GRIMFEST
Old Red Lion Theatre
INTERVIEW AND FULL LISTING
INTERVIEW WITH CURATOR JACK ROBERTSON
ON ALL THINGS GRIM
LPT: Hello Jack, it is wonderful news that your company MediumRare Productions is organising this festive. Could you tell us a little more about the company, on a scale of 1 – 10 just how bloody is it?
If 10 is the bloodiest I’d say we’re about a 7.5
The company name actually originated from a sketch I wrote & performed many moons ago when I was deep in the world of comedy. It’s about a very pompous patron in a restaurant who insists on having his chicken cooked a certain way… You had to be there I’m afraid. MediumRare is still dedicated to comedy in theatre & there’s always a hint of macabre in our work.
I’m very pleased to say that I’m not alone in organising the festival this year – it is a now collaboration with the fantastic Nina Atesh of Pither Productions. Her play ‘The Drought’ was a hit at our inaugural GrimFest in 2022 and her enthusiasm for the cause is what led us to doing it all again this year. It is very much a joint venture and it simply wouldn’t be going ahead without Nina.
LPT: Why this festival and why now … not really … is this the best festival for post lockdown trauma (please tell us about any grim things that we might like to gloat over).
We all feared the onslaught of countless reflective (and pretentious) lockdown situated plays following the pandemic and thankfully there’s nothing like that in our festival. I think what we have instead is a really diverse & creative array of new theatre – a number of shows in the lineup are interactive. If anything, we are looking to reconnect with one another. Horror can be very escapist, especially when the world is a horror show in itself.
Live theatre is still very much in recovery and we believe these dark delicious productions will entice audiences back into sitting in a dark room with strangers… what could be more thrilling?
LPT: We have known for many years now that the Old Red Lion pub and theatre is haunted. Could you tell us your favourite story in no more than two paragraphs.
I heard this one from the pub’s owner about a séance which took place during the London Horror Festival – currently on hiatus & previously hosted at the Old Red Lion. They contacted the spirit of French woman who identified someone in the room (who was not participating) by revealing their secret middle name. A name they never told anyone they had… a French name.
There’s also been a few chairs thrown around the bar and not by drunken punters. And I defy anyone to stand alone in the theatre in the dark and not feel like you’re being watched…
LPT: What exactly is a Grimfest play? Is it confined to spooks and horror?
Definitely not. We were on the lookout for anything that could be defined as “grim” which is very open to interpretation. It’s the alternative, the unsettling & surreal which is reflected in the shows that are taking part – from a drag revenge noir thriller to a eulogy delivered by a Norse god. But then we also have a show called ‘A Haunted House’ which sounds like a classic spooker and lots of fun!
LPT: Will there be any really serious plays, which make us think and perhaps even recalibrate our fundamental beliefs?
‘Bones Bones’ by Rachel Daphne Oneale deals with issues of race and motherhood in a contemporary North London neighbourhood but has the trappings of a gothic horror. It’s a very exciting debut which I’m looking forward to and I suppose fits the bill of “serious” without being a theatrical sermon.
But I think a lot of these productions, and horror in general, have much to say about the human experience and the unspoken things lurking in our society. Never make the mistake of thinking that something “spooky” can’t also change your outlook on life… horror isn’t as frivolous as some theatre critics assume.
LPT: Just how horrible are the horror shows going to be … are they the stuff of nightmares, will we be kept awake looking under beds, hiding under the bedsheets into the small hours OR …
The honest answer is, I don’t know! Most of the shows on the line up I have yet to see – some of them are making their debut or have been specially created for GrimFest. I’m really excited to see what’s in store… I’m really intrigued by ‘A Scary Place To Exist’ and ‘20b Thanet Road’ but then I love a good scare!
There’s quite a lot of comedy horror in there so if you are worried about nightmares you might be safe with standup by Fred Strangebone or Cheekykita turning into a giant octopus.
If you get queasy easy, then avoid ‘Butchered’
LPT: Why is it horror can be so hilariously funny … why do we laugh at horror spoofs … please answer in three words OR a haiku.
All
About
Timing
LPT: What’s your favourite show of the festival (hope you won’t get stabbed in the back for telling us … we won’t be keeping it a secret).
I’ll give my verdict once I’ve seen them all.
