The Everything Theatre Interviews
By Everything Theatre
The Everything Theatre InterviewsOct 20, 2021
Let's Give Spam Another Chance
Sierra Sevilla is a woman on a mission. And that mission is to convince us that spam (the food not the junk email) is worthy of another chance. For too long us Brits, as well as many other countries around the world, have scoffed at spam as just a cheap food from a forgotten era. But to Sierra it's much more than that, it's a memory of her home country, the tiny island of Guam, and it's a versatile one as well, as she plans to show us in her show.
That show is For The Love of Spam, where she talks about spam, what it means to her, and its connection with modern-day colonialism. And here Sierra tells us more about that, as well as does a good job convincing us that we really should give this food another chance.
So Scary You'll Need To Leave The Lights On
This week we chat to Nicholas, Nieve and Nadia, who make up Midnight Circle. Having already made immersive shows based on Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray, they are now turning their hand to M.R. James' Ghost Stories of An Antiquary, a series of ghost stories originally published in 1904, but here moved to the 1940s during the Blitz.
We chat about the show, what their immersive means to them this time out, just how scary it might all get, and why they want you to come along in period costume! Note: Due to a technical error (we forgot to plug a mic in) the interviewers voice is a little muffled, but we hope this doesn't distract from what is still a highly entertaining listen!
Ghost Stories of an Antiquary plays at Longfield Hall, Brixton, from 17 - 27 April, further information can be found here.
Let's call it PPP for simplicity
If your show is called Pansexual Pregnant Piracy, it probably goes without saying that things are going to get a little silly. And that's just what we got when we sat down with Eleanor Colville, Ro Suppa, Robbie Taylor Hunt, the trio who make up Airlock Theatre.
Pansexual Pregnant Piracy is the story of eighteenth-century pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, although it's probably not giving too much away to say that they have taken some artistic licence with the story and it may not all be entirely based on truth. But as they tell us, they want to tell queer stories that are also a whole lot of fun.
The show plays at Soho Theatre until 13 April.
Just To Add Insult To Injury
This week's guest is Kieran Dee, one half of Moon Loaf. We're big fans of their work, so always pleased when we get the chance to chat with Kieran, although that's usually when we bump into him all too regularly at Lion and Unicorn Theatre. But this week was planned and recorded!
Moon Loaf are about to bring their latest show, Insult To Injury, to Lion and Unicorn. The show is a dark satirical look at social media and its moderators. So as well as chatting about the show itself, it seemed appropriate to ask Kieran his thoughts on social media, along with a question we ask quite a lot - what is it about Lion and Unicorn that makes so many artists want to hang out there?
Insult To Injury plays 2 - 13 April, more information available here.
Spiralling Downwards with Horne's Descent
We welcome back writer Nina Atesh to the podcast. Nina has appreared twice before, once to talk about her play The Drought, and a second time to discuss GrimFest. This time she is joined by director Chloe Cattin, the pair here to tell us about their latest work Horne's Descent, a dark new drama exploring the destruction of man, set against the backdrop of a broken England, trying desperately to pull itself out of the shadow of war.
We hear more about the play, what it's like putting on a show at Old Red Lion with its unusual layout, and whether we're going to get some glorious facial hair (spoiler alert: No).
Horne's Descent comes to Old Red Lion Theatre between 2 - 13 April, further information available here.
Wherefore art thou Conrad?
We've been massive fans of Conrad Murray's work for a number of years. His work with Batterseas Arts Centre's Beat Boxing Academy alone would be enough in itself, but Conrad has also devised shows that uses all his beatboxing and rap skills in creating new exciting ways to tell a story. So when we bumped into him at the recent OffWestEnd Awards, where he won for best TYA Production, it was a great opportunity to ask him if he'd like to join us on our podcast. And thankfully he said yes.
Right now he is working on a hip hop retelling of Romeo and Juliet, playing at Polka Theatre, aimed at a younger audience. He's also bringing Pied Piper back for a short run at Southbank Centre. On top of that, he has a few other projects in development, so there was an awful lot to pack in to our chat.
Note: We recorded this after he had just come off stage at Polka, and so you will hear a little background noise of the theatre going about its business! The sound also goes slightly odd for the final minute, apologies for that.
You can find out more about Romeo and Juliet here, and Pied Piper here.
Mimi Collins chats all things Bespoke Plays
When Mimi Collins moved to the UK from the States, she brought with her a little piece of Bespoke Plays, a theatre group dedicated to giving new writing the chance to be heard via their staged readings. Bespoke already put on readings in New York and L.A. but now Mimi has added a third string to their bow with London.
