Fright Fest!
Etcetera Theatre
Each year, New Jersey’s premier theme park draws thousands of thrill-seekers to Fright Fest – an after-sunset immersive haunting experience. This spooktacular event invites the Jersey Turnpike’s finest aspiring scare performers to come out of the woodwork and into the limelight! By late August, the casting notice is out, and in the hands of old souls who have scared before and fledglings, who are just starting their creepy careers. Regardless of experience, they all share one common desire: to be the most spine-chilling monster of them all. But, when technical difficulties threaten to halt auditions, the ‘boogey they/thems’ are determined that the scare must go on! With humour, heart, and a healthy dose of chaos, this one-act play offers a tribute to the (seasonal) unsung heroes of America's theme parks. Will you scream? Or just be left afraid of the dark?
For Your Twenties
The Libra Theatre Cafe
Welcome to your twenties, a perfect relationship which might end in marriage, divulge in their mental and physical decision. As their in-laws and best friends get involved and add there two cents to the narrative of their warped view of the world. What is life like in London with the upper class and will Sarah, a girl from Manchester, be too intimidated by it all. Journey through the breaking point, of what seems the rest of these four characters lives. Displayed through physical theatre and new writing.
London Fields
The Courtyard Theatre
London Fields is a gripping two-hander that dives deep into the struggles of identity, belonging, and radicalization. Luka, a migrant, just wants to fit in. After a verbal assault, he becomes obsessed with mastering the language, the culture, everything. But as time goes on, Luka’s desire to fit in pushes him down a dangerous path of extremism. As his relationship with his partner, Paulina, crumbles and she plans to leave with their son, Luka’s world shatters. What happens next is a desperate, tragic decision, showing the high cost of trying to fit in at any cost. Blending sharp humour with raw emotion, London Fields is a haunting look at assimilation, extremism, and the dark edges of identity.
Giving Out
Etcetera Theatre
Liam is sick. Matthew is sick of him. Trapped in a run down flat in Belfast, dying of AIDs, Liam depends on Matthew for everything. He rants and rambles, desperate for release or entertainment. Matthew, meanwhile, finds his patience wearing thin. Liam is no angel, and Matthew is no martyr. Funded by the Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club, this irreverent dark comedy traps the audience with the characters in a claustrophobia of illness, caregiving and resentment. One scene, one set, spanning one endless argument: every beat of the frustration and the building tension is felt in real time. Balancing raw humour with intense emotion, this two-hander confronts sickness, shame and guilt through a distinctly Irish humour. Rooted in the real historical context of both the Troubles and the AIDs crisis, the play sheds new light on overlooked perspectives. With biting dialogue and unbroken narrative, Giving Out offers an unflinching, immersive theatrical experience which is as funny as it is devastating.
Saving Myself
The Libra Theatre Cafe
What do you do when staying present seems impossible? SAVING MYSELF is a powerful new solo play exploring trauma, mythology, and survival by debut playwright Tim Stubbs Hughes. Set over one night, we follow Lilly, a young woman alone in her flat, surrounded by books, half-remembered rituals, and an unlit candle. Since childhood, Lilly has been blamed for things going wrong: pets that disappeared, toys that broke, the uneasy silences that followed her through her family home. Over time, these stories became fact, shaping how others treated her and how she learned to understand herself. After a violent assault, Lilly reaches breaking point. With no one left to turn to, she fixates on the idea that something inside her - a demon, an inheritance, or the damage left by trauma - has to be destroyed. Moving between realism, poetry, folklore, and ritual, the play unfolds in real time as Lilly fights to take control of her own body and story. Raw, darkly comic, and unsettling, SAVING MYSELF asks what happens when care is replaced by superstition, and what it costs a woman to save herself. Produced by 20 South Street in association with Grey Swan, directed by Julia Stubbs and performed by Jessamy James, SAVING MYSELF comes to the Camden Fringe after premiering at this year's Brighton Fringe. Suitable for 16+.
Once An Actress
Rosemary Branch Theatre
This is a powerful, intimate one-woman theatre experience that blurs the line between performance and reality. Raw, witty, and deeply human, the show takes audiences behind the curtain of an actress’s life—where ambition collides with sacrifice, love, rejection, resilience, and survival. Through compelling storytelling, sharp humour, and moments of aching vulnerability, it explores what it truly means to chase a dream in an industry that rarely shows mercy. It reflects on identity, womanhood, and the quiet strength required to keep showing up when the spotlight fades. Honest and unfiltered, the production speaks to artists, dreamers, and anyone who has ever had to reinvent themselves. This is not just a performance—it is a confession, a reckoning, and a celebration of persistence. It invites audiences to laugh, reflect, and recognise themselves in a story that feels both deeply personal and universally true.