I’m producing (and acting!) in ‘Triskaidekaphobia’ so I guess I’m flying the flag for that show for the time being.
LPT: That’s your favourite show, but which one do you think will be a box office hit and why?
‘Butchered’ has been gaining momentum after an award-nominated run at Vaults, receiving a string of five-star reviews and a proving a hit at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This incredible two-hander is coming to GrimFest for one night only and I think will have a waiting list of people looking for returns.
LPT: Will there be anything else spooky in the pub. There’s usually pumpkin heads, decorations and maybe even mulled wine.
We will going all out in terms of decorations this year! Who cares if Halloween is on a Tuesday? We’ll be partying the night away with a few post-show festivities plus another end of GrimFest celebration on Saturday 4th November. There might be mulled wine, but we’ll be using it to play bobbing for apples.
LPT: Are there any nice discounts (like two for one pints) for the dedicated Grimfest connoisseur?
Pints will be full price BUT for the festival we will have a range of beers on sale from the brilliant Werewolf Beer – An American Brewery in London. Come and try them all! Werewolf are one of our official sponsors for GrimFest 2023 and have provided a huge amount of support for us. Check out their taproom in Camden – it’s full of old fairground ghost ride décor!
LPT: We’re intrigued by some of the titles of the plays. Which ones have got you interested and why?
‘I Was a Teenage Bisexual’ might be my favourite title of the festival. Combining classic B-movie horror with awkward sexual awakenings sounds like a recipe for a brilliant show. Polis Loizou is a wonderful storyteller & I can’t wait to see this show. I’m also very intrigued by ‘Legend of the Turnipman’ from Laima Vanaga – apparently there’s puppets involved!
LPT: Finally, we’ve noticed that the headliner is a MediumRare Production show. What kind of audience do you hope will come and see the play?
I wouldn’t say we were headlining the festival – more like the cold open. ‘Triskaidekaphobia’ is a very British ghost story that combines comedy & chills in equal measure. Written by the brilliant Brian McInally, this play has distinct overtones of ‘Inside No 9’ and is packed with nods, winks and allusions to countless tales of terror. Definitely one for the more discerning horror fanatic. We’ve described it as ‘Beetlejuice’ meets ‘Fawlty Towers’.
The true headline show is ‘Tales from the Hellfire Club’ which is debuting on the 31st October and then closing the festival on 4th November. It is a horror anthology of short spooky plays by four writers, one of which is our very own Nina Atesh. Anthology films are very common in horror cinema but it’s very nice to see the same thing brought to life on stage. Having spoken to dedicated fans of the screen, they seem excited by the prospect of a live horror production. We really hope these film lovers abandon their laptops for one night and witness the thrills live on stage – there’s nothing quite like it!
WELCOME TO GRIMFEST
OCTOBER 17TH - NOVEMBER 4TH 2023
LISTINGS
TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA by Brian McInally
17TH - 18TH - 19TH OCTOBER 7pm
When Janet & Alfie arrive at the Borden Grange for their wedding anniversary late at night they are subjected to the hotel's unsettling history by the morbid manager, Osbert. What ghostly secrets lurk in room number 13?
And will anyone get out alive?
Expect frightening tales, shocking twists and even a stuffed dog in this spooktacular dark comedy.
Think 'Beetlejuice' meets 'Fawlty Towers'.
A MediumRare Production.
Previous Work Includes -
"It's Behind You! A Horror Pantomime"
★★★★ Voice Magazine
"Mistress To The Midnight"
★★★★★ North West End
Best Comedy Play - Greater Manchester Fringe Festival 2019
A FEMME FATALE: TRISTY'S VENGEANCE
17TH OCTOBER 8.30pm
A Femme FAtale is written by, and is performed by Daniel Craze, who takes his drag persona to the role of Tristy Woods, a women who has hit rock bottom and is losing her mind whilst under pressure with dealing with the worst type of men in her life, except for her one and only love, her son, who she is willing to protect at all costs.
A Femme FAtale: Tristy's Vengeance is a story about domestic abuse, sexual harassment/abuse, vengeance, power, greed, corruption, love and seeing through the lens of a fugitive and/or anti-hero.