Their first show, Water Party, performed to a sold our Union Theatre and, if a taste of what may be to come, means we are in for plenty of amazing treats in the future.
We sat down with Mimi to chat about Bespoke, why staged readings are a great stepping stone for new writers, and what else they may have planned for 2024.
Giving Oranges To The Kids
Burnt Orange Theatre is an award winning youth theatre company championing the voices of young creatives across London. They work collaboratively, consciously and cleverly to create new and boundary-pushing theatre for young people, by young people.
Right now, that includes their inaugural REP Company Season, which means taking a group of 16 - 21 year old's and putting them through their paces by working on not one, but two shows; The Tempest and Constellations. Both shows are then being taken to Drayton Arms Theatre from 23 April.
We caught up with one of Burnt Orange's founders, Rosie Thomas, to discuss what they do, what we can expect from the upcoming shows, and why in an ideal world, companies such as Burnt orange wouldn't even be required.
The Tempest plays 23 - 27 April, and Constellations from 30 April - 4 May
Leah Vassell and Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World
When we were offered the opportunity to chat to Leah Vassell about performing in Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World, it seemed obvious that we really needed a woman to do the interview! So we asked Lucy Boardman, who had reviewed the show in Edinburgh in 2022. It probably helped that she had given it 5 stars at the time, and so was more than willing to take over the mic for this one.
She chats to Leah about what makes this show so incredible, why it's vital to have female role models and who inspires her.
Fantasically Great Women Who Changed The World is currently on tour. Further information, including venues and dates, can be found here.
Getting Elementary with Dr Watson
For our latest podcast, we sat down with Joseph Derrington, who is getting ready to hit the road with Blackeyed Theatre, in their latest production, Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear.
Joseph will be reprising his role of Dr Watson, a role he first played in their production of The Sign of Four. This time out the show takes them from Bakers Street all the way to the bleak Pennsylvanian Vermissa Valley, all via stages in London, Dundee, Derby and Bath.
We discuss the show, what it's like playing such an iconic role, and why he is now compelled to keep the beard until his passport expires.
You can find more infotmation and tour dates for The Valley of Fear here.
Putting Our Faith In Nell Hardy
Our first podcast guest of 2024 is Nell Hardy from Response Ability Theatre (RAT). RAT's new play, I, Lord, tackles the difficult subject of spiritual abuse. It's a term that perhaps many of us don't quite understand its meaning, but Nell helpfully explains what it means.
As well as that, we discuss what to expect from the play, what it is they hope to achieve with it, and why they are putting on an accompanying children's show playing at the same time, so you can bring your kids along for the evening and leave them in safe hands.
I, Lord plays at The Space from 13 - 17 February. Further information and bookings can be found here.
Adding Some Colour with Moulin Rouge
We were graced with two West End stars for our latest podcast, in the forms of Tanisha Spring and Dom Simpson, who are currently starring in Moulin Rouge.
Tanisha and Dom sat down with Lily Middleton to talk about their careers, offer some advice to those who want to fill their shoes one day, and just how you manage your life when you're working six evenings a week!
Summoning The Christmas Spirit with Midwyntar
It wouldn't be Christmas without some festive horror to enjoy on stage. And this year that is being provided by Jacob Lovick & Jack Robertson, writers of Midwyntar.
To find out more, we caught up with Jack to chat about the show, how we should pronounce the title, and just why seeing the show on its final night could be a murderous occasion!
Midwyntar plays at Old Red Lion 12 - 22 December, more information and bookings can be found here.
From Russia With Love
This week we are chatting to writer and director Roxy Cook. Roxy's debut play, A Woman Walks Into A Bank, won the 2023 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award, and is now about to be performed for the first time.
The play's initial idea came from an incident that happened to Roxy's grandmother, when she really did walk into a bank, but from there, the story is a work of fiction, exploring the consequences of what happened. Set in Russia in 2018, it is a look at Russia and the everyday people that we may easily overlook when we currently think of the country.
A Woman Walks Into A Bank opens at Theatre503 from 21 November. Further information and bookings can be found here.
Devising all the way from America to The Space
This week we were joined by Megan Brewer and Mikko Juan, Artistic Directors of Halfpace Theatre Company. The pair are about to bring their new devised show Transit to The Space.
Drawn from the lived experience of marginalised artists, Transit explores cycles of violence and the toxic systems that push our communities to the margins. Dynamic, migrant-led company Halfpace Theatre comes out swinging with this devised physical theatre piece, asking how we keep ourselves alive in a world that does not want us and how far we have to go to reshape it into one that does.
We discuss the show, ask what devised theatre actually is, how you pitch a show with no script and why two Americans have come all the way to the UK to get involved with London's Fringe Theatre scene.
