Lady Montagu Unveiled

17th November 3pm £13/10

Lady Montagu Unveiled is back by popular demand after two electric runs at Brighton & Camden Fringe 2024! Follow 18th-century “Aristo Influencer” Lady Mary Wortley Montagu as she shakes up British high society, embarks on adventures in the Ottoman Empire as an Ambassador’s wife, battles smallpox, and reinvents herself in the seductive and scandalous courts of Venice.

This one-woman biopic spotlights this unsung trailblazer’s unique life, with sharp humour and irresistible flair. 

Starring dynamo actress Thesy Surface (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and directed by Julia Sopher, Lady Montagu Unveiled has now been extended to 1 hr 15 mins. Get ready for a wild, witty ride through history that you absolutely can’t miss!

The Pageant Play

11th – 15th November 7.30pm £11.50

The honourable Women of Righton society in 1974 go about the troubles, hilarities and dramas of their lives as they also with the society attempt to stage a special theatrical celebration in honour of a local widow. The society is run by (with not exactly wholly honest goals) Helen Murphy who may or may not be going about getting this particular theatrical pageant on to stay afloat mentally.

W;t by Margaret Edson

19th – 23rd November 7.30pm £18 (£13.50 – KDC Members)

“W;t”
By Margaret Edson
Directed by Stephen Reimer

“Once I did the teaching; now I am taught”

W;t goes inside the mind of Professor Vivian Bearing, a professor of 17th century metaphysical poetry, while she receives experimental chemotherapy treatment for stage four metastatic ovarian cancer. Vivian, the researcher, becomes the subject of research herself, led by a team of doctors who see in her disease an opportunity to progress medical science (and their own careers).

W;t is a drama about kindness, the pursuit of knowledge, and how we come to be ourselves. W;t won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1999.

Baxter vs The Bookies

24th & 25th November 7.30pm £10

Baxter vs The Bookies

The bets are laid. We’re under starters orders. And we’re off! A one-man play about the fluctuating fortunes of Baxter, an ageing old-fashioned horse-racing tipster, pitting himself against the firepower of The Bookies. But he’s an anachronism in the modern world of computers stats, flashy websites and online gambling. He dreams of one day having a great win and bashing The Bookies, who seem to hold all the power. But let’s face it, no one ever beats the Bookies. Do they?

5 stars – Get Your Coats On – ‘A masterclass of thoroughbred character acting.’

4 stars – Northwestend.com – ‘Mesmeric, the hour passed in an instant, but will stay in the memory a lot longer.’

4 stars – EdFestivals – ‘One of those rare shows, where the charismatic character feels like they’re talking directly to you.’

Performed by actor Andy Linden (Mundungus Fletcher in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, John the Watch in Count Arthur Strong, The Dad in The Business, the Angry Neighbour in Not Going Out, Rome, Silo). Adapted from the short story collection ‘Baxter vs The Bookies’ by Roy Granville. Directed by Huw Thomas.

Fiasco Framed

26th-30th November 7.30pm £6.50/£11.50/£16.50

Premier / new writing

Fiasco Framed is a farce set in Mungo and Guy’s London flat. Guy has invited Pabla to paint a portrait that captures the couple as worldly sophisticates. But when Guy is mysteriously absent, Mungo must navigate Pabla’s curiosity and his own secrets to keep everything running smoothly.

What truths lie beneath the surface of this seemingly simple portrait?

The interactions between Mungo, Pabla and Guy, laden with dark humour, underscore the chaotic and often tragicomic nature of human relationships. Ultimately, this play holds a mirror to the absurdity of life – and death.

Workshop: Make Your Work Work

30th November 10am – 5pm £75 (Earlybird price £70)

Make Your Work Work

A one-day workshop with independent theatremaker Russell Lucas and The Hen and Chickens Theatre.

Short description: “A one-day workshop with independent theatremaker Russell Lucas and The Hen and Chickens Theatre in Islington focused on revealing the ways you can make your own work your way when operating as an independent theatremaker.”

Workshop description: Using his decades of experience in self-producing and making original theatre, Russell Lucas (author of ‘300 Thoughts for Theatremakers’ and co-creator of ‘An Evening Without Kate Bush’) and The Hen and Chickens Theatre in Islington (‘One of the best venues in London!’) are combining forces to offer a lifeline to artists who are determined to make their own shows and platform them, no matter what. This is a workshop about what you can do to start making your work even if you don’t have the funds.

Content: During this day-long session, you will study how your creative practice can work hand in hand with your business mind and get you working effectively. Moving between the focuses of making theatre that you are passionate about and that sells, you will be taken through the guiding principles of what makes good writing, producing, acting, and directing whilst making your show. Russell will also lay out how he makes a living in the arts without an agent and external funding. The day also includes a chat and Q&A with James Wren from the Hen and Chickens, who will talk about his decades of experience in the sector and how he programmes shows.

Hours: 10am – 5pm



Shake it Up: The Improvised Shakespeare Show

2nd December 7.30pm £13

Shakespeare hasn’t written anything new for an age, so we thought we’d give him a hand. Using his language, your audience suggestions and our overactive imaginations, we create a brand new Shakespeare play live on stage! Join ShakeItUp Theatre for an evening of improvised Bard-based Bedlam. Every show is a classic Shakespeare would have been proud to write…. (probably).

Fishing

9th, 10th 11th & 12th December 7.30pm £12 (9th Dec) £15 (10th – 12th)

16 year old Lola has been stuck in her room for 3 days, but why? 

A tale of family, friendships, first loves, and lost virginity. Lola is the friend we didn’t realise we needed. ‘fishing’ is a play you won’t forget. For four nights only actor and writer Esme Allen revisits the play that inspired the multi-award winning short film.

TW: Sex, sexual violence, physical abuse, verbal abuse.

Running Out of Time!

22nd December 7pm £13.50

Following their highly successful 2024 Edinburgh Fringe debut, the Milky Pigeons are heading to London for one night only. In ‘Running Out of Time!’, Conor and Arran race against a 45-minute timer, aiming to perform as many hilarious and fast-paced sketches as they can. Can they trust your fleeting attention spans? Come and find out! 

Running Out of Time!: 4 star review by Isabella Thompson (broadwaybaby.com)