Daniel Craze started his acting journey in 2011 in immersive theatre, and for the first time he is taking his first written play to the stage in this gritty crime thriller. He trained at ISSA (International school of Screen Acting), as he has starred in two independent films and a variety of theatre and so forth. Daniel is currently rep'd by Illume Casting ltd.
In this shows, Daniel brings up big topics through drag, and hopes that you enjoy the his first ever play, A Femme FaTale: Tristy's Vengeance
18TH & 19TH OCTOBER 8.30PM
An interactive immersive show.
Two actors begin a strange play, which promises one of them the chance to give the best performance of their life. But it soon becomes clear they’re not in control. How will you decide their ends?
Combining interactive theatre and horror, A Scary Place To Exist invites you into a world where the end is inevitable - but how you face it is not.
A new experimental production created by Leo Doulton (Come Bargain With Uncanny Things, The Perfect Opera) and Vic Sautter (The Inquest, Sex Drugs and Murder, and the BAFTA-nominated Growing Up Poor), starring Tom Black (Crisis? What Crisis?, Make Me Prime Minister).
“boundless in opportunity for audience improvisation/interactivity.” - NoProscenium*
“A strange, slow-burn, potential sleeper hit" - Opera Magazine*
*Reviews For Previous Work
20B THANET ROAD
20TH OCTOBER
Em has been kicked out of yet another rented room. With rents rising, and none of her art work selling, she’s got nowhere else to go. Once again she’s been well and truly screwed by London. So when the news of her estranged mother’s death reaches her, Em is very surprised to hear she’s inherited her house in Margate.
But there’s something odd about the house, the smell of burning, the noises creaking out from every corner, the doors that disappear and reappear at will. A surreal & sickly comedy monologue with musical accompaniment, catch this incredible new show from Chronic Insanity.
Written by Doug Deans and Kathleen O'Dougherty.
Performed by Kathleen O'Dougherty.
21ST & 22ND OCTOBER
*Nominated for Best New Writing at Buxton Fringe (2023)*
Somewhere out there is a creature so terrifying, most humans dare not speak its name: the BISEXUAL.
Horror B-movie meets folklore storytelling, infused with poetry. A brand-new, one-of-a-kind show from the award-winning* writer-performer Polis Loizou, exploring life as a bi man, and the associated horrors.
Junior just wants to be an ordinary guy. But it feels like everyone knows he isn't. Bullies pick him apart at school, while his dad wants him to be more masc. Aside from his body-image issues, he also wrestles with dreams and desires he can't tell anyone about — he can barely admit them to himself.
Just when he thinks things couldn't get worse for him, bodies start turning up in his small town, and suspicion falls on folkloric beings. Beings who sound uncannily similar to him...
“Polis Loizou is so good at this kind of monologue, consistently moving from character to character, his physicality relaxed but precise. This is an entertaining show, but also one with a message of identity and acceptance that has a clear resonance.”— Robbie Carnegie, Buxton Fringe review
Supported by Arts Council England.
(Best New Writing at Buxton Fringe 2021 for ‘Mr Fox’, which was also nominated for Best Actor and Best Production.)
A GIANT OCTOPUS, THE UNIVERSE & OTHER SPOOKY STUFF
21ST + 27TH OCTOBER
Multi award-winning comedian Cheekykita's one-woman, tour-de-force nonsense ride... where will we end up?
From the sea to the universe, an octopus and other daft scary stuff... we will go somewhere and it will be fun. Hell yeah, a lot of fun and (very) silly dancing, songs, creatures and an octopus... of course... a big one. We might go to space... why not?
Prepare to be scared while laughing!
★★★★★(FunnyWomen.com)
'Silliest, maddest, funniest hour I have ever spent' ★★★★★ (EdFringeReview.com)
'A true Gem' (Tom Ward).
'Hilarious' (Alan Davies)
‘A weirdo somewhere universe of Boosh' (Chortle.co.uk)
'Bizarre and strangely entertaining' (Kate Copstick).
24TH - 25TH OCTOBER
It’s the 10th bi-annual meeting of the Michael Ball Appreciation Society and Alex, their founder, has a special surprise to mark the occasion.
Alex has been obsessed with Michael Ball since he was a young boy, when he first heard The Very Best of Michael Ball in his brother’s car. Just as the conductor directs his musicians, Alex orchestrates a fiendish plan to finally meet the blue-eyed boy from Bromsgrove.