Transit plays at The Space from 28 Nov - 2 Dec, and will also be available to livestream on 2 December then available on-demand for two weeks. More information and bookings can be found here.
Things That Go Bump In The Space
Joe Facer & Adam Sandy are founders and artistic directors of To The Ocean, a company aiming to build a collection of stories, within theatre, film and tv, exploring narratives rooted in reality but often existing in a world with a touch of the fantastical.
Right now, they are putting the finishing touches to Alex and Maggie Go Ghost Hunting, which will be playing at The Space from 31 October to 4 November, plus livestreamed on Friday 3 November and then available on-demand for two further weeks.
Whilst the title may suggest a straight forward ghost story, it promises much more, exploring sibling friendships and life for young adults in a Northern town that maybe hasn't seen the leveling up that has been promised.
We discuss this and much more in this week's podcast, available here and from all the usual podcast providers.
About the show:
In a sleepy South Yorkshire town, nothing of interest really happens. Except for Alex, and on the odd occasion, his sister Maggie. For them, this town is a perfect place to go ghost hunting (and that’s not because half of the residents look dead). But when Alex and Maggie begin their hunt, it’s their own personal lives and recent loss that comes back to haunt them.
Set in an old school hall, Alex & Maggie Go Ghost Hunting is the new play from To The Ocean that offers an authentic lens into life in a Northern town and a depiction of real ghostbusters (not really, Maggie doesn’t have a clue what she’s doing).
So join Alex and Maggie this Halloween for a night of spooky and paranormal encounters.
Tickets available here.
Getting Grim at the Old Red Lion
October is always the time when the ghosts and ghouls appear on the stage, and we are all for it here at ET. So it was a horrific pleasure to get to spend time with Nina Atesh and Jack Roberston, who are curating the second edition of GrimFest.
GrimFest is a celebration of all things slightly creepy. It first appeared in 2022 to fill the void left when London Horror Festival didn't appear. And with no LHF again in 2023, they have decided to bring it back for a second outing. But this time with Nina onboard to help take some of the strain.
We discuss the festival, the range of shows you can catch and why there really is something for everyone, even those who say they don't like horror, plus we muse on why we don't get this 365 days of the year and whether podcasting has helped grow people's desire for more of it on stage.
GrimFest runs from 17 October to 4 November at The Old Red Lion Theatre, and you can find out all the shows appearing here.
Ep 99: A chilly chat in The Nag's Head
We've been big fans of Make It Beautiful Theatre since day one. We were lucky enough to catch their first ever show, The Co-op, and happily gave it all five stars in our review, and said we were "finding it hard to fault Make it Beautiful Theatre’s debut production and am already looking forward to their next one."
We've seen the team go from strength to strength, so were delighted when we got the chance to chat to Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson, one third of the team behind all their work.
Gabriel joined us to chat about their next project, The Nag's Head, their chilling take on ghost stories, and which will be playing at Park Theatre from 17 October (more info and bookings here)
Hear about the play, why they decided to venture into ghost stories, and just why pubs are the perfect setting.
Ep 98: Singing From The Balconies
We caught up with Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman for this week's interview. Daveed and Nobu are the creators of Choir!Choir!Choir!, and they are just about to bring the show to the UK from their homeland of Canada.
With Choir!Choir!Choir! they travel around the world bringing friends, foes, and strangers together to sing the greatest songs of all time. All you have to do is show up and they’ll teach you your parts!
So ahead of their Uk trip, we spend time with them to ask them about the show, how they ended up performing with Rick Astley, and how they plan to deal with that English reserved nature!
You can find out more about the show as well as all the UK dates here.
Ep 97: Watching The Defectives
We chat to Harrison Cole, one of the founders of The Defectors. Harrison and the Defectors team have recently completed a run at Camden Fringe for Defective Inspector: A Stitch in Time, the follow up to the original Defective Inspector show. Next they are putting together Scratch n’ Sniff, a scratch night at Bread and Roses Theatre as part of Clapham Fringe.
We chat about the success of the Defective Inspector shows, what to expect from the scratch night, and most importantly, whether they are ever mistaken for the Bournemouth soul band of the same name!
Scratch n’ Sniff plays at Bread and Roses on 29 September, more information and tickets can be found here.
Ep 96: What We Need Are More Pirates
Our guest this week is Jacob Newton. You may have come across Jacob if you've ever been to Lion and Unicorn Theatre as he is very often one of the cheerful people greeting you as you head in for your next theatre fix.
But right now Jacob has other things on his mind, primarily, his debut play, Breast-baring, which will be playing at, well, you can guess where!
