and that is very tiring.
This doesn’t prohibit amazing life enriching art coming out of the mainstream, but I think it is certainly less fertile ground. Fringe work has its own problems of course, but I find it much kinder if still very inaccessible to too many people.
CM: You do a lot of standing on stage by yourself, right? What’s it like being a solo performer, compared to sharing that space? What do you love about it?
JR: It began out of necessity – wanting to make art but not being able to afford to employ other people to work alongside – so it wasn’t something I ever had an ambition to do.
I utterly love it though. It often feels as if the audience and I synchronise through the stories. It makes me feel the responsibility of being an artist as keenly as possible: to deliver something that is worthy of the time of the people who have chosen to be there, to offer a gift.
I think when you share a stage with other actors your primary responsibility is to your colleagues and the audience second, that itself is a wonderful thing and I miss it.
Solo performance comes without a safety net and the demands of that are exciting.
CM: Tell us about being on tour. What’s good about it and what is difficult?
JR: Ha, well, I’m writing these answers on a phone on a train… I miss my partner and I miss my cat, there is no routine.
The small scale I operate with means the logistics can be frustrating, and because I’m usually performing for one night at a time it varies enormously how easy theatres find it to sell tickets.
Everybody is skint at the moment and the work that suffers first in that environment is the small scale…
The positives? I mean. What a gift. I love this work: being able to see the UK and meet people from all over.
To occasionally be able to tour internationally as well, and – whether the shows have been sold well or not – I have, without exception, found that audiences are glad to have spent their money and time with me and my work.
CM: Will you continue to perform the trilogy in the future, after this tour?
JR: Absolutely, I’ll start making something new very soon and at some point I may put these shows on the bench, but I think I will continue to perform them for the rest of my life in one way or another.
CM: I’ve asked you this before, but what aims and hopes do you have for the future in general? Any burning ambitions yet to be fulfilled?
JR: Bugger, I can’t remember what I said before… I’ll check when I’ve answered and enjoy the differences. First and foremost I would like to continue to make art.
I’ve been doing this for a decade and post-pandemic every year has been harder and full of more obstacles, not just in my tiny corner of the world but for everyone. As a result of these shifting sands, survival is still success for me.
I suppose the biggest aspiration is to have a little security – to be able to know that I can continue to do this and that I’m not one bad thing away from it all falling apart.
CM: What’s coming up next for you? Do you have any new projects in the pipeline?
JR: I’m gonna blow up the Houses Of Parliament, probably on November 5th…
I’m very excited to perform this trilogy as one thing- something I’ll be doing more of in the autumn and I will be doing it at least once at the Edinburgh Fringe.
I’m in the process of working out what I’m going to make next. It’s hard to force myself out of constantly creating a new show, but I’m enforcing that sabbatical until June when this tour finishes.
James performs ‘Learning To Fly’ and ‘Piece Of Work’ at Stratford East on 16 Apr, see the venue website here for more info and to book.
He continues to tour the UK following his London show, find all the dates and booking links here.
LINKS: stratfordeast.com | jamesrowlandtouring.com | instagram.com/jdsrowland
Three To See 15-21 Apr: Family Stuff, Fringe Successes, Friendship Themes, Further Fab Things 11 Apr 3:00 AM (7 days ago)
FAMILY STUFF
The Detective Dog | Greenwich Theatre | 17-18 Apr
Easter is on the horizon and we are half way through the school holidays, so why don’t we do a couple more children’s shows? And we definitely want to make one last visit to Greenwich Theatre’s lovely children’s festival. This week we’ve gone for ‘The Detective Dog’, which you may well recognise, as it’s a stage adaptation of the book by Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie for deaf and hearing family audiences, delivered via spoken English and BSL. More here.
Farm Boy | ArtsDepot | 16 April (pictured)
Another family friendly show for you, this one more suitable for those with older kids aged eight and up. And, in another another, it’s another adaptation, this time of Michael Morpurgo’s ‘War Horse’ sequel ‘Farm Boy’. You can expect drama and music, an account of the changing face of the countryside, and a narrative that sees an old man reaching out to the younger generation via the power of shared stories. Find all the details here.
A Tale Of Us | Brixton House | 15-17 Apr
This show feels a bit unique to me, because it’s actually a show for parents, but ones with babies aged up to eighteen months that are going to go to the show with them. Blending drama with multi-sensory playtime, it takes a look at a year in the life of a mother and her new baby, and I would have loved to have gone and seen it when I had a tiny tot. Head to the venue website here for lots more information and to book tickets.