Produced by the award winning theatre company, Split Infinitive, I Heart Michael Ball is a one-hour one-man show exploring themes of grief and obsession through audience interaction. Bring your Michael Ball fan shirts, CDs and collectable, and get ready for a bloody good sing-song!
I Heart Michael Ball is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Nominated for an OFFie Award for its run at the 2022 Camden Fringe. I Heart Michael Ball has also been nominated for Best Direction, Best Musical Direction, Best Leading Performance and Best New Production of a Play by Broadway World UK.
“Alexander Millington’s one hour drama is a gem” ★★★★★ The Latest
“Raw, hilarious and scary” ★★★★ West End Best Friend
“This is a brilliant show…Truly heart breaking” ★★★★ Everything Theatre
“This show is an experience”★★★★ Longstaff Reviews
LEGEND OF THE TURNIPMAN
24TH - 25TH - 26TH OCTOBER
“And there he was - half man, half turnip. He entered the room as if he owned it, all eyes on him, and no one, no matter how hard they tried, could look away; it was impossible not to look at him. He was magnificent.”
This is the story of the Turnipman who wanted it all, but his destiny had other plans for him.
This doomed horror comedy tells a long forgotten tale about Count Gilbert the Turnipman, his adventures, his sad love affair and other misfortunes from his glory days (in his opinion) - when after the death of his Mama and the mysterious disappearance of his Papa, he began ruling over his village, up until his untimely…
Let’s say - he had some enemies…
A new one woman show with physical theatre elements, and some creepy puppets, created for GrimFest 2023.
Laima Helena Vanaga is an actress, clown and theatre maker.
Her previous solo show - tragicomedy Chasing Lisa (Latvian version called Nokert Lisu) has previously been performed at Camden Fringe (2022), Brighton Fringe (2023), as well as at Latvian Culture Festival in Swansea (2023) and various other location in London and Latvia.
HAMSTRUNG
26TH OCTOBER
He’s definitely not dead. He’s just ‘resting’...
But now, Hamlet’s infamous court jester is BACK to dig up the skeletons of his misspent life in this playful, irreverent take on Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy.
Exploring themes of performance, love and the afterlife, Hamstrung is a queer, one-person Shakespearean ghost story that plunges the depths of the melancholy Dane's fellow of infinite jest.
Join this existentially troubled clown as he rescues his untold story from the canon, in a tragicomic excavation that asks whose stories get to be told, and what it means for theatre to be ‘live’ when the performers themselves are not.
To see or not to see? There is no question.
Written & Performed by George Rennie.
Directed by Lisa Millar
Praise for previous work:
‘A fascinating show drawing on both the psychological and spiritual realms … You’re never quite sure of who is who, and when the past will show up uninvited.’ Theatre Full Stop on Spirit Box
‘Up, Up, Up and Away! is more than just a breathtaking example of pandemic problem-solving, it has all the ingredients of a modern classic.’ London Theatre 1 ★★★★★ on Up, Up, Up and Away
A HAUNTED HOUSE
27TH OCTOBER
"In a dark, dark house on a dark, dark, street, a house of horrors wakes from sleep”
Mime and slapstick performer David Hoskin ("Phenomenal" ✭✭✭✭ Broadway World) presents the debut of 'A Haunted House!’ a hysterical, terrifying and surreal tale about one hair-raising night in a haunted house. Performing as a cast of multiple characters and merging mime, physical comedy and sound design this is a must for fans of physical comedy and horror!
A plucky 80s teenager, a group of sassy bats, a friendly Victorian ghost with terrible social skills, and even the monster under the bed are expertly brought to life by Hoskin’s deft physicality and visual vernacular skills. This classic haunted house story is given a unique twist - the house itself is the protagonist!
Developed from Hoskin’s love of physical comedy (Jacques Tati, Trygve Wakenshaw, Nola Rae), his passion for horror (Barbarian, The Haunting of Hill House, Evil Dead) and told like a pop-up book crossed with a funfair ghost train, this is a tale for those who like their laughs big and their horror spin chilling!
Prepare to laugh so hard your head falls off!
