WHAT'S ON at THE BREAD AND ROSES
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Dead Time Stories
1 & 2 Sept
written by Lynsey Balloch, directed by Alex Bell
Dead Time Stories, is a female focused and tongue in cheek love letter to horror anthology series like Inside No.9, Tales of the Unexpected and The Twilight Zone.
An undead ghostly host and her silent skull companion John, host a story time session, telling the audience three cautionary horror stories around the topic of women.
Each story focuses on the perspective of a different female character and each is inspired by a different horror genre. The first is body horror, the second domestic horror and the third folk horror.
Troubadour Stageworks Productions Presents
The Iliad: The Ghost of Achilles
3 - 5 September
Written and Directed by Mingma Hughes (via Homer and Alexander Pope)
Odysseus has returned home: the suitors are slain, Penelope and Telemachus restored, peace seemingly won. Yet the ghost of Achilles is not so easily laid to rest.
On his father’s threshold he stands, for the first time in twenty years, not as a hero or king but a son asking the question no victory can answer: “Father, I am returned in body, but how does one return in mind?”
This evocative retelling of The Iliad, acting as a sequel to last year's Odyssey, brings to life the eternal struggles between soldiers and veterans, rage and compassion, pride and peace.
A haunting, human story of homecoming and healing - Odysseus as you’ve never seen him before
Dan Collins Presents
Dune! The Musical
6 & 7 Sept
Written and Directed by Dan Collins
Returning to the Bread & Roses Theatre, a one-man show that combines storytelling and song in a unique retelling of a science fiction classic. Join the troubadour-warrior, Gurney Halleck, on his journey across the galaxy to the eponymous desert planet.
Written and performed by Dan Collins, the show is a word of mouth, sellout, cult-hit at the Edinburgh Fringe, and has enjoyed performances across the UK and at the World Science Fiction Convention.
The show has been described as "Unexpectedly Brilliant" (Telegraph), "Mesmerising" (MusicalTheatreReview.com), and "A work of madness or genius" (one4review), and boasts an impressive array of songs that bridge space, time, tragedy, and "a wealth of comedy" (British Theatre Guide)
Forget everything you know about Arrakis, and get ready for Dune! The Musical
TOP PICK
Scullery Productions Presents
DJ BAZZER'S YEAR 6 DISCO
8 - 12 Sept
Written by Georgie Bailey, Directed by Daisy Pepper
A high-energy journey through the music of our youth and what happens when the party finally stops.
Baz is the resident DJ of Brigdale Primary and tonight is the year 6 leaver's disco: The biggest gig of the year. With a mighty setlist of early-noughties bangers cued up, Baz is raring to go for the event of a lifetime. That is until an old school rival barges back onto the scene, forcing him to confront buried memories and a past that threatens to define his future.
Grab your pick 'n mix. dunk your dib dabs. Hold your haribos tight and settle in for an explosive rollercoaster of a one-man performance. Join Baz on a nostalgic blur of the early 2000s against a backdrop of Magaluf rooftop raves, quiet hospital wards and neon-lit school halls in an exploration of childhood dreams, the harsh realities of growing up and the toxicity of comparing ourselves to others.
Cosmetics of the Enemy
by Amélie Nothomb, adapted and directed by Benedetta Scuto
13 & 14 September
An airport lounge. A delayed flight. Two women meet. Between Jansenist paradoxes, cat food, and cemeteries, their exchange spirals into a verbal duel neither can escape. As Texta blurs the line between confession and manipulation, Jenna is drawn into a space of discomfort… and reluctant fascination.
Some secrets should never miss their flights.
Perhaps you could witness this one.
“Benedetta Scuto writes and directs emotions rather than actions.”
“An exceptionally promising young director.” — Cindy Marcolina, Broadway World, Slow Death of a Lotus Flower — sold-out London runs
CAST:
JESSICA MATTARELLI
MEGHAN MABLI
ADAM WADGE
The Defectors Presents
Chair Woman (WIP)
14 September
written by Harrison Cole, James Darby & Daniel Hemsley
directed by James Darby
Work in Progress performance of the brand new comedy conspiracy thriller from The Defectors, using their “tightly-choreographed, slickly-performed” style to take on an epic tale of fabrication, foul-play and fully functional furniture.