FRINGE SUCCESSES
Tending | Riverside Studios | 15 Apr-4 May
We are always talking about shows that have had a good run up at old edfringe, so this week I thought we’d mark out a whole section of them for good measure. First up is ‘Tending’, which won absolute oodles of critical acclaim at the 2024 Festival and is about the day to day lives of NHS nurses, based on interviews with more than 70 nurses of different backgrounds, ages and nationalities. See the venue website here for more.
Hotel Elsinore | RIverside Studios | 21 Apr-3 May (pictured)
And we’re staying at Riverside Studios for ‘Hotel Elsinore’, which has had many great reviews, but it also tells a very interesting tale and it’s performed by a related cast – award winning actor and show creator Susanna Hamnett, her daughter Lily MacGregor and her son Joshua MacGregor. The trio play the bereaved family of a late, great actor, whose shoes they must step into for the opening of the Elsinore Shakespeare Festival. Click here.
Midnight Cowboy Radio | The Pen Theatre | 16-18 Apr
“It’s Labor Day in Kentucky! Time for your favourite late-night-radio-talk-show host, to give you life advice on the air of Midnight Cowboy Radio, entertaining y’all for those long drives home!” Another much recommended theatre piece for you, one which garnered some of that acclaim up at the Fringe. It’s both written and performed by Ally Ibach and sees an upbeat, conservative radio host dealing with a difficult issue. Expect dark and funny satire. Info here.
FRIENDSHIP THEMES
The Rise And Fall Of Vinnie And Paul | The Glitch | 16-28 Apr
We are all about the Fs today, if you hadn’t already noticed, and this time the F is for friendship. A broken one, in this case, I think, for this rock musical by the talented Neil Bastian is about Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, who shared a house in Arles (lovely place) for a few weeks, but then had a massive row, so Gauguin left, and Van Gogh only went and cut off his ear. Anyway, fans of art, fans of musicals, hie ye hence and book your tickets.
The Inseparables | Finborough Theatre | 15 Apr-10 May
“Nine year old Sylvie Lapage prays for France to be saved from the war, but her miracle arrives in the form of the new girl at school… Andrée is unlike anyone else – wildly bright and full of life”. The story of an intimate female friendship, ‘The Inseparables’ is based on the novel by Simone de Beauvoir, which was never published in her lifetime, and was finally released to acclaim in 2020. See the venue website here for more information and to book.
Ben And Imo | Orange Tree Theatre | 19 Apr-17 May (pictured)
The RSC production of Mark Ravenhill’s new play about Benjamin Britten, who has nine months to write a new opera to celebrate the coronation of Elizabeth II and isn’t even sure he wants to. Enter musician and force of nature Imogen Holst: “As storms lash the Aldeburgh beaches, Ben and Imo race against the clock to compose an opera fit for a monarch – and test the very edges of their passionate friendship”. Book your tickets here.
FURTHER FAB THINGS
It Is I, Seagull | Camden People’s Theatre | 15-16 Apr (pictured)
Whoo, I did it, all four sections today begin with F. Let’s get into the fabness with this show by Lucy Mellors who has had enough of “groveling to all-powerful male directors, being judged for eating a biscuit, singing by the bras at the back of Marks and Spencer, and sacrificing her mental health in pursuit of a dream”. All of which seems fair enough, quite frankly, plus, it’s a fusion of opera and comedy that exposes current and historical sexism. Yay. Click here.
How To Fight Loneliness | Park Theatre | 16 Apr-24 May
“Jodie and Brad seem like they have it all. The house in the suburbs, the nice car, the fully stocked bar. But when the couple are faced with a devastating crisis, they must enlist the help of a mysterious acquaintance from Jodie’s past”. A UK premiere for Neil LaBute’s 2017 play, which is rather timely for us, given that it deals with the idea of assisted dying, and how we get through our lives when time is running out. Find out more about it here.
Amy Mason: Behold! | The Bill Murray | 22 Apr
I’m not saying that there’s nothing to laugh at until this point in this week’s tips, but I will say that there’s a bit of a dearth of purely comedic fare in our recommendations this time, and I’m afraid that’s just how things panned out. But that’s why I thought I’d make this very funny act – Amy Mason – our grand finale on this occasion. Another edfringe approved act that brings you a show about “community, isolation and finding dildos in your porch” – you are guaranteed to laugh. Click here.
