Joyful, funny and thoughtful, Dreaming and Drowning, the new debut play by Kwame Owusu tells the story of Malachi as he moves to uni and has many strange new experiences, but can’t quite shake some demons from the past. Malachi (Tienna Simon) is at uni, he’s meeting people, and getting drunk, and life appears to be on the up for our young protagonist. Studying at Bristol, reading Hurston to Hemingway it is the world he has been waiting for. He is gay and finally no longer needs to hide … [Read more...]

A Christmas Carol reimagined for a modern audience, or so we hope. Unfortunately, our lead actor is heavily intoxicated, or so Shitfaced Showtime want us to believe in their enjoyable new satire of the Dickens classic. I never quite know whether to give a brief overview of the show when reviewing a classic. And in the case of A Pissedmas Tale, this feels somewhat ridiculous, given that we barely make it to the end of the Dickens story, so I won't. The real premise of the play is that the … [Read more...]

Nathan is out there, he’s on the dating scene, he’s meeting people, but something isn’t quite right. Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz is a slick new piece of theatrical pseudo-standup that shifts swiftly from light observation to quite touching introspection with a deft hand. Nathan's love life has been described by many people as many things, unfortunately, none of them are positive. He is, however, an outrageously charming, charismatic and joyful individual. Not only does he declare that he is … [Read more...]

The House of Bernarda Alba is divided. The most beautiful man in town, Pepe El Romano, has entreated the adoration of all the Alba sisters, and as is unsurprising with Lorca, it is only tragedy that is waiting for them. This new treatment of Federico Garcia Lorca’s classic text takes us to a house darkened by the death of their father, looking at the long eight years of mourning that stands above them. Despite Bernarda Alba's (Harriet Walter) insistence on an insular grief, the daughters … [Read more...]

It's Diwali, and Rachel is preparing the celebrations, her family have all prepared their best outfits and the much-loved but ailing grandfather will be arriving later. Passing is a living room drama about tradition, heritage and family relationships, and while the subject matter is compelling, the lack of subtlety and cosy resolution undermines what could have been a meaningful piece of theatre. Diwali, the festival of light, has never been celebrated in the Singh household before, but … [Read more...]