Breast-baring introduces us to Annabel, a woman who hides in the corners of parties, if she is even invited. Until Annabel discovers the story of Anne Bonny, a ferocious pirate, and an idol who will lead Annabel to... well, that is what you will find out if you go and see the play.
But before then, why not find out more by listening to our chat with Jacob. We talk about the inspiration behind it, why he no longer sits in cafes nursing one coffee all day long, and whether there will be any sword fighting - and if so, has that increased his insurance costs?
Breast-baring plays at Lion and Unicorn Theatre from 26 - 30 September. Further information and bookings can be found here.
Ep 95: I Wish My Life Were Like A Podcast
Our latest interview finds a change of host, as Amelia Braddick sits in the hot seat to chat with Alexander S. Bermange.
Alexander's latest work is I Wish My Life Were Like a Musical, which is currently playing at Wilton's Music Hall. But Alexander has a rich history in theatre, so we couldn't let him go without delving into his vast experience.
I Wish My Life Were Like a Musical is on at Wilton's Music Hall until 9 September, more information available here.
Ep 94: From Batersea to New Wimbledon, via Hollywood
This week's guests are Writer Ewen Moore and director Elizabeth Huskisson, who are about to bring their show, Battersea Bardot to the studio at New Wimbledon Theatre.
Battersea Bardot is a one woman musical about the life of actress Carol White, who found fame in the 60s, including in the iconic Ken Loach drama Cathy Come Home.
We chat about what inspired Ewen to write this musical, why White's life and career make for an interesting story, and what it's like to create a one woman musical.
Battersea Bardot plays at Studio at New Wimbledon Theatre from 16 - 23 September. More information can be found here.
Ep 93: What's In The Box
This week we are joined by Dodie Finamore and Kieran Dee, who are about to star in The Shatter Box, the latest play from Proforca Theatre, who we've been big supporters of over the years.
The Shatter Box is "a rollercoaster dystopian cat-and-mouse tango of interrogation, confession, staying alive and lying through your teeth", so there was plenty to ask about when we sat down with Dodie and Kieran.
We talk about the play, what it's like for an actor to perform in the round, and discuss why The Lion and Unicorn Theatre is a place where artists always seem to be.
The Shatter Box plays from 5 - 16 September, more info here.
Episode 92: Getting All Hung Up With Friction Burn
This week we were joined by three of the team behind Friction Burn, which is playing at The Hope Theatre from 20 August as part of Camden Fringe.
The three were Sophie Faurie, who wrote and will be acting in her play, Leah Bonaventura, who directs, and Grace Bown, who co-composd the music with Sophie and plays fiddle for the show.
We chat about the play and how the theme of suicide developed without Sophie realising, how music can play an important part within a show without it actually being a musical, and whether there is the risk of tripping over the audiences feet in the tight space that is The Hope Theatre.
Friction Burn plays at The Hope from 20 - 23 August, with tickets available here. The show will also be playing at The Space in November, more info here.
Episode 91: Discussing the secrets of Operation Mincemeat
This week we handed the mic over to our wonderful Lily Middleton who chats with Jak Malone. Jak is currently starring in the West End smash hit Operation Mincemeat, a show that begun life in fringe theatre (our first review for the show was way back in 2019), so we're very proud to see how it has grown and grown in that time to now be the West End success. And it's just announced another extension that will take the show into 2024!
Jak talks about how he first became involved with the show, why he wants to one day do a play where he can sit down for a rest, and how the show's fans have helped in discovering more about the woman at the heart of the show. He even shares a strange story that he has never told anyone before!
Operation Mincemeat is playing at Fortune Theatre, and is now booking through to 2024. Further information and bookings can be found here.
Episode 90: Getting into the festival vibe with Neverland
This week we were joined by Amy Tickner and Gabriele Osella from Act II Festival, who are just about to hit Camden Fringe with their new show Neverland.
We met Amy and Gabriele earlier this year for the Act II Festival that played at The Space, a collection of 12 short plays created by young artists, all under the guidance of the organisers.
Neverland sees Amy and Gabriele continue the success of the festival by inviting a group of young creatives to devise a play for this year's Camden Fringe, all from an initial idea of a play about a music festival.
We chat about the show and how it is all coming together, plus we look back at the Act II Festival from April and find out about where some of the shorts featured have gone on to already.
Neverland will play at Lion and Unicorn Theatre from 2 - 5 August at Lion and Unicorn Theatre - further information and tickets available here.
Episode 89: This Isn't Working - well actually it is!
This week's guests were Fergus Head and Michael Zwiauer from Face Oddity, who are about to take their latest show This Isn't Working to Edinburgh in August, with a quick stop off at Canal Cafe on 29 July before that.