Maybe Tomorrow
Etcetera Theatre
This powerful new play follows two Lebanese sisters, Yara and Mina, who advocate for change in Lebanon. When the 2019 revolution begins, their frustration is turned into action. However, as the year passes, the fire of the revolution wanes, and the country descends further into crisis. This draws a chasm between the sisters and ignites a heated discussion about identity, colonialism, and corruption. On August 4th, 2020, the port explosion rips through their living room, changing everything. The play is both a love letter and a ‘fuck you’ to Lebanon: a dichotomy that every Lebanese person has felt. We don’t know what to feel, but we know it is all valid. A percentage of ticket sales will go to Migrant Workers’ Action, an organisation that supports displaced migrant workers in Lebanon and fights to abolish the Kafala system.
The Middle of The Street
Barons Court Theatre
Who we are gets built and remade within four walls, shaped by staircases, door slams, kettles boiling, stains on sofas, glasses smashed, tense dinner tables, non-communal communal bathrooms, bedroom floors, and the turning of a key. The Middle of the Street follows how houses are haunted by their memories. What makes a house a home, and when does a home become a house again? From falling in love in the doorway, to loss of identity in the bathroom, every memory has a home. Across generations and lifetimes, everything held in this house is shown when the lights flicker on. With its poetic voice and physical theatre elements, The Middle of The Street will appeal to fans of unconventional theatre and anyone looking for a little slice of home. University of Warwick alumni, Daisy Murphy and Emma Joy Stockton, are the co-founders of Happy Now Theatre and are thrilled to be putting on their first play as a theatre company, since forming at the beginning of this year. Happy Now have staged multiple successful musical theatre concerts in London, using their love of musicals and cabarets to make an entry into the London theatre scene. Now with The Middle of The Street, Happy Now are getting to create original work and push into a new theatrical space.
Dregs
The Libra Theatre Cafe
Embark on a riotous journey with Fisch and Neck, two lost souls rummaging through the spiritual rubbish heap of life. This darkly comedic spectacle, brimming with clownish antics, exposes the underbelly of capitalism and greed. From the ethereal realm of discarded objects, our misfit duo grapples with the ethical, moral, and biological implications of our modern world. Through laughter and confusion, they challenge us to question the essence of humanity that has brought us to this chaotic, disjointed, and violent era. A provocative and entertaining exploration of the good, bad, and ugly sides of existence.
I AM FINE THANK YOU
Hen & Chickens Theatre
Q: “How are you?” A: ... When “I AM FINE THANK YOU” becomes the only armour against the world, authentic expression fades like a shooting star, It is brilliant, but gone too soon. Inside the protagonist, there is a seesaw. For eleven years, one side has been held down, while the other remains suspended, untouched. It appears balanced, yet fragile. Until one night, that balance breaks. Between dream and reality, where reason and emotion intertwine, the seesaw begins to move again. “You never left. I never forgot.” Welcome to this journey of the self.
latch
The Courtyard Theatre
Latch is a play about three girls, one night and no parents. Sienna, Minnie and Jess recount the stories that shaped them and the strange rules of girlhood, but as the night spirals and they no longer feel safe, buried tensions surface. Darkly funny and unflinchingly honest, Latch explores friendship, girlhood, and what young women learn about danger before they even realise it.
The Green Party
Aces and Eights
Green Party is a split bill show from two of London’s best up and coming comedians (and great pals), Nick Morey and Indi Madray. Nick is an early 40’s gay man with a love of video games, wordplay, and a host of embarrassing, self-deprecating tales. In just two years on the comedy scene, he’s proven himself as one to watch, with deft wordplay, surprising voice work, and a mastery of the misdirect. A walking cultural identity crisis, Indi shares her experiences, deconstructing stereo-typical expectations. An Award winning comedian, Indi's a regular on the Comedy Circuit earning numerous bragging rights and accolades in her nine years on the circuit. A ‘joint’ venture, these two have bonded over the lighter things in life, dreaming of a world where the grass is always greener. Come hang, it’ll be fun!
Helsinki Leaks ’25: “An inconvenient peace”
Upstairs at the Gatehouse
A look behind the scenes of the 50th Jubilee of the historic Helsinki Peace and Security Conference where plots to fight wars and import nukes threaten to steal the message despite the best efforts of the organisers. This is our Canadian-Finnish troupe´s third visit to the Camden Fringe and hopefully will be as well received as in 2014 and 2024! We have also performed drama based on current issues in Toronto, Winnipeg, Brighton and Helsinki. The play is by A.I. Tolvanen, author and journalist who has worked many years in Finland and Canada including