By Luisa De la Concha Montes RAH is a play written and performed by Laila Latifa. Set in the bedroom of Manal, a half-Moroccan, half-British woman in her early twenties, the play bravely depicts a history of belonging. Structured as a monologue, the script explores Manal’s internal ramblings, exposing the truth about her family, her feelings of inadequacy at university, and her difficulties navigating her sex life within the context of an overtly religious family. The first impression is one of intimacy. Manal’s bedroom is peppered with an array of elements that reference her mixed identity ..read more

by Diana Miranda A blend of Orwell’s 1984 and the American Horror Story TV series, The Messiah Complex is a dystopian thriller that explores the extremes of conflicting belief systems. It takes place in a society where religion is banned and treated as a mental illness, and those who oppose scientific dogma are prosecuted without scruples. Sethian, a prophet who grapples with inner conflict, is held captive in a complex where a scientist – someone really between a nurse and a political propagandist – attempts to correct his behaviour. If Sethian fails to cooperate, the complex’s ‘administrato ..read more

by Zahid Fayyaz This is certainly an eye-opening show that’s a great ending to this year’s festival. The second show from director, writer and actor Adam Scott-Rowley, this follow-up to his critically acclaimed show THIS IS NOT CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT has a lot of buzz around it. Much like with his last show, the sold-out house is first confronted with Adam naked on the stage. He starts by sitting on a dirty toilet -which gets used as a prop during the performance – and geeing himself up. He then jumps up as soon as the doors close, and launches into one of the many characters in the piece. Es ..read more

by Diana Miranda Written by Nimrod Danishman, Borders explores the relationship of two young men who meet on Grindr, one is in Israel, and the other in Lebanon. Although deeply affected by political circumstances, their digital relationship strengthens against all odds. I spent an afternoon in a rehearsal ahead of the run at VAULT Festival 2023, after looking at the show from the sidelines for some years now. Borders was originally written in Hebrew and staged in Israel. It made its way to London through Junction Theatre, a new company founded by Neta Gracewell that supports em ..read more

by Laura Kressly Many of us crave the escape from mundane routine that a holiday abroad gives us. Sun, sand, great food and immersion in different cultures are all wonderful experiences – usually. There absolutely can be downsides. Using clowning and mime, David Hoskin presents the annoying (sunburn and fellow travellers), the uncertain (whether or not a dubious-looking meal will hurt you), and the down-right strange and terrible (getting stranded in the woods and threatened by wild animals). Hoskin’s physical performance is exceptional, though the narrative’s shift into the surreal is less e ..read more

by Zahid Fayyaz After previous runs at the Soho Theatre in the upstairs space and at Edinburgh Fringe, this American comedian returns to the to the bigger cabaret space for her most recent, hour-long set. This is the story of Emily Wilson’s starring role in the first X-Factor USA, first as part of a duo and then later in an ill-advised, 10 kid group. What initially seems a light-hearted show soon darkens when it shifts into the areas of exploitation and verbal abuse. Wilson at 15 was clearly too young to participate in such a harsh, reality TV environment, with little care seemingly taken by ..read more

by Laura Kressly Marnie promised herself she would never go for a poo in the school toilets, but her bowels have had other ideas lately. As she’s dealing with this embarrassment and worrying about her health, we get insight into her innards, where white blood cells are waging war on her colon. This is conveyed by an audio narration focusing on a brand-new cell getting to grips with their job, guiding listeners through the human anatomy and what happens when the body attacks itself. Each listener is led to a ‘listening pod’ – a curtained cubicle with pink drapes, a pile of cushions, fleshy blo ..read more

by Laura Kressly Rose and Ruby are best friends and flatmates who met at Piper’s, one of the few spaces for queer women and femmes left in the city. Piper’s has announced they have to close so the pair are scheming about how to raise money for the venue. Turning to tarot and astrology as well as their own lives, queer joy ultimately emerges from the characters’ struggles as well as from the actors who play them. There’s an intimate, casual atmosphere from the start, though this gradually shifts into the silly and absurd before the metatheatre kicks in. The first part of the story is rather co ..read more

by Zahid Fayyaz This is a new, box fresh new musical, with a LGBTQ+ focus. Set in a Catholic school, it features four young student musicians trying to play their music, which shows their queer identities. Since it’s 1994, the school is not happy about it and tries to shut them down. However, the students in question are not going to give up without a fight. This is the first outing for this particular show and as such, it is a little scrappy. There are also some technical issues with the sound and vocals, though this is sure to be ironed out over the run. The production has a lot of heart, w ..read more

by Zahid Fayyaz Fresh from a month’s run at the Edinburgh Fringe and then Soho Theatre, Fanboy is a one-man show written and acted by Joe Sellman-Leava. It is seemingly autobiographical, looking at changes in society through the lens of the Star Wars fandom. Using videos and props to develop the story of the piece, it’s certainly not static, which can often be an issue with one-person shows. This is extremely funny in places, with a good hit of nostalgia for audience members who equally love Star Wars and Muppet Christmas Carol as much as Joe does. It’s very much on the button when it comes t ..read more