We caught up with the pair to discuss the show, how they manage to put it all together when you've got a team of writers all bringing ideas to the table, and why sketch shows should really be more common at the theatre.
This Isn't Working plays Canal Cafe 29 July - more info here before moving to Edinburgh 4 - 19 August - more info here.
Episode 88: Be My Guest is this week's guest
Ahead of two nights at Applecart Arts on 7 and 8 July, before then heading up to Edinburgh for August, we caught up with Monia Baldini to find out what Be My Guest is all about.
We discuss the show, where it came from, why she writes in English even though she is Italian, and how audiences vary from country to country. Plus a whole lot more.
Episode 87: Grabbing A Pint and A Play with Open Bar Theatre
Our latest guests on our Runn Radio show were Nicky Diss and Vicky Gaskin, Artistic Directors of Open Bar Theatre. This summer they are taking two of the bard's finest works on a tour of Fullers pub gardens, come rain or shine.
We chat about the originals of the company, why pub gardens are actually the perfect place to perform Shakespeare, and how they cope with the variables of the British summer weather! We also discuss why their casting process allows them to cast their net wider and hopefully results in a greater diversity of actors than would be the case if they followed more normal processes.
Romeo and Juliet and Twelth Night will be touring Fuller pub gardens from 3 July until 15 September. You can find full details of venues and shows here.
Episode 86: Molly O'Gorman on new musical Ghost Light
This week our guest on our Runn Radio Show was Molly O'Gorman, the writer of new musical Ghost Light. This new musical that tells the story of a washed-up child star named Kat trapped in a cycle of emotional and financial abuse, and the toll that the nature of being a woman in the public eye takes on her mental health. When her sister returns and finds Kat at her lowest, dissatisfied with her own life, she has to decide whether to go back to the world that destroyed her.
We chat with Molly about the show, and why the portrayal of mental illness on stage can sometimes be done in ways that are not realistic. We also talk about the joys of making fringe theatre and how having to make a show on a very limited budget can often lead to some very inventive ideas.
Ghost Light comes to The Hope Theatre 11 - 29 July. Further information and tickets available here.
Episode 85: Bouncing along to the Lion and Unicorn with Tom Derrington
Tom Derrington has been writing a monthly diary for Everything Theatre during 2023, giving a fascinating insight into what he gets up beyond actually writing plays. So when he informed us back in March that it looked like he would be putting a play on in London soon, we did get rather excited. As soon as it was confirmed that his play Bounce would be coming to Lion and Unicorn Theatre in June, we quickly asked him to be a guest on our podcast. Thankfully he said yes!
Bounce
Jesse is electric! A self-made millionaire, motivational life coach, best-selling author and showman. He travels the world, helping tens of thousands of people to uncover their true purpose and take control of their destiny. But when a young man living with depression is transformed during one of Jesse’s intense live events, things quickly unravel. Sylvia, his mother, is desperate to find out what happened to her son. Unable to understand, she books herself a ticket, takes a seat in the front row and seeks to uncover the answers she needs.
Bounce plays at Lion and Unicorn 6 - 10 June, tickets available here.
Episode 84: From first to last with Our Last First
Lucinda Coyle and Samuel Xavier join us this week to talk about their show Our Last First. On first glance, it may seem a simple love story, but it doesn't need much digging to discover why this is so much more. For a start, it's written without any character features, so no gender, age, appearance, or anything else that might usually be used to place a character into a particular category. And then to mix it up even more, all four actors are cast each evening for any of the four roles, which means the show could, and will, be different every night as the dynmaics between characters change.
There's a lot going on, and so we try to cover it all as we chat to the writer (Lucinda) and director (Samuel) on why they choose to set the bar so high, whether this makes rehersals a whole lot harder, and just what this means for the audience.
Our Last First comes to The Space on Canary Wharf 6 - 14 June, bookings here. The show will also be livestreamed and available on demand for two weeks afterwards.
Episode 83: Chewboy Productions' talks about new play these words that'll linger like ghosts till the day i drop down dead
Our latest guest on our Runn Radio show was Georgie Bailey, well known on these pages for his work with Chewboy Productions. Their latest show, these words that'll linger like ghosts till the day i drop down dead comes to The Pleasance from 13 June, so it seemed the perfect time to sit down and ask the one question that is surely on everyone's lips - why on earth have you given your show such a long title?!
But we do more than just moan about the length of that title, we also discuss what the play is all about, whether due to its space themes if there will be any zero gravity special effects and what else Chewboy are planning for the year. We also get a little history about how Chewboy came into being, something we cannot believe we've never actually asked when he has been our guest before.
