The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has announced 10 Finalists for its prestigious playwriting award, the oldest and largest international prize awarded to women+ playwrights.
Omar Ibrahim plays it safe with a nice mix of one-liners, anecdotes and metatheatrical riffing. Armed with a gown (“If you’ve seen me wear this before I was high or going down on you”) and a notebook and pen we enter a space where we can refreshingly laugh at the absurdism of racism. Omar’s Pakistani via Ugandan heritage is played up as the VAULT Festival categorises the stand up as “Asian Voices.” Marketed as “an idiot’s attempt to further the cultural conversation… offering a unifying tonic for polarised times.”
Marta Dziurosz and editors Željka Marošević and Sophie Missing take the 2022 prize for a translation of Marcin Wicha’s Things I Didn’t Throw Out. This year’s Scott Moncrieff Prize winner is one of four shortlisted texts ‘concerned with the changing fortunes of African countries’.
We all walk our own paths, scenarios encountered – shaped by societal norms and who we are physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. The term ‘intersectionality’ something that has become part of the zeitgeist, a term that perfectly captures what it is to be human in this world of constructs. Exploring their personal journey of navigating how the world deals with their sexuality, race, class and gender – performer John Paul Zaccarini presents The MixeRace Mix Tape, a resonant, unapologetic live playlist that speaks to today.
Courtesy of Sarah Hickson.
Artists receive over £36,000 in funding from Wandsworth Council. Tickets and the full programme for Wandsworth Arts Fringe 2023 will go live from Wed 26 April 2023. Wandsworth Council’s flagship arts festival returns from 9-25 June with 17 jam-packed, belly-laughing, awe-inspiring days of art, dance, music, theatre, comedy, film, circus and street performance.
Official London Theatre is adding hundreds of additional performances to its much-loved sale, with thousands more tickets for your favourite productions now available to book until the end of March, plus 11 brand new shows to choose from.
‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’ – Lyric Hammersmith in association with Sheffield Theatres.
A beautifully directed play about two flatmates navigating the aftermath of Jack’s unfortunate encounter with Mr Pandemonium. Set in a rundown flat permeated with mould the two friends share with an unknown number of furry lodgers; the drama unfolds as Jack enters with blood on his head. Don’t Smoke in Bed is a 1-hour play which explores the harrowing toll sexual violence can have on a person and those close to them. It tells the story of the initial stages of trying to cope when the perpetrator lives in your head and the finite patience of even our loved ones.
WhatsOnStage announce the initial line up for the 23rd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards on 12 February 2023 at the Prince of Wales Theatre. The concert opens with a specially composed number by Alex Parker and Katie Lam, featuring choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille and performed by the hosts Courtney Bowman, Laurie Kynaston and Billy Luke Nevers.
In this post-colonial world that we live in, we’re starting to delve into the topic of world history, and how this connects us all. We’re examining ‘empire’, what this looks like, how structures have been established and played out, and how moving forward, we build a world that reflects, yet calls for change where needed. Having made the move from Singapore to the UK 5 years ago, and both gaining a masters degree in the process, theatre maker Mohamad Faizal Abdullah, alongside his theatre producer wife Nur Khairiyah have carved out a new life for themselves. Within this process however, constantly confronted with the question of identity and belonging – something very familiar with anyone of more than one culture. Presenting Siapa Yang Bawa Melayu Aku Pergi? ( Who Took My Malay Away?), Abdullah breaks down his Singaporean, Malay, Muslim, British roots in an entertaining hour.
Courtesy of Héctor Manchego.
The Old Vic shares more information on the Education & Community projects coming to the theatre in 2023. Alongside the return of established programmes including Schools Club, Take the Lead, The Long Covid Wellness Project, Matinee Idols and OV Backstage, The Old Vic also welcomes new community and schools-focused initiatives, such as One Voice and Take the Lead Primary. 2023 will also welcome the return of workshops and programmes for emerging theatre professionals – OV Theatre Makers, OV Facilitators and Front Line.