"formidable physical comedy skills are a theatrical treat; spot-on impressions, superb sound design & witty visual gags whisk us all away on an upbeat, dynamic adventure" - ★★★★ Fringebiscuit
‘An extensive cast of characters... played with impressive versatility’ - ★★★★ Britishtheatre.co
FRED STRANGEBONE PERFORMS COMEDY
28TH OCTOBER & 3RD NOVEMBER
Fred Strangebone has something to show you...
Unbolt the creaky door to an unsettled world of creeping, dark comedy and clownish physical humour. Master of the uncomfortable silence, Fred will attempt to amuse you with macabre material, inspired by his peculiar life and times in a world that rejects and abuses him. A performance by Fred Strangebone is an experience you won’t forget…no matter how hard you try.
Fred Strangebone is a character created by voice artist and comedy actor Ben Whitehead, best known as the voice of Wallace in recent and upcoming ‘Wallace & Gromit’ productions from Aardman animations.
"Comedy genius, has us laughing from the very first moment." - London Pub Theatres ★★★★
"Ridiculous, sinister, freakish and broadly comedic by turns and executed with Chaplinesque skill and timing. Character driven comedy at its best." - Broadway Baby
"The beauty of comedy is that everybody in the room is having a great time... hilarious and heart-warming." - A Younger Theatre
"A hilarious mingling of the grotesque and the absurd, delivering more laughs than a hyena on nitrous oxide." - Horror Hothouse
LOKI: ONE GOD'S EULOGY TO THE END OF THE WORLD
28TH OCTOBER
You know his name. You know his legacy. But do you know his life?
For one night only, join the God of Mischief themself for their debut “One God” show as they reveal the true tales of their life, taken straight from the original Norse stories themselves, added with plenty of twisted trickery just for you this Halloween / End of the World season!
“Riveting, couldn’t stop watching… mainly because they glued my eyes open” – Snorri Sturluson
Shipwreck Productions
BUTCHERED
29TH OCTOBER
Welcome to the kitchen where dreams come to die.
After working in a basement kitchen for as long as they can remember, Master Sausage only knows one thing. Eat, sleep, sausage, repeat. Trying to appease the greed of their faceless employers, the Top Steps, they work relentlessly and cannot imagine their life beyond the butchery.
But when a babbling, fresh-faced Apprentice arrives, a harsh reality is brought with them. With their daily routine disrupted, the Master is forced to look their life in the eye and climb into the belly of the beast. As tensions rise, sinister questions rear their heads. What does it mean to be happy? Is there more to life than this? What’s in those sausages anyway?
Featuring dynamic physical theatre, a pitch-black comedic script and a killer soundtrack, this blood-thirsty absurdist horror is about challenging tradition, surviving in a cut-throat world and doing what has to be done… Have you got the guts?
★★★★★ “BUTCHERED truly is an example of handcrafted skill to the highest level.” Binge Fringe
★★★★★ “A clever, macabre tale of survival, splattered with humour and absurdism. A wonderfully gory story!” West End Best Friend
★★★★★ “A fringe gem.” Broadway Baby
★★★★★ “Dazzling physical theatre with an absurd and pitch-black comedic script.” Everything Theatre
★★★★★ “Powerful, moving and thrillingly gruesome.” Fringebiscuit
BUTCHERED is also currently nominated for an OffFest Award for its run at VAULT Festival 2023.
ONE MAN POE
30TH OCTOBER
Renowned as the ‘Godfather of Gothic Horror’, Edgar Allan Poe was a pioneer in establishing the horror genre. Although his works are nearly 200 years old, Poe’s stories have stood the test of time and have inspired a countless number of horror writers.
Using Poe’s original text from the 1840s, one actor faithfully brings his words to life on stage, performing four of the most terrifying examples of gothic literature:
Act One: 'The Tell-Tale Heart' and 'The Pit and the Pendulum'
Act Two: 'The Black Cat' and 'The Raven'
★★★★★ "A terrifying horror experience that you will struggle to beat... Smith inhabits this work as though it were a second skin" - North West End
★★★★★ "The passion and understanding of how horror can captivate an audience are beautifully composed by Smith... A compelling and repelling experience" - MyTheatreMates
★★★★★ "Horrifyingly bleak and powerfully moving... This show literally took my breath away" - Everything Theatre
★★★★ "Will have your imagination running wild" - The Reviews Hub
★★★★ "Four Edgar Allan Poe stories on the trot. This is nothing if not a macabrathon" - LondonTheatre1
Contains violence, grief, murder, torture, domestic abuse and animal abuse.