About these words that'll linger like ghosts till the day i drop down dead
Two living, breathing people face each other in a theatre space. One is here to help. The other is here for redemption.
These words that’ll linger like ghosts till the day I drop down dead is a brand-new experimental play from the multi-award-winning playwright Georgie Bailey, exploring the things we wish we’d said to those that have left, how effective art is as a coping therapy mechanism, how we manage grief and how ultimately, we can never change the past no matter how hard we try.
Episode 82: Speaking from the Beak for Beak Speaks
Our latest guest is Sarah Thom, who has been working in theatre for over 30 years. She is currently putting on her own one woman show, Beak Speaks, which she describes as an "homage to the fringe". The show finds Gillian Beak putting on a masterclass for actors, and as you will hear, is very much based on experiences she has had in her career, all wrapped around a story about Gillian's life.
The show was first performed back in 2017 at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and only returned this year after a chance encounter with the AD of The Hen and Chickens Theatre. And after a very successful run, she has been invited back for another week's run (9 - 13 May). Tickets are available here.
Episode 81: A half hour of Happy Hour
We chat with writer Andy Walker and director Lesley Manning as they prepare to bring their new show Happy Hour to Upstairs at the Gatehouse.
Happy Hour finds Jacqui confronting her inner demon, who happens to be called George, and who is constantly tempting her to keep drinking. As we hear, whilst a work of fiction, the play comes from Andy's own fight with drink, although he has been sober for a few decades now.
The play comes to Upstairs at the Gatehouse from 16 - 28 May
Episode 80: Stitching Together Camden Fringe and Eurovision
We first came across Ruby Shrimpton when she brought her show Unstitching to Camden Fringe in 2022. The show is centred around Ruby's love of the Eurovision Song Contest, although as with all great theatre, that is just a starting point for something much more fulfilling. We said about the show at the time "when you accept the randomness of it, it can be genuinely enjoyable and unironic fun."
The show was written long before it was announced that Liverpool would be the host for the 2023 edition of Eurovision. But as Ruby tells us, coming from Liverpool, how could she not want to have the opportunity to put her Eurovision loving show on as part of the city's celebrations around the contest. Which is exactly what is happening when she takes the show to Liverpool Arts Bar in May.
So it was a perfect time to chat with Ruby about the show, more about how she got involved with Liverpool's celebrations and what else she might have planned, both for the show and herself, in 2023.
As well as Liverpool, the show will also be playing at Brighton Fringe Festival (22 - 24 May), London's King's Head Theatre (29 May & 2 June) and Edinburgh Fringe Festival (14 - 22 August).
Episode 79: A Second Round of Experiment Human
Back at the start of 2022 we spoke to Maya and Rosa from Hooky Productions, who were deep in preparations to take their show Experiment Human to VAULT Festival. A few days after we recorded the interview the festival was cancelled!
Thankfully it didn't stop them, and the show found new places to play throughout 2022, including Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It also picked up a few awards on its travels, including our own Ettie Award for best comedy.
The show is now back for 2023, and following a brief stopover at this year's VAULT Festival it will be making its way to Oxford this week before making its way to the South coast for Brighton Fringe in May.
It therefore felt like a great time to catch up with Maya and Rosa to find out just what they have been up to since we last spoke, and whether they ever worry that Benedict Cumberbatch has somehow placed a curse on them for what they may or may not do to him in the show.
You can find out more about the show and upcoming dates on their website here.
Episode 78: Happy Hour but in half that time
Our guests this week are writer Andy Walker and director Leslie Manning, chatting about their upcoming show, Happy Hour. Happy Hour is a comedy/ drama about Jacqui and her relationship with drink, and her demon George who encourages her to keep drinking.
As he tells us, Andy has been sober for 40 years now, but has tapped into his past to write this play. So we obviously have to discuss that, and why they decided to make the protaganist female and not male then. We also chat about how his background in animation means he writes very visually, and how this helps or hinders Leslie when it comes to directing his work.
Happy Hour plays Upstairs At The Gatehouse from 16 - 28 May. Further information can be found on the venue website here.
Happy Hour
Jacqui has a problem: herself.
She’s controlled by an internal demon named George. George is everything Jacqui would like to be: funny, attractive, sociable.
But George’s purpose is tempting Jacqui to drink alcohol. Jacqui doesn’t need much tempting. And drinking is killing her.
Jacqui needs to break free from the self-slavery of addiction and regain her soul. However, George isn’t prepared to free his captive without a titanic struggle.
HAPPY HOUR tackles a truly universal subject – alcohol addiction – with an imaginative blend of comedy and drama.