Patsy Darning has tried to leave the intense world of upholstery pageantry behind her. But when she gets pulled back in for one last job (padding out a chair on the new Presidential spacecraft), she finds herself caught in a cover-up that goes all the way to the bottom... Can Patsy follow the threads of truth and prevent this cosmic catastrophe? Who can she trust now that she’s sitting on something this huge (a big chair)?
From slapstick espionage to precarious political satire, Chair Woman pays homage to classic conspiracy thrillers and includes nods to dozens of existing conspiracy theories, making light exploration of both their allure and consequences.
Praise for previous shows (Defective Inspector: An American Odyssey and A Stitch in Time):
“A slick and buoyant parody... a truly joyous show." **** - The Wee Review
“An action-packed hour of ridiculousness and hilarity” **** - Lost in Theatreland
“A romping cavalcade of slapstick silliness.” ****.5 - Lexical Lunacy
"A superb script... as smart as it is silly." **** The Smu Reviews
**** - Everything Theatre
**** - Fringe Biscuit
**** - Fernyhough Arts Review
**** - LondonTheatre1
SLADE Productions Presents
This Is How I Got Arrested... after smuggling drugs across the border but never actually getting caught with any drugs
16 September
Written by Azaelia Slade and Directed by Jess Gough
Meet Sophie, a young, working-class girl, who takes the phrase 'girls just wanna have fun' literally too far!
What begins as a fast-paced account of her upbringing, quickly spirals into a drug fuelled escapade. All told under the pressure of a ticking timer, lies will unravel, truth will be revealed and mischief mounting to madness.
Whose side will you be on?
This Is How I Got Arrested... after smuggling drugs across the border but never actually getting caught with any drugs - is a tightly structured, fourth wall breaking, hilarious, new, one-woman dark comedy show, that shines an undeniable light on the insides of a working-class life.
‘A smart, instantly engaging, sharply delivered and thoroughly entertaining performance that keeps the audience hooked from start to finish.
Sussex News: A ★★★★★ show worth getting banged up for.’
Perfectly Fine Theatre Presents
Borscht
by Joe Kirk
17 - 19 September
“Men and women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way” -When Harry Met Sally
Two best friends. Two break ups. Zero clue on how you move on.
‘Borscht’ is a funny and painfully familiar look at heartbreak, healing, and the kind of friendship that keeps you afloat when everything else feels a bit shit. David and Kel are muddling through it all…but at least they have each other .
LAMBETH FRINGE LAUNCH PARTY 2026!
The Bread and Roses 19 September
Join Us for The Lambeth Fringe Launch Party!
Kick off our 2026 festival at our exclusive launch party, taking over The Bread & Roses Pub! This is your chance to network, meet the Lambeth Fringe team, and dive into the vibrant world of our festival.
Date: 19 September 2026
Time: From 6:30 PM until late
Location: The Bread & Roses Pub
Calliope Productions Presents
Abrasion
by Meg Rose-Dixon, directed by Lauren Tranter
20 September
Abrasion is a hilarious and vital one-woman show, written by and starring up-and-coming talent Meg-Rose Dixon, as our heroine reflects on her diagnosis journey on the anniversary of her surgery. Abrasion is a side-splitting and eye-watering tour de force (and those aren’t just the symptoms) tackling the all-too-common tale of women’s struggles to be heard in the health sphere. With women’s health issues frequently ignored by doctors and health professionals, this is an urgent, funny look at the battle to be believed and to gain an insight into our bodies.
A dark comedy filled with turbulent embarrassing moments, Abrasion is full of comical twists and turns. The show laughs in the face of pain while shedding light on a condition that affects 1.5 million people, but shockingly has an average diagnosis wait time of 7.5 years. The verbatim anecdotes highlight the importance of patient care, the terrible doctors, and a few genuine heroes.
TOP PICK
LAMBETH FRINGE at 28 venues across Lambeth including Bread and Roses Theatre
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 opening at Bread & Roses Theatre 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.
- Mid-week comedy returns with NHS doctors performing in GP Receptionist Appreciation Society (6 Oct)
- 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).
Ticket prices range from Pay What You Can and £3 - £20
The full programme can be viewed
here
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X (Twitter): @lambethfringe
Instagram: @lambethfringe
