Interview

Having never seen Shakespeare’s King Lear before, it was with great anticipation that I sat down to watch the reprise of the original 2014 production of Queen Lear, directed and adapted by Phil Willmott.

Rosie Wyatt is an actor, feminist and lover of stories.

Ashley Winter is a theatre director and co-founder of Attila Theatre Company.

The following events in October 2016 are on the whole either written by, organised or directed by women or gender equal productions…

Written and directed by Elizabeth Bowe, Tarantella tells the story of three generations of Sicilians living under the same roof in New York at the end of the Second World War. Tradition continues to play a big part in family life and the community at large...

The examination of marital strife within stage drama goes together like eggs and bacon, death and taxes.  A Doll's House. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?... Written by Elenora Fusco and directed by Katharina Kastening, Our Baby is very much a part of this grand tradition, with its unforgettable portrayal of a couple's fractured relationship and the child they may... or may not have...   

The Lion & Unicorn Theatre has had a long association with fringe theatre productions. However Cruel Britannia at the venue, which is produced by Sharon Burrell and Ceri Lothian, takes a foray into the world of comedy and political satire.

In today's world where atrocities are unfortunately a common feature on the news, one of the most prevalent questions raised is how should the guilty be dealt with for their crimes? Are punishment and justice always the same thing? The ancient Greeks wrestled with these questions, particularly the Ouroborous nature of cause and effect. Directed by Madeleine Moore and written by Julian Garner, The Awakening at the Brockley Jack Studio Theatre touches on these questions in a timeless, rural setting.

Every once in a while, a show will come along  that is not only ahead of the curve, it follows it's own trajectory. Such a show is Sister by Born Mad Theatre which is written and directed by Rebecca Hanbury. Utilising verbatim dialogue from nearly 50 women and girls from around the UK, these personal anecdotes are used as a starting point for a meditation on women's relationships and evolving into a transcendent ethereal soundscape.

In  Italian 'travesti' doesn't mean something akin to a calamity. Instead, it is a practice of women playing 'men's' parts in plays and vice versa. Following a critically successful stint in Edinburgh, Fight In The Dog Theatre have brought their play Travesty to the New Diorama Theatre for a five-day run. Directed by Emily Burns and written by Liam Williams, Travesty revolves around a couple in their 20s – from the early days of their relationship to its death knell. "So far, so fairly conventional," you might be thinking. Except the part of Anna is played by Lydia Larsen  and the part of Ben is played by Pierro Niel-Mee.