Explainer: Parliament session on live comedy 7 Apr 12:54 AM (11 days ago)
The Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee in the UK Parliament has announced it is holding a session putting the spotlight on the economic, cultural and social impact of live comedy, and challenges faced by the sector.
It’s part of the committee’s new State Of Play initiative, which aims to review aspects of culture, media and sport that are often overlooked in political circles.
In this TW Explainer, we explain what select committees are, how these sessions work, and why the Live Comedy Association asked MPs to put comedy in the spotlight.
SELECT COMMITTEES
Select committees in Parliament are made up of backbench MPs from all political parties, so MPs who are not actively involved in government and who don’t have a frontbench spokesperson role for the official opposition.
Each select committee is focused on a specific area of government. The Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee scrutinises the work of the Department For Culture, Media & Sport, and reviews developments and issues in the culture, media and sport sectors more generally.
Select committees can’t tell the government what to do or set government policy, but they can make recommendations, and put pressure on both government and industry on key issues.
There are eleven MPs on the CMS Select Committee, which is currently chaired by Conservative MP Caroline Dinenage.
SELECT COMMITTEE INQUIRIES
The select committees also undertake regular inquiries into specific topics. As part of those inquiries, oral hearings are held in Parliament during which people from relevant companies and organisations, or with relevant expertise, are invited to speak and answers questions from MPs.
At the end of each inquiry a report is published which will identify issues and make recommendations for addressing them. Many of those recommendations will be aimed at government and might include proposals for new laws.
Some recommendations may be targeted at key players in whatever sector was in the spotlight, with the suggestion that government should put pressure on those key players to adopt what is recommended.
Although governments are not obliged to follow those recommendations, they do have to provide an official response to each report.
CMS Select Committee inquiries in recent years have put the spotlight on grassroots venues, major cultural and sporting events, influencer culture, music festivals and the economics of music streaming.
In addition to the big inquiries, the committee also stages standalone hearings that put the spotlight on narrower topics or which revisit issues raised in previous inquiries. These don’t always result in a report and government response, but often do.
STATE OF PLAY INQUIRY
Last year the CMS Select Committee announced it was launching a new “rolling inquiry” under the banner State Of Play which will “shine a light on previously unheard issues and challenges”.
This inquiry will work differently. A number of oral hearings will be held each year, each one focused on a different sector or issue. However, as normal, at the end of the process the committee will make a series of recommendations to government.
The committee then invited individuals and organisations to suggest “previously unheard issues and challenges” that could be considered as part of this new inquiry.
Committee chair Dinenage said at the time, “State Of Play is a new style of inquiry that will give everyone involved in culture, media and sport the chance to have their voices heard across the country. We want to hear about the emerging challenges and opportunities facing our fantastic creative industries”.
One of the organisations that responded to that call for suggestions was the Live Comedy Association. While past CMS Select Committee inquiries and sessions have included topics that may impact on the comedy sector, the sector itself has never been scrutinised by the committee. Indeed, comedy in general has rarely been in the political spotlight unlike many other strands of the cultural industries.
Last week the committee announced that live comedy would be the first area considered as part of the State Of Play inquiry.
LIVE COMEDY SESSION
MPs on the committee revealed that more than 250 submissions were made suggesting topics to be considered under the State Of Play banner.
“The state of live comedy will be the focus of the opening session”, they added. “The comedy hearing, proposed by the Live Comedy Association, which represents those working in the industry, will examine the economic, cultural and social impact of live performance on the UK, and the challenges faced by the sector”.
Although the committee is yet to finalise a date or agenda for the comedy session, it noted that the LCA published a survey of the live comedy sector earlier this year.
That survey, the MPs said, “found that while the industry generates more than an estimated £1 billion a year, economic factors, precarious working conditions and inequalities are presenting challenges to its continued success”.
Dinenage added, “Our session will shine a spotlight on the particular challenges faced by live comedy and whether there is more that can be done to keep the laughter coming”.
She noted that – despite the comedy sector’s “widespread and enduring role in our cultural landscape” – we “should not be fooled into thinking that it’s always a barrel of laughs for our nation’s stand-ups, small venues, festivals and those that make the mirth happen behind the scenes”.
