A life changing process, the process of pregnancy is something we hear and see very little spoken about; the biological process usually depicted by its last moment, giving birth. A process that can only truly be understood and experienced by those going through it, the emotional impact of pregnancy is an ever lasting one, rippling throughout families going through it. What also isn’t the discussed is the heartbreaking truth that ‘1 in 4 pregnancies end in loss during pregnancy or birth’, a taboo subject matter rarely discussed. Created in collaboration with UCL Neuroscience Professor Kate Jeffrey, Lecturer of Philosophy at the University of Kent Dr Graeme Forbes and charities Anyone Everymum and Aching Arms, director Guillaume Pigé discusses Theatre Re’s poignant theatre piece, BIRTH, showing at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

There isn’t much to fault in Nancy Medina’s production of Caryl Phillips’ Strange Fruit, currently running at the Bush Theatre. Part of the Passing the Baton initiative, the play details the lives of those that struggle to imagine their futures; people that are trapped by oppression, anger and cultural difference.

Courtesy of Helen Murray.

From February 14th to 16th, the Kammerspiele presented four productions by the next generation of Polish directors. The focus was on new plays that diverged from dominant Polish theatre traditions and generated their own new stories and forms. The festival was accompanied by discussions and lectures that dealt with the collapse of democracy, the strengthening of right-wing populism throughout Europe and feminism as an international counter-movement. Experts in the fields of philosophy, sociology, art, and political science discussed important issues that concern not only Polish society but the whole of Europe.

Courtesy of Patrycja Mic.

After receiving critical acclaim for solo show WHITE, the debut show in her Colour Trilogy, writer and performer Koko Brown returns with the debut of the trilogy’s second instalment, GREY – an autobiographical piece exploring depression and the taboos that so often obscure black women’s mental health. Starring Sapphire Joy and directed by Nicholai La Barrie, GREY integrates spoken work, vocal looping and British Sign Language to further explore the broader conversation of mental health. Koko tells us more about the show…

In 1879, Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House might have played to sold out audiences at its premier in Copenhagen’s Royal Theatre but was Denmark really ready for Nora Helmer to ditch it all and ‘live her truth’? Of course, 19th century Danes weren’t as woke as we are now and probably hadn’t heard of ‘living your best life’.

Courtesy of Marc Brenner.

Home to Europe’s most famous street party, the Notting Hill Carnival typically witnesses over 1,000,000 spectators partying the day away on the streets of West London. With over 50,000 performers providing the iconic carnival’s sparkle, the August Bank Holiday weekend serves as a time to connect with fellow spectators and celebrate years of tradition the carnival has brought the capital. Inspired by her experiences of carnival, playwright Yasmin Joseph has crafted her first full length play J’Ouvert, which translates as ‘dawn’ in the Antillean Creole French language and is an annual street party taking place in many Caribbean Islands. Ahead of J’Ouvert’s run at Theatre503, Yasmin spoke to us about the show’s pivotal themes, how she approached creating the show and what she’d like for audiences to take away from it.

Based on Nan Sheperd’s homage to the Cairngorms, The Living Mountain, Into The Mountain is a daring new piece of work that culminates six years of research from Simone Kenyon. Consisting of a two-hour hike followed by a unique contemporary dance piece far off the beaten track, this incredible performance has been the highlight of Take Me Somewhere Festival.

Performed as a part of Take Me Somewhere Festival, 100% Pop is somewhere in between a homage and a sequel to Grace Jone’s One Man Show. This immersive party of a performance deals with pop sound and imagery within a culture of global capitalism, questioning the validity of our obsession with aesthetics through movement and music.

100% Pop is more of a gig than a piece of theatre. Performed in Tramway’s second space with the seats stowed away, audience members stand as Nora Chipaumire and her fellow performer explore the space without boundaries. The setup of the space is incredible, small details ensuring that the entire thing feels like an acid trip from the eighties. It is a fresh new take on immersive performance that shatters the division between artist and audience, celebrity and consumer. The form itself is engrained with social commentary.

However, once I allow myself to succumb to the party, as Chipaumire imitates my static stance with an accusatory gaze, I begin to lose track of what is being said. I’m all for performance that forces the audience out of their comfort zone, but this seems redundant when doing so causes us to forget why we are there all together. I go to a gig to have a dance, I go to the theatre to be told something new. This doesn’t detract from my enjoyment at all, although I do feel many audience members feel incredibly awkward. Sadly the effectiveness of the performance is reduced by the intensity of its form.

Nonetheless, 100% Pop makes an important point about consumer culture, and the repetition of ‘revolution is not on Netflix’ hammers home the need for a return to a simpler time. Chipaumire is a clearly talented deviser of performance, I only wonder if her style is better suited to a different form.

Review written by Rachel Baker.

100% Pop was shown on Sunday 26th May 2019 at the Tramway Theatre. To find out more about the production, visit here…

Kema Sikazwe is an actor, rapper, singer (who performs under the name Kema Kay), rising star and Live Theatre Associate Artist. He played Daniel Blake’s neighbour China, in the Ken Loach film, I, Daniel Blake. His debut show Shine is a Live Theatre production which tells his own autobiographical story through an electrifying live soundtrack and heartfelt words. Shine premiered at Live Theatre, Newcastle from Thu 2 – Sat 11 May and transfers to the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh from Thu 16 – Sat 18 May. Find out more about his show ‘Shine’; a show looking back at his journey from Zambia to assimilating to a new life in Newcastle at 3 years old.