Episode 77: A Misfortune(ate) experience
Our latest guest is Aaron-Lee Eyles. Aaron-Lee is no stranger to Everything Theatre, having reviewed for us in the past inbetween working on his own shows. And his latest show is Mi$fortune, which tells the tragic story of Billie-Bob Harrell Jr, an American lottery winner, who quickly found that winning big isn't always that good. The show started life a couple of years ago under a different title, and we actually spoke to Aaron-Lee about it then. So this time around we recap the show but also discuss what has happened in the two years since. It's a great insight into the lifecycle of a play.
Mi$fortune comes to Golden Goose Theatre from 18 - 22 April, further information can be found here.
About the show.
Texas, Summer 1997. Home Depot worker and devout Christian Billie-Bob Harrell Jr. wins big on the lottery, $31 Million big. The months that followed surely changed his life, but not in the way you might imagine. What many would expect to be a life-changing miracle for a humble family man unravelled into a fatal battle of faith vs pride.
From Unmarked Theatre, whose previous work has been described as 'experimenting with form and structure in ways traditional theatre probably never will' (Everything Theatre, 2022) comes MI$FORTUNE - a bold exploration of one man's tragedy told through physical theatre, improvisation & song.
Episode 76: Someone Is Watching You
Our guest this week is Jonathan Oldfield. Jonathan is bringing his new show, One Way Mirror to The Pleasance from 24 April. The show is about his experiences of watching people through the one way mirror that is the frontage of the solicitors office he has been living in as a guardian since 2019. This means people outside see their own reflection in the office windows, completely unaware that on the other side is actually someone's front room. It sounds far fetched, but it is completely true, as you will hear.
We chat about why he found himself living in such an unusual place, how the show devleoped from this, and we of course have to touch upon whether he feels a voyeur as he watches people outside, and whether he feels like the wildlife cameramen who film but never interfere with what is happening.
Epidode 75: We jump straight to Act II
This week's guest is Amy Tickner, Artistic Director of Act II Festival. The festival returns to The Space on 8 and 15 April, and so it seemed a great time to sit down with Amy to find out what it's all about.
ACT II is a creative programme bridging the gap between student theatre and the industry. They provide a creative development programme for London Students, giving them access to skills workshops, Q&As, and tips from those currently working in the industry. The festival encourages London’s students to work alongside one another, creating a London Student Drama community that does not discriminate one institution from another.
We discuss the festival and what it offers new theatre makers, whether that be writers, directors or actors. Plus why The Space is such a great fit to host the festival, and just what we can expect if we come along to see the shows.
You can find out more about Act II on their website here. Tickets for the festival can be found on the Space website here.
Episode 74: Molly Anne Sweeney on Decommissioned
This week we were joined by writer Molly Anne Sweeney, whose latest play, Decommissioned, is coming to Pleasance Theatre in April. It's a funny and confronting play about how we're meant to care for children, fall in love and stay sane while tackling the climate catastrophe.
The play was inspired by the true story of Fairbourne, the Welsh village that has been earmarked for "managed retreat" due to authorities deemed it unsustainable to defend, given predicted sea level rise. The best estimate was that the area would be abandoned between 2052 and 2062.
We chat about the play, and why climate anxiety is something that we are instilling in children. Plus we discuss whether there is a risk that with so many plays tackling climate change, whow we avoid becoming bored of the message.
Decommissioned comes to Pleasance Theatre between 10 - 15 April, and it is then hoped that it will be toured later in the year. Tickets for Pleasance are available here.
Episode 73: Getting the Lowdown on Camden Fringe
This week's guests over on our Runn Radio show were Zena Barrie and Michelle Flower, who between them set up Camden Fringe back in 2006. Since then it's grown and grown, and is now a vital cog within the Fringe Theatre calendar.
We chat about its history, but more importantly, how people can get involved this year.
You can find out more about Camden Fringe on their website here. You can also hear more from them on their own podcast, available from all the usual podcast providers, including Spotify here.
Episode 72: Bring on the revolution
This week's guest is Matthew Jameson. Matthew is most well known as being part of the team at The Space on Canary Wharf. But as well as his day job, he has also been busy writing his play, Ten Days. Well, we say busy, but as he tells us, it has been ten years in the making!
Ten Days is a slice of intensified history, based on the memoirs of those that lived it and adapted for 2022. An epic, comic, political thriller from journalist John Reed as he follows Lenin, Trotsky, Tsar Nicholas II and (of course) The People of Russia from the February uprising through the Storming of The Winter Palace in an action-packed, ridiculous and urgent retelling of ten days that changed our history and shook the world.
