WHAT'S ON at THE BREAD AND ROSES
Concise and easy to use
The Sojourn Audio Drama | Season One Volume One
7 April
written & directed by Daniel Orrett
Adrift in the divide between galaxies and surrounded by the vast emptiness of the intergalactic void, the Tantalus Cluster is the only home humanity has ever known. After centuries of reckless colonisation and a violent interstellar war, the delicate ecosystem of Tantalus has begun to collapse, and humanity is gripped by poverty and famine.
Desperate and facing extinction, humanity’s only hope is a strange nebula that has suddenly appeared beyond the edge of the cluster. Its shifting clouds may hide a source of salvation for the people of Tantalus, but time is running out.
Featuring a full cast of veteran voice actors, including God of War: Ragnarok’s Ben Prendergast, backed up by high-quality sound effects and an epic original soundtrack, The Sojourn is a unique and striking audio experience.
Directed and produced with careful scientific consultation, The Sojourn captures every detail of life aboard ship, from the sounds of the smallest airlock seal to the largest space battle.
Two Guys in a Room
Untitled Space Play
8 - 12 April
written & directed by Harry Cowper
Space Year Thirty Four Sigma Ninety-Nine. The two mighty empires of Earth and Vangali are poised on the edge of an endless, bloody war. All that stands in the way of oblivion is a peace conference.
But there is a murderer at large and not everyone is who they seem to be. Who is the killer? What is the anomaly? And just what exactly is going on?
Untitled Space Play is an absurdist, existentialist, science-fiction drama about identity, the nature of existence and a fluffy green puppet.
The Defectors Present: Scratch 'n' Sniff
13 April
Hosted by Harrison Cole, Produced by The Defectors.
Smell that? That's the return of the scent-sational Scratch 'n' Sniff, the exciting variety scratch night presented by comedy curators The Defectors!
Come on down to the Bread & Roses on the 13th April and get a whiff of all the incredible talent that's been hiding right under your nose. Expect a well balanced, full-bodied evening of comedy, with notes of sketch and stand-up, a hint of music, and other aromatic antics.
Cocoon
14 April
produced by out of hours theatre
directed by Aitana Llorente
A peek into the solitude and everyday fight that happens in the private space of the bedroom. A dreamlike world where a raindrop in the window, a sunray sneaking in, or a cold cup of tea shifts the atmosphere and breaks reality.
TOP PICK
Bread Bin Theatre Company presents
Together Forever!
15 - 19 April 7pm
written by James Pickthall, directed by Yusuf Niazi
“You know what I think? I think we’ve got some real problems.”
Together Forever! is an anthology of short comedies about the breakdown of relationships from the mind of emerging Queer playwright James Pickthall.
From an alien trying to navigate a situationship, to a young couple thrust into a dystopian spin on couples counselling, the play takes a satirical look at the crazy ways we try (and fail) to communicate with the people we love.
Together Forever! is produced by Bread Bin Theatre Company, a Queer & neurodiverse led company that specialises in quirky new writing.
Gertrude Lawrence: A lovely way to spend an evening
20 & 21 April
written by Lucy Stevens, directed by Sarah-Louise Young, and musical direction by Elizabeth Marcus
Gertrude Lawrence, the dazzling 1930’s star of musical comedy, was born in CLAPHAM. A feisty, strong woman who transcended the class ceiling and forged her stage and screen career into her 50’s.
This cleverly crafted, vibrant script transports the audience from her childhood in Clapham to London’s swanky night clubs and the bright lights of Broadway and is bursting with well-loved songs, from Noel Coward to Kurt Weill.
Performed by Lucy Stevens and directed by award winning cabaret artist Sarah-Louise Young (An Evening Without Kate Bush).
Following these performances in Clapham, Lucy is taking this show to Brits Off Broadway Festival in New York. 12 - 25 May 2025.
***** 5 Stars “Lucy Stevens gives a tremendous performance as the grande dame, socking out a fantastic selection of songs ... Beautifully structured and charmingly portrayed. The audience loved it – Top class entertainment!” Chris Sparkle therealchrisparkle
The Reverie present
With You
22 - 26 April
written & directed by Yuvraj Bhatia, co-written by Irina Ivanova
With You is a futuristic exploration of identity, connection, and isolation set in the aftermath of The Blackout, where two figures navigate their deepest fears and desires. They reach for connection in a quiet, fractured world, discovering how the simplest moments hold the deepest truths.
Step into the uncharted spaces of a relationship, where vulnerability emerges without warning, and witness what unfolds when emotions remain unspoken yet impossible to ignore.
Movement Director: Chander Van Daatselaar
Creative Producer: Arthur Drury
Perennial Patterns
29 April - 3 May
written and directed by Ben Milton
Perennial Patterns, a Non-Fiction Musical.
Perennial Patterns is a genre-bending experimental show, a musical exploring the intersection between ancient wisdom traditions and modern psychological concepts.
The show follows an intriguing intellectual thread, bolstered by original music and art work.
SOLO
4 - 6 May
written by Duccio Baldasseroni, directed by Adam Martin
An exploration of how trauma, mental health, and obsession, combined with isolation and a result-driven culture, can erode one's identity and let one slowly disappear into a downwards spiral.
In the play ‘SOLO’ we delve into the conflict of identity and dreams, navigating isolation, relationships, and mental health in the creative mind. This story juxtaposes illusion’s allure with the stark truth beneath facades, fostering reflection on reality and its depths. Amidst a gloomy life, struggling artist Frank's dream is reignited with an audition from a famous agency for his beloved show. As he readies for his promising debut, his past resurfaces, leading to an unexpected and challenging choice he never thought possible.
