A moving and daring piece of feminist theatre by New Earth Theatre Company which tackles issues of diplomacy, war crimes, sexual slavery, and generational trauma. Not a second of theatre was wasted with a narrative so neat, so precise that I kept abandoning my notebook in fear of missing a second of it. Kyo Choi is without a doubt a gifted storyteller that had this audience at the palm of her hands. Post lockdown the Arcola continues to disrupt the theatre scene at a time when we need dissenting voices most.

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Hailed as a symbol of the women empowerment movement in the early 60s, the pill – a medication that disrupts the usual flow of the menstrual cycle and stops the process of fertilisation, would be seen as a step forward in the fight for equality and women’s rights. However, decades down the line, has this necessarily been the case? Offering an honest account of her very own experience of taking the pill, Rebecca Pythian presents autobiographical show Pill as part of this year’s Clapham Fringe Festival line up.

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Ending in tragedy, Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet is a storyline familiar with many – two teens from warring families brought together by their unrivalled affection for one another. Set in stone, their fates sadly play out, the impact this has on those around them clear to see. But what happens if their fates are tweaked and changed? Inspired by Queen’s A Night at the Opera album and Romeo & Juliet, Hideki Noda presents A Night at the Kabuki, a delve into rival families – the Genji and the Taira’s worlds – set in 12th century Japan.

Courtesy of Kishin Shinoyama.

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The Romeo and Juliet love story has really caught the imaginations of many, variations of the ill-fated love affair a staple of the globe’s artistic sphere. An adaptation of the Shakespearean tale, the multi-award winning and celebrated musical West Side Story, released in 1961, continues to grip audiences and inspire. Taking elements of the iconic musical, Proud London present West Side Cabaret Story, an energetic, compact interpretation of our star crossed lovers, Tony and Maria’s rendezvous.

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A long lasting consequence of the Transatlantic slave trade, colourism has formed a detrimental world view of what beauty looks like, shades of skin ranked from seemingly more desirable than the other, hair and body types scrutinised under the European standard of beauty – something that has sadly caused division within African and Caribbean cultures up until this very day. Making its debut 20 years ago at the turn of the millennium, Dael Orlandersmith’s Yellowman examines this warped ideology in a powerful two hander that now more than ever, post Black Lives Matter, strongly resonates.

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We take on traditions that are generations deep, without question, following on from what has gone before. Our ancestors themselves onlookers to structures followed, these deeply ingrained and therefore hard to challenge and break. An exploration of family trauma throughout the generations, confrontations and the interpretation of faith, Kwame Asafo-Adjei presents Family Honour, an opportunity to examine the many behaviours and structures that go unquestioned and simply observe them.

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Almost confronted with the frightening prospect of a life without water in 2018, the inhabitants of Cape Town, South Africa, were the first in the world to suffer from a drought so severe, that water supplies dropped significantly low – forcing inhabitants to ration on water use. This fortunately did not last, with adequate rainfall finally putting an end to this worrying circumstance and increasing water levels once more. Zoning in on this possible reality within the UK 25 years from now, Magda Bird’s Salt acts as a warning and wake up call as to what could play out.

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The P Word is an accomplished political play about the hostile environment faced by LGBTQ+ asylum seekers. Raucously funny and unapologetically problematic Waleed Akhtar’s two-hander tells the story of two Pakistani gay men in their thirties whose lives collide at Pride. Throughout the play, audience members hummed in satisfaction at the wit, the humour, the political resonance, and sheer humanity that transcends borders and sexuality. A play I will certainly be seeing again before the end of this short run 22 October, but no doubt will be revived time and time again. There are plays you see that mark a pivotal moment in a nation’s history, The P Word is one of these plays.

Courtesy of Craig Fuller.

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Our childhoods shape who we become, experiences and encounters laying the footprint for how we confront situations in later life, traumas, whether obvious or not shrouding how we react to the day to day – memories incredibly significant, powerful enough to dictate what life looks like for us in the present moment. Translated from Édouard Louis’ Qui a tué Mon père (Who Killed My Father), Ivo Van Hove’s translation of the same name draws on Louis’ autobiographical work, is a reflection of his complex relationship with his macho father, an alcoholic battling his own demons, beaten down by his work in the heavy industry and pressured to maintain his role as the man of the house. The fallout of this resulting in a clash in ideologies, volatility, a decline in mental health and non acceptance.

Courtesy of Jan Versweyveld.

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At the age of 7, whilst his father was serving at the front towards the end of WWII, a young Rudolph Nureyev would, alongside his mother and 3 siblings watch ballet performance Songs of the Cranes at the Ufa Opera House, Russia – and it is was this performance that would align Nureyev onto a path to becoming one of the ballet world’s greats. He very early on showcasing his need to rebel a very set in stone structure and world, and imprint a language all of his own, developing his own emotive style that would go on to be celebrated and replicated. A celebration of his contribution to the ballet world, Nureyev Legend & Legacy passes on the baton also, celebrating the talent of tomorrow.

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