TOP PICKS SEPTEMBER

 for the good stuff,

keep an eye on the fringe


SEPTEMBER brings dramas and comedies not to be missed, see our selection below, and check out our piece on the 11th Lambeth Fringe Festival with a focus on Bread and Roses Theatre.  For more shows see our What's On pages  here


THREE SHOTS by John Marquez at White Bear Theatre, Kennington 1 - 12 September


Three Shots is a new black comedy by John Marquez (Doc Martin). Bringing together a stellar cast from screen and stage, Marquez performs alongside Martin Marquez (Hotel Babylon) and Emmy Award-winner Lucy Cohu (Broadchurch). Set by the A46 near Coventry, this witty play explores masculinity, isolation, and the desire to escape. 


DJ BAZZERS YEAR SIX DISCO at Bread and Roses Theatre, Clapham 8 - 12 September


The year 6 disco: Where kids become adults, enemies become friends and where the DJ has a nervous breakdown. Join Baz on a nostalgic blur of the early 2000s in an exploration of childhood dreams, the harsh realities of growing up and the toxicity of comparing ourselves to others.


Twelfth Night By William Shakespeare at Drayton Arms Theatre, Kensington 1 - 26 September


Viola is washed ashore in Illyria after surviving a shipwreck. Believing that her twin brother, Sebastian, has drowned, she disguises herself as a young man called Cesario in order to find employment. She soon becomes a servant to Duke Orsino, who is hopelessly in love with Olivia.

Orsino sends Cesario to persuade Olivia to return his love, but instead Olivia falls for Cesario. At the same time, Olivia’s servants play a prank on Malvolio, convincing him that Olivia is in love with him. His unusual behaviour makes Olivia believe he has gone mad.


In this humorous story of mistaken identity, love, and deception, will everything be resolved happily in the end? Expect iconic music, fashion and dancing in a dazzling disco celebration in this 5-star production of Shakespeare's classic comedy!


ANNIE WOBBLER (Revisited) by Arnold Wesker at Finborough Theatre 2 - 26 September


45th Anniversary production

In three short plays, Nicola McAuliffe’s tour de force performance presents us with three very different Annie’s:

Anna – a Gen Z graduate battling her anxiety…

Annabella – the fey hit novelist who becomes an uncompromising cougar…

Annie – a homeless geriatric revisiting her past late at night in a railway station.

Without natural or constructed beauty to smooth the way, each Annie constructs a mask to present to the world, confronting their ‘Imposter Syndrome’ with defiance, courage and, above all, humour…



HORATIO NELSON: Fever and Fire Written and performed by Adam Preston at Tabard Theatre, Chiswick 8 - 12 September


Back by popular demand following a sell-out run at the Tabard Theatre.

this powerful one-man show explores the life, loves and legacy of Britain's greatest naval hero. Drawing on extensive historical research, the play goes beyond the familiar legend to reveal the man behind the myth. From the loss of his mother in childhood and his early struggles at sea to his greatest victories and his passionate relationship with Emma Hamilton, Nelson's extraordinary story is brought vividly to life with wit, humanity and emotional depth.


WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS by Paul Kalburgi at White Bear Theatre, 15 September - 3 October


Haunted by the happy ending she never had, cinema usher and aspiring screenwriter Ginny must confront heartbreak—and Hollywood—as she tries to rebuild her life following the death of her fiancé. We'll Always Have Paris is a rebellious romcom about love, loss and starting over in your forties.


HIGH STREET by Nida Vohra at Bridge House Theatre, Penge 17 - 19 September


Pakistani newsagent Malik Khan is running his business into the ground. An inventor at heart, the shop was never his true calling. His only friend is Terri, a homeless woman longing to get clean. When she inspires his next business idea, the unlikely pair embark on a heartfelt journey of friendship and survival.


I Pie With My Little Lie, Something Beginning With Murder at Hen and Chickens Theatre, Islington 27 Sept


A MURDER by the river.....

A MURDER in the church...

A MURDER in the quiz team...

A MURDER in the book club...

A MURDER in the park...

All connected to a pie shop called the Balaton.


★★★★★

'Made me throw my head back so hard with laughter I nearly sustained whiplash … ' Unity Arts



LAMBETH FRINGE FESTIVAL at 28 venues across Lambeth 24 September - 25 October

 

The south London event showcases theatre, comedy, cabaret, music and family events in 28 venues. It is designed as a celebration of the vibrant culture and community of Lambeth and it continues to champion underrepresented voices and emerging artists. 