Running Time: 2 hours 10 minutes including an interval.
TALES FROM THE HELLFIRE CLUB
31ST OCTOBER & 4TH NOVEMBER
Welcome to the Hellfire Club. A place to relax, sit back, and be chilled to the bone...
Join your host, Dr Bliss, as he introduces four desperately dark stories, written, directed and sometimes performed by its creators. Tales From the Hellfire Club is an anthology of short horror plays, each with their own tale to tell. Which one will keep you up at night...?
Produced by Pither Productions
'The Frightmare' by Christopher Stagg
'Just Jack' by Alexander Wright
'The Hollow Ice' by Nina Atesh
'Birth Rite' by Gavin Charles
Performed by Nina Atesh, Nicholas Benjamin, Miles Blanch, Gavin Charles, Nadia Lamin
Tickets for Both Performances Include Access to Halloween & GrimFest After Show Parties!
THE EVOLUTION OF HORROR - LIVE!
*HALLOWEEN* 31st OCTOBER
Join Mike Muncer, host of the award winning podcast The Evolution of Horror, for a special event to celebrate the spookiest night of the year! Mike will be joined by special guests for a live recording of the UK's favourite horror podcast to discuss what makes the PERFECT scary movie...
1ST - 2ND - 3RD NOVEMBER
BAD CAT PRODUCTIONS Presents
Their Debut Horror Stage Production
Erica and Carl are a black couple who have failed at their last attempt at IVF and are gifted a child under mysterious circumstances. Not only is he white, which becomes the subject of speculation, scandal and gossip in their affluent North London Neighbourhood, but he is also a strange child who likes to be by himself and has a special way with animals.
As Karel grows up, his behaviour becomes increasingly bizarre and worrying, and unsettling things start to happen at home and at school. When Karel is involved in a serious incident, the school launches an investigation that pits the parents against each other and divides the neighbourhood.
In a conversation with a therapist, the brilliant young psychiatrist Dr. Collier, who along with her eccentric mentor Dr Mayberry, specialise in unusual cases - his mother, Erica, describes the pain and the horror of discovering her son's true nature.
BONES BONES is a tense, thrilling modern gothic horror written by Rachel Daphne Oneale and directed by Rebecca Culverhouse that explores race, parenthood, the harsh truths we have to face, and the lengths a mother will go to protect her child.
HANGING AROUND
1ST & 2ND NOVEMBER
Agatha Soton was hung for witchcraft in 1665 - something which she is understandably rather annoyed about. In 2023, her great, great, great, great, great, great niece, Kate, leads an unassuming life of takeaway pizzas, doom scrolling and feelings of inadequacy.
After a traumatic accident, they both unexpectedly find themselves trapped in Kate's body. Kate is determined to get it back but unfortunately Agatha has no intention of leaving without a fight.
A brand new horror comedy about identity, truth, and the peculiar challenges of living (particularly when you're really, really dead).
‘Hanging Around is a wickedly entertaining production that will leave you feeling thoroughly bewitched’
★★★★ Theatre Weekly
Stacey Evans is an actor and writer who was shortlisted for the Funny Women Comedy Writing Award 2020. Theatre credits include Macbeth (Shakespeare’s Globe), Finding Nana (New Perspectives) and Wolves Are Coming For You (Pentabus). TV and film includes Cold Feet (ITV), Vera (ITV), and forthcoming feature Remembering the Future (Lagom Pictures). Hanging Around is Stacey’s debut solo show as a writer/performer.
Hanging Around is directed by Katherine Timms. Past credits include The Milkman Cometh (VAULT Festival and The Pleasance Theatre), Super Scary Film Club for Kids ★★★★ (VAULT Festival), Getting Over Everest (Tristan Bates and The Hope Theatre) and Frankenstein ★★★★★ (Old Red Lion).
END
We are very proud to announce that LONDON PUB THEATRES MAGAZINE is now an OFFIE AWARD WINNING publication
A ONEOFF Special Award has been awarded to London Pub Theatres Magazine and Editor Heather Jeffery for providing a vital forum for highlighting the excellent work that happens in rooms in pubs, with sensitive editing, and an acute sense of the importance of tiny fringe venues to the health and development of British Theatre