“Like so many other of our successful creative industries”, she concluded, “it can be a precarious place to be and no joke for those away from the glare of the big stage spotlight”.
LCA’S RESPONSE
The LCA – and its co-Chairs Jessica Toomey and David Elphick – have welcomed the news that the select committee has chosen comedy as the first focus of its State Of Play inquiry.
Toomey explains why this is an important development for the sector. “Since David and I took over as co-Chairs of the LCA, we have been working for over a year to try and get live comedy recognised by government as a key sector”, she says.
“This is important as once it’s recognised, we can be included in policies and strategies which will benefit those who work in live comedy. We’ve been overlooked for too long and this first session is hopefully a moment when things will change”.
Elphick adds that – after the select committee encouraged suggestions for what its State Of Play inquiry might cover – “we submitted something online back at the end of 2024 and they recently emailed us to say we had been accepted”.
“The session is very much organised by the select committee”, he goes on, but “apparently we were chosen as the first session from over 250 ideas; hopefully that is a signal of how important they are taking the sector”.
As for what specific issues might be addressed during the select committee’s comedy session, Toomey says “at the moment we don’t know”, but “we are pretty certain at least one of the LCA members will be invited to give evidence, but there may well be others attending as well”.
“From what we understand”, she adds, “they will use the survey report we published in February, together with our friends at Centre For Comedy Studies Research, to plan the session. The report was based on responses from people who work in the sector and tracked the size and scale and impact of the live comedy sector to the UK creative industries”.
Three To See 8-14 Apr: Family Stuff, Funny Stuff, Fab Stuff 4 Apr 3:00 AM (14 days ago)
FAMILY STUFF
Magical Honey | Greenwich Theatre | 10 Apr
Last week we served up plenty of family shows because the Easter holidays were in view, and now we have some more, because those school holidays have begun. And where better to start than over at the Greenwich Theatre, where there’s a whole festival of kid stuff happening. Our pick for this week is ‘Magical Honey’, which is about a girl who loves art and who finds magic ways to defeat her foe. Expect dance, magic, storytelling and live music. Click here.
Four Seasons | The Albany | 8 Apr (pictured)
“Join an intrepid team of magical gardeners as they tend to the marvellous menagerie of flora and fauna at every stage of nature’s miraculous journey”. Another lovely kids’ show, and this one explores the wonder of nature through a blend of puppetry, physical theatre, clowning and live music, the latter featuring – as one might hope and expect, given the title of the piece – a bit of classic Vivaldi. Find out more here.
The Worst Princess | ArtsDepot | 11-13 April
And now over to ArtsDepot for an adaptation of the picture book ‘The Worst Princess’ by Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie, a well loved work that’s generated a stage play that promises laugh out loud comedy as well as puppets and pop anthems. If you’re not familiar, it’s about Sue, who has been rescued by a twit of a prince, and now needs to escape from a tower and make friends with a dragon. Details here.
FUNNY STUFF
Will Owen: Like, Nobody’s Watching | Soho Theatre | 10-12 Apr (pictured)
And now for some funny stuff for the grown ups, because frankly we deserve it. And this one’s such a treat, and I say this with great authority, because we saw it at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe and our super-discerning reviewer gave it a 5/5 review. Expect “an hour of not-so-showbiz tales about life after the ‘X Factor’, from someone who only ever watched the show from home”. More details right about here.
The Devil Is In The Details | Etcetera Theatre | 9 Apr
I think that last one is the only stand-up we have today, but now we have some funny theatrical treats for you, hurrah. And this one has a fairly intriguing premise too. It’s an absurd comedy drama about three friends who make a deal with the devil and who must – in exchange for getting their deepest desires – perform yearly rituals that get progressively more difficult and dangerous. All the info here.
A Brief Case Of Crazy | Riverside Studios | 8-20 Apr
Another show with a successful run at edfringe behind it, this one, which is described as a heart warming and romantic physical comedy. It’s about Thomas, an awkward introvert who works in a conventional office job and his quest for love with an equally shy colleague, which is hampered by his own insecurities, his boss, and a magical, bothersome briefcase. Find out more on the venue website here.
