REVIEW: Chloe Petts – How You See Me, How You Don’t
Reading Time: 2 minutesPerhaps best known as Ed Gamble’s regular tour support, Chloe Petts has rightly earned her own fanbase with laddish routines about football and butch lesbianism.
Ben Breen
Ben Breen is a teacher of Physics and Mathematics with a passion for theatre. He particularly enjoys chamber plays, drama, and comedy. His "happy place" is the National Theatre atrium.
REVIEW: A Good House
Reading Time: 3 minutesA fascinating kitchen-sink drama interrogating race, class, and assimilation In the aspirational neighbourhood of Stillwater, a mysterious shack has sprung up, clashing with the cul-de-sac’s uniform new-builds. Its owners are nowhere to be seen, and the neighbours…
REVIEW: Tarantula
Reading Time: 2 minutesTarantula is a compelling one-woman monologue centered on Toni's first date and the subsequent chaos in her life.
REVIEW: Paul Foot – Dissolve
Reading Time: 2 minutesPaul Foot's "Dissolve" is an innovative comedy show blending surrealism and personal exploration of depression. Known for his unique style, Foot crafts routines that balance humor and empathy while tackling mental health topics. His engaging performance combines absurdity with poignant insights, making it a must-see for fans and newcomers alike.
REVIEW: Jack and the Beanstalk – What a Whopper!
Reading Time: 2 minutesJack and the Beanstalk: What a Whopper is an adult pantomime that humorously blends traditional elements with outrageous comedy. While the show features entertaining performances, particularly by Matthew Baldwin as the pantomime dame, it struggles in its second half as the novelty of its shock humor fades. Ultimately, slight edits could enhance its impact.
REVIEW: Virtual Concert: The Sound of Gaming
Reading Time: 3 minutesVideo game music has come a long way since 10-second loops of a couple of chiptune beeps-and-boops. Now, these scores are rich and diverse: they pluck at the heartstrings, build momentum, and enhance immersion. The Sound of Gaming spotlights this artistry, with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra presenting music ranging from Tetris to Call of Duty. Simultaneously live across three spaces – the physical performance, a broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and an Extended Reality (XR) online experience – the result feels like a glimpse into the future, whilst remaining thoroughly entertaining in the present.
REVIEW: Going for Gold
Reading Time: 2 minutesBased on the life of Frankie Lucas, a Black British boxer in the 1970s, Going for Gold follows “The Southpaw Slugger” from first stepping foot in a boxing gym in the 1960s to his death in 2023.
REVIEW: Autumn
Reading Time: 2 minutesReleased in the aftermath of 2016’s referendum, Ali Smith’s Autumn was celebrated as the first ‘post-Brexit’ novel, having its finger firmly on the pulse of modern British society.
REVIEW: One Small Step
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe action unfolds over a single day in the near-future, with Scientist couple Narumi (Susan Momoko Hingley) and Takashi (Mark Takeshi Ota) awaiting a conference call with their colleagues already on the moon. When this meeting is delayed, Narumi reveals something she had been saving for after work: she’s pregnant. The couple’s plans to join their colleagues on the moon are thrown into jeopardy, setting up the moral debate at the heart of One Small Step: “I think we need to decide what we’re willing to give up”.
REVIEW: The Sex Lives of Puppets
Reading Time: 2 minutesA gonorrhea outbreak in an old folks’ home; a banker who is “sexually a cat”; a young man extolling the virtues of being choked. Such are the gems drawn from interviews in the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (NATSAL), and played out by puppets in The Sex Lives of Puppets. Despite their dull, staring black eyes and gurning faces, deft manpulatio and skillful voice-acting lend a startling likeability and authenticity to the characters onstage. Similarly, The Sex Lives of Puppets is more than a little macabre, but also filled to the brim with personality, and possessed of a uniquely weird charm.