As well as discussing the play, we also find a little time to talk about The Space, and some of what they have been up to.
Ten Days plays between 14 and 25 March. The play will also be livestreamed on 23 March and then available on-demand for two weeks afterwards. Further information and bookings here.
Episode 71: A Pinch and A Punch, You're It
Improv theatre is a genre of theatre that both scares and excites us, although probably more scares if we're being honest. But luckily we aren't the ones getting up on stage each night having to think on our feet and come up with funny and surreal scenario’s. Instead we can leave it to the pro’s who in this case are Pinch Punch Improv.
Pinch Punch are bringing their latest show, Locomotive for Murder, to the VAULT Festival on 4 and 5 March. And before then, they found the time to sit down with Lily Middleton to chat about the show and how you go about devising an improv show.
(We apologise for the slightly grainy quality of the recording on this one, but hopefully it won’t distract from your enjoyment).
You can book tickets for the show here.
Episode 70: Save The VAULT Festival
We are massive fans of the VAULT Festival, which takes place over January to March each year. It's grown year on year, and in 2023 will be hosting over 500 shows, ranging from theatre, comedy, cabaret and anything else you can put on in one of its many spaces.
But they have now been informed by the venue landlord that their lease is not being renewed for 2024, and so they are now seeking a new home for the future. So we wanted to give them the chance to explain what is happening and why they are seeking to raise £150,000 by the end of this year's festival to ensure their future.
Bec Martin, Head of Programming, found the time to chat with us about all this, and whilst we had it, it would have been a waste not to also ask her about some of her highlights of this year's festival, and how people can go about applying to be part of the future festivals.
Episode 69: When you have nowhere left to Hide
We were joined this week by Laura Sampson, whose show, Hide, will be playing at VAULT Festival Saturday 25 February, and then Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 March. Tickets are available here
We chat about the shows themes of identity, and how the show mixes together fairytale and modern day, using the Lindworm story as an analogy of Laura's own life. We also discuss spoken word and story telling in general, and why it can such an incredibly powerful device when done right.
About Hide.
There’s a legend that says the power to shed one’s skin was given to snakes by accident: the gods meant it for us. But instead of being able to shuck off each identity as we grow out of it, our human skins layer up and harden into leather – a Hide, to hide inside.
Inspired by timeless folktales such as THE LINDWORM, Laura Sampson will speak of the challenges she faces as a person of mixed heritage. Is that story’s monster-prince, tricked into shedding his hide to reveal what’s underneath, a way to understand the protective layers of identity Laura’s grandparents had to build when they first arrived in England from Trinidad & Tobago?
What is the cost of growing a thick skin?
About Laua Sampson
Laura Sampson is a performance storyteller and writer whose mixed heritage and myth studies have led her on many adventures. Recent London credits for adult audiences include THREE-CROSSING RIVER (White Conduit Projects), WOMEN WHO GAVE NO FUCKS with Story Jam (Rich Mix; Tobacco Factory), and LEGEND OF THE BURNING BELL (British Library), plus appearances with top storytelling collective The Crick Crack Club. Previous collaborations with Sam Enthoven include THE OLD BLACK DOOR (RADA Studios) THE NEW MIRROR (Bloomsbury Festival), and DEADTOWN (AMP Studios, also with Andrea Aste).
Episode 68: Leaving So Soon?
Our latest guest on our Runn Radio show was Stephen Leach. Stephen is the writer and director of Can't Wait To Leave, his debut full length play that will be coming to Waterloo East Theatre from 21 February.
Can't Wait To Leave introduces us to 19 year old Ryan, a school drop-out and turkey sandwich enthusiast. New to London, when the one person he thought he could rely on ups and leaves, Ryan finds himself adrift in a city he still hasn’t learned to like, looking for direction.
We discuss the play and its inspirations, the joys (and pitfalls) of being both the writer and director, and what the auditioning process is like.
You can find out more about the play and book tickets here.
Episode 67: Refugees, Immigrants and Understanding
Our latest guest on our Runn Radio show was Mahad Ali, who joined us to talk about his play My Brother's Keeper. Based in a seaside town, two brothers find themselves living in a hotel whilst awaiting a decision on their refugee status. But it is not just a story about refugees, it is a story of love, pain and learning in building community. It's certainly a timely play in today's climate, even if Ali begun writing in back in 2016.
We discuss the play and its themes, the issues facing both refugees and the towns that often find themselves hosting large numbers of refugees. We also chat about Theatre503, and why we need more risk taking within theatre if we want to see it thrieve.
My Brother's Keeper plays 14 February - 4 March at Theatre503. Further information can be found here.