Achilles Death of the Gods
9 & 10 May
Written and performed by Jo Kelen, Directed by Kate Brown
Coached by Kevin Scully
5 Stars: Get Your Coats On
4 Stars: Broadway Baby, The Student, Dereck Awards
Fresh off its debut run in Edinburgh Fringe 2024, Achilles Death of the Gods, a reimagining of the myth of Achilles in verse, comes to the Golden Goose.
The warrior, Achilles, finds himself fighting in a war that is not his. Following a bloody and tragic sequence of events, Achilles’ lover Patroclus is killed in battle. Achilles, enveloped in an insatiable rage, inflicts unspeakable horrors on those around him.
Speaking about the script development process, Jo Kelen said: “I decided to create this work as a way to respond to and attempt to process the wars raging around us”. Indeed, the story of Achilles encapsulates how grief turns into rage and what the terrible consequences are if we, as individuals, and as a society, do not process it. Achilles believes the only way to assuage his grief over the loss of his love, is through revenge. He wants compensation. He fills the river with bodies, kills and mutilates the body of Hector. It is only when he realises that this will never give him compensation for Patroclus’ death that he stops and weeps. Watching this show is a way to process the wars going on around us at a safe distance. Achilles is not real. The story, however much Kelen has changed it, is ancient.
Achilles Death of the Gods is written, performed and produced by Jo Kelen. Jo is a poet and is currently completing her MA in Writing Poetry at the Poetry school. Achilles Death of the Gods is her first play. Jo also teaches Classics at a secondary school in South London. Achilles Death of the Gods is an amalgamation of everything she loves – poetry, storytelling and Greek mythology.
Audience Reviews Edinburgh 2024:
"A profound and powerful piece punctuated by deeply amusing moments that served to humanise the characters. Jo manages to make each character feel completely distinct from one another whilst maintaining an effortless fluidity and audience engagements. the deviations from the original source material are also extremely interesting to think about for a long time after the end of the performance. In short it was spectacular."
"A captivating retelling of Achilles' part in the Trojan war, made all the more effective by its simplicity - a single masterful storyteller using voice and body to take the audience back to the plains of Troy. Fantastic use of language. Highly recommended!"
My Dad Is In A Giftbag On My Mum’s Printer
11 & 12 May
written by Elspeth McColl, directed by Erin Enfys
You come home from a night out to not only be surprised by the delivery of your dad’s ashes in a snazzy giftbag, but more shockingly that your mum has deemed the best place for them on top of the printer.
Instead of spiraling you come up with a much better solution to watch the 1982 film version of Annie at 4am to try to convince yourself that the sun will indeed come out tomorrow.
My Dad Is In A Giftbag On My Mum’s Printer is a solo show exploring the everyday nature of grief and how it infiltrates even the safest of spaces. Which makes you question whether a sense of normality is only or always a day away.
Elspeth is a theatre maker and facilitator and The Bread and Roses current Emerging Artist. A lot of her work revolves around: dismantling class stereotypes, confronting injustice, all through that dark sense of humour her mumma gave her. Her work is informed by experience as opposed to theory. Or the more “Salt of the Earth” approach, a phrase she's trying to reclaim from certain theatre “professionals”.
This show has also kindly been supported by The Brighton Dome
New ParagraphStruck
written and directed by Finley Hodges
14 - 17 May
A man is struck by lightning. Now, Dillon is immersed in the plains of his mind and is forced to relive his past through forgotten memories and everything else that dwells there. Maybe he can find his inner self here, and then finally learn to appreciate life once more. But will he do it when the lightning courses through him with deadly pace?
Blue Fox Theatre is excited to present their debut production, Struck. Through events that fate has in store for a man unsatisfied with the world, themes of love and loss are explored in both conventional and abstract ways while touching on the complicated nature of life itself. Loss must turn to acceptance, suffering to redemption and despair to happiness if Dillon is going to live.
VAUDEVILLE COMEDY CLUB SHOWCASE
26 May
Vaudeville Comedy Club heads to London with their Comedy Showcase, the perfect Choice for a night featuring inviting and fun atmosphere & AN amazing lineup of comedians
Line-up
Kym Nash - MC
Paul McHugh - Paul has captivated audiences with his unique blend of observational comedy and personal anecdotes
Ruby Don - a rising star on the comedy circuit, captivating audiences with her sharp jokes and engaging stories
Callum Mackenzie - Former Broadway Comedy Club resident comic (NYC),Max Turner New Act competition, 2nd place,Chuckle Mania comedy competition, 2nd place
Marcuss Tisson - Semi finalist at the South Coast Comedian of the Year
Tove Falk - the best thing to come out of sweden since IKEA
Rob Blind - A Vaudeville Fan Favorite
Running time: 2 hours plus 15min interval
Most Rare Vision present
Macbeth
by William Shakespeare
27th - 31st May at 7pm and relaxed performance Saturday Matinee at 2pm
How far would you go to get what you want?
One ambitious soldier and his ambitious wife. A kingdom up for grabs. Several steps on which he must fall down, or else o'erleap, for in his way they lie...
What happens to our grip on reality when all hell breaks loose? To find out, dive into this fast-paced, minimalistic two-hander that explores connection and alienation in a dark and violent world.
Brought to you by Ant Henson's new professional theatre company, Most Rare Vision, this striking production of Macbeth invites you into Shakespeare's classic thriller like you've never seen it before.
Runs from Mon 21st - Fri 25th of April at Bournemouth Little Theatre, before transferring to London from Tues 27th - Sat 31st of May at The Bread & Roses Theatre, Clapham.