SHORT STOPS
Fruitcake | Tabard Theatre | 13-14 Apr
Short stops now, remember to get your tickets booked and these dates in your diary ASAP, there’s no putting it off. I feel as though I’m hearing about quite a lot of plays set in the pandemic these days, and it’s no wonder, really, it’s an interesting time to look at. ‘Fruitcake’ is one such work, and it’s a humorous exploration of what happens when five twenty-somethings (two of them slam poets) get trapped in a flat together for lockdown. Click here.
Le Grand Soir | Theatre Deli | 11-12 Apr
As a fan of France and its language, my interest is always piqued by a French title, and this has one because it’s the work of France-based dance-theatre company 88 Meters/Second. Weaving together intimate stories, historical narrative, physical theatre and folkloric dance, it offers a “high-energy celebration of performance art, communism, intergenerational trauma and daddy issues”. More here.
Sunny Side | The Place | 8 Apr (pictured)
Yay, we’re all about the dance theatre today, for lo, here is more: a “socially urgent” portrayal of modern masculinity from the acclaimed Northern Rascals, that asks the question “where do young men stand in a world that seems to have no place for them?” The piece focuses on an eighteen year old in a northern town, who is struggling to work out where he belongs. Read all about it here.
LONGER RUNS
Heisenberg | Arcola Theatre | 9 Apr-10 May
And now for some somewhat longer runs, the longest of which is this one, a revival of Simon Stephens’ 2015 play ‘Heisenberg’, which you may well be familiar with given its 2017/18 West End run. This production offers a ”radical reimagining” of the play, and there’s a gender switch, with a woman in the originally male role of Alex. Highly acclaimed actors Jenny Galloway and Faline England star. Find out more here.
The Psychiatrist | White Bear Theatre | 8-26 Apr
Straight on to another two hander, which is based on real events and is about a psychiatrist who is struggling with poor resources and troublesome events and losses in his own personal life at the same time as trying to help his patients, so has to get his own therapist. The show features former psychiatrist turned actor Julian Bird, who we interviewed back in 2022. Lots more information about the play on the venue website here
The Guest | Omnibus Theatre | 8-26 Apr (pictured)
“Ricky and Joe have lived here forever. They love a glass of wine in their garden sitting under Ricky’s beautiful vine. But it’s getting hotter, the cracks are starting to show, and a stranger comes knocking. What does she want? Why choose them? No one invited her! Should they open the door?” A (very intriguing) ‘serious comedy’ from a fabulous team. Head to the venue here for all the details.
MORE FAB STUFF
Schrödinger’s Lesbians | The Glitch | 9-14 Apr (pictured)
One last section, three fab things. Starting with the excellent ‘Schrödinger’s Lesbians’, an irreverent and joyful play about love, lesbians and history, structured around Sappho’s fragments. “If two lesbians f*ck and no one records it, did it happen? Sorry let me rephrase that: if two women fall in love but none of the men write about it, did it happen?” Head to this page here to book your tickets.
Almost Instinct Almost True | Old Red Lion Theatre | 8-12 Apr
This one immediately stood out for me when I heard about it, because it’s about Philip Larkin, a poet that entered my life slightly against my will, and whose work I came to alternately both love and loathe. Anyway, this is a “bitter comedy” about the relationship between him, his long suffering girlfriend Monica Jones, and her student, Tommy. See the venue website here for more information and to book.
Playfight | Soho Theatre | 8-26 Apr
Over to Soho Theatre for the final tip of the week: Julia Grogan’s exploration of sexuality, female adolescence and identity, a sell out success at edfringe 2024. ‘Playfight’ takes a funny and poignant look at adolescent desire in a landscape of rising sexual violence, focusing on three friends growing up together and hunting for love – “proper, ugly love”. Head to this page here for all the gen.
Naomi Denny: All The Happy Things 4 Apr 3:00 AM (14 days ago)
Beginning a run at Soho Theatre this week is SH Productions’ ‘All The Happy Things’, a play by Naomi Denny that’s about bereavement, grief and sisterhood.
These are serious themes, but the play itself is a dark comedy, and its approach to a difficult topic is definitely intriguing.
I wanted to find out more about the show and its talented playwright, who is also a talented performer, and takes on one of the roles in this three-hander.
I spoke to Naomi ahead of opening night.
CM: Can you start by giving us an idea of what ‘All The Happy Things’ is all about? Who is at the centre of the story and where does the narrative take us?
ND: ‘All The Happy Things’ is a dark comedy about the powerful bond of sisterhood and the complexity of grief.