A few of the many highlights at Bread and Roses Theatre:


  •  How To Direct A Funeral  2 Oct (before returning to & 23 Oct at St Stephen's Chapel West Norwood Cemetery 23 Oct)


  • Mekhala & Ramasura The Jewel of Light and the Storm 25 Sept, journeying through Thai mythology, 


  • Obit 26 Sept – which combines poetry, ballet and shadow visuals to honour lives


  • Interactive performance Love vs Fear (...and my mother's prayers) 30 Sept & 1 Oct sees a young woman trying to follow her heart despite pressures from her religious mother and cultural differences as a Nigerian in diaspora.



  • Character comedy Chair Woman 17 & 18 Oct, a tightly-choreographed conspiracy thriller about the intense world of upholstery.


  • Character comedy returns to the workplace, this time a recruitment consultant in Clots 21 & 22 Oct.

Sneak peek at October shows ...


GOD SAVE US! [HERE   FOR] at The Lion & Unicorn Theatre 6 - 10 October


It's 1066. The French have invaded England, no one understands the new tax laws or the Latin church services, and Joan has a plan (that may or may not include livestock). When Joan convinces her local priest to let her write and direct a morality play for the village, she accidentally starts something she can’t finish, unknowingly falls into the middle of a land dispute, and discovers that the Bible is considerably more exciting than anyone let on. God Save Us! is a medieval comedy about what happens when the people who control information forget that the people who don't are paying attention. Seventy-five minutes. No interval. One very large pig.


CODEX THEATRE (PRODUCING COMPANY) REVIEWS FOR PREVIOUS WORK:
'The epitome of exciting fringe theatre' 4.5★ - RatedReviewed
'Fabulously entertaining and cleverly staged' 4.5★ - The Reviews Hub


ORWELL – The Road to 1984 by Guy Smith at Brockley Jack Theatre 6 - 10 October

 

ORWELL: The Road to 1984 tells the fascinating story of one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century and the extraordinary personal experiences that inspired his classic tales Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four.

It is a timely portrait of a writer whose words remain a warning – and a hope.

Stratford’s ‘performance in ORWELL: The Road to 1984 is simply excellent. His storytelling is engaging and the shifts in his physicality impressive. He uses the space adeptly (fine directing by Guy Smith), his comic timing strong… Stratford brings this most important literary figure to life eloquently and entertainingly in this very fine production.’ ★★★★ Rialto Art.


Uncle Monty's Antique Shop  [HERE   FOR] at Lion and Unicorn Theatre 13 - 17 October


Opening soon in a town near you! Step inside Uncle Monty’s Antique Shop — a strange little place filled with forgotten objects, each carrying traces of the lives left behind. After all... every story has a price.

Violence, control, memory and power are brought to life by a core ensemble cast performing across four chilling psychological shorts, woven together by one uncanny setting. Blurring the line between the ordinary and the unusual, Uncle Monty’s Antique Shop invites audiences into a world where every item has a history… and some histories refuse to stay buried.

Darkly atmospheric, unnervingly intimate and quietly haunting, this is horror that lingers long after the lights go down. Monty only has one last question... what would you like to leave behind?


BIG LOVE [HERE   FOR] written and directed by David Brady at Lion and Unicorn Theatre, Kentish Town 27 October - 7 November


“The problem with making a big entrance is that there’s always someone left to clear it up later.”

He believes in love.

Big songs. Big feelings. Big entrances. The kind of love that comes with a key change, a confetti cannon and absolutely no sense of self-awareness.

He believes love is probably somewhere else. Somewhere warmer. Somewhere louder. Somewhere with better lighting.

Edith Piaf. Strobe lights. Strangers. Perfect nights. Bad decisions. The one that got away. The one that might still be out there.

He believes in loving everyone to bits and throwing it all in the air for the world to see.

Most of all, he believes in looking the truth right in the eye and running away.


Part party, part confession, part love letter to all of life’s best bits, Big Love is a funny, generous and quietly devastating new piece of fringe theatre about chasing extraordinary moments, the people we love to bits, and finally having to answer a call that won’t go away. And that’s a lot of love to cram into one little theatre in Kentish Town. 

Psst ... more shows being added each week