It follows the character of Sienna, who is dealing with the sudden loss of her older sister Emily – and the way she is dealing with this is to pretend it never happened, literally seeing and having full blown conversations with her.
It’s fun on stage, as Emily is a character, but the only person that can see and talk to her is Sienna. Emily says the things that Sienna is thinking, always shows up at the most inconvenient times, and never misses a moment to wind up her little sister, which is less than ideal from Sienna’s perspective.
Simultaneously, Sienna is also trying to excel at her demanding job, maintain a relationship with her boyfriend Sam, and care for her ailing father, who she had to put into a home recently – she’s spinning a lot of plates.
And soon, they all begin to crash down. The play is funny, silly, heartbreaking – it’s a look at what happens when everything gets too much.
CM: What themes are explored through the play?
ND: I would say the main themes of this show are sisterhood and grief. Both are simultaneously so unique to everyone but also so universal in terms of the experience.
With regard to grief, I wanted to look at the complexity of it, the absurdity of it, and also the depth it goes to – crying at mini cheddars in the supermarket, missing playing games of Boggle with your sister, not knowing what to do or how to do it.
Sisterhood, similarly – I think the relationship between siblings is just so weird and fascinating. You can fight with each other, be unbelievably angry, but also share jokes and memories, and have an inside language that no one else does.
CM: How would you describe it in terms of style or genre?
ND: It’s a dark comedy, definitely. I didn’t want this play to be super depressing, even though it looks at the experience of grief. I wanted it to focus on silliness, on light, on the things that make siblinghood so wonderful.
So a lot of the play looks at the relationship between the two sisters and how much they love each other, and how they can get under each other’s skin like no one else can.
CM: What was the inspiration for the play? What made you want to tackle this topic?
ND: I’d love to say my sister had no part in inspiring this, but I wrote it when I was living at home with my sister for the first time in about ten years during lockdown. So I think our relationship has definitely inspired the relationship between the two sisters and how they interact with each other.
I wanted to look at grief because I don’t think it’s talked about enough, especially within the black community. When someone is buried, when the funeral is over and the guests have gone, what happens to the people still in the house?
It feels slightly like you’re just expected to get on with things – and when you lose someone that close to you, sometimes it’s not always possible to do that.
I also think this play speaks to the expectation that is placed on black women in particular to do everything and be everywhere, and to be the person who is taking care of everyone else.
Sienna is going through the most difficult time of her life, and yet she doesn’t have space to breathe and to actually process anything, because her work needs her, her family needs her, her boyfriend needs her.
Which means that she doesn’t have time to figure out how she’s actually doing and how she needs to process what she’s going through.
CM: Why did you choose to perform in the play? Did you always plan to do so?
ND: I never set out to be in it – I’ve never written anything thinking I was going to be in it. But I remember reading this play one day and being, like, ‘oh this would be really good to be a part of’ and, being an actor, I’m never one to turn down a good role.
When we first performed this play in development at Theatre503, I actually played the character of Emily, not Sienna.
But Emily is so me – she essentially is a more extroverted version of myself – so I wanted to find a new character, one who was further away from me, to sink my teeth into, so when we did a work in progress showing last year at Omnibus, I played Sienna.
I was worried at first how it would look, me performing in something I’d written, and I actually spoke to my sister about it. She’s an excellent person to talk with about my worries in the arts, because she knows absolutely nothing about them apart from as a consumer.
I said to her that I was worried about doing it from a perception perspective, and she just paused, and went “Well, Phoebe Waller-Bridge does it, and no one thinks that of her, so I say you just do it”.
CM: Can you tell us a bit about your fellow cast members?
ND: Oh, my babes! I cannot put into words how much I love LJ Johnson and Dejon Mullings. We genuinely all get on so well and bounce off each other so well.
Our director, Lucy Jane Atkinson, always says that our vibes come as one – if one of us is hungry, we’re all hungry. If one of us is hyper, the mood is chaotic. We joke that we share a single brain cell. I love them.
I met LJ, who plays Emily – and also Ruby – in 2023 when we were casting for another show I wrote. She came in to read and I was immediately like, ‘we have to have her’ because I couldn’t stop watching her. And then, when we were casting for our work in progress at Omnibus, I instantly thought of her.
Because Emily is someone we always want to be watching – we have to have someone captivating playing her. But it was also important we had someone who has the freedom and confidence to play – because that’s Emily.
She says what everyone else is thinking, she isn’t afraid to put Sienna in the shit, and LJ is SO brilliant in that regard. There are times when Lucy just lets her loose in a scene and it’s so hard not laughing, because she’s comedy gold.
Dejon, who plays Sam – and also Kevin – came on board for this run and he has been an absolute joy. He is so positive and hardworking, and just gets the characters – he has taken both on and made me as a writer understand them more than I ever did writing them.
I remember when we met it was an instant ‘yes’. We were doing Zoom meetings, and I was speaking with our producer Steph Hartland between meetings and we were frustrated about the fact that we hadn’t found anyone who struck the right balance between getting the seriousness of the topic, but also not taking themselves too seriously.
And then Dejon came into the meeting room, and his camera and his mic didn’t work. And we were talking, like “can he hear us? Do you think he can see us?”, and a message just popped up, “I can see you”. Followed by “but not in a creepy way”. And we knew that he was our guy.
CM: And now can you tell us a bit about yourself? What drew you to a career in the arts and what steps did you take to further it?
ND: I don’t think I’ve ever even considered working in an office environment. As a side note, this actually made things quite difficult writing Sienna’s job scenes, because I’ve literally never stepped foot in a corporate setting.
I always loved performing, and I think initially my parents put me into theatre because I had a lot of energy. I wanted to be a ballerina until I realised I wasn’t that coordinated at all, and that I actually had to put work in to be able to wear the sparkly tutus.
I went to a Saturday drama school throughout my childhood and I wanted to go to drama school straight out of school, but my parents did the whole ‘we can’t make you, but maybe you should do something you can fall back on’ thing.
So I went to Durham University for four years, then promptly went to drama school. I never set out to be a writer, but I started writing when I was at drama school, and it turned out I loved it, and actors liked performing it. So I kind of just carried on!
I think I’ve just never been a person who says no to a job in theatre. I always go into things with a ‘well, you don’t know where it might lead’ attitude, and so far, it’s treating me pretty well.
I’ve worked in stage management, as an usher, as a movement director, as a practitioner – I always want to learn more about this career and about this world.
I got a job at Soho Theatre in my final year of drama school, and that was so wonderful – I loved it. I always say I’m funnier because of that job – turns out, watching live comedy every night pays off!
And now my show is going there, to the venue that I sat outside when I was writing it, and that’s pretty cool.
CM: What have been the highlights of your working life thus far?
ND: Hmm. This play is a pretty big one. It feels like a very full circle moment, and I’m absolutely loving the journey.
Acting wise, getting my first TV role – I landed a role in an ITV show, ‘Breathtaking’, last year, and it was wonderful. I loved every second of it. TV is such a different medium and learning more about it, filming every day – it was incredible.
Writing wise, I’d say my first commission – it was a show called ‘Unseen Unheard’, about black women going through breast cancer treatment in the UK.
I worked with an amazing charity, Black Women Rising, who put me in touch with a group of women who we nicknamed the ‘guardian angels’, who worked sort of like a focus group for the play – it was an absolute honour to write and such a special play to be a part of.
There have been so many smaller high moments for me…
Being able to buy my first pair of docs with the money from my first show, landing my first professional job out of drama school, learning how to advocate for myself and those around me, working in rooms and with people I never expected – there are too many to count, to be honest.
Can’t wait for some more!
CM: What aims and ambitions do you have for the future?
ND: To be able to work solely as a creative is a big one. Most of us have muggle jobs, and I’d love to be able to be solely a creative. I love being in rehearsal rooms, and I love this career, so yeah. That would be amazing.
I also really want to do more TV work – it’s genuinely so enjoyable, and I’d really like to get some more screen work under my belt.
CM: What’s coming up next for you after this?
ND: I’ve got another show to write! I’m on Hampstead Theatre’s Inspire programme and I’m writing a show as a part of that, about love and relationships between global majority women.
Really excited to get my teeth into that and to develop it further, and then we’re setting off on a national tour of ‘All The Happy Things’ in autumn! So lots to do!
‘All The Happy Things’ is on at Soho Theatre from 8-26 Apr, see the venue website here for more information and to book tickets.
LINKS: sohotheatre.com | x.com/shprods_ | instagram.com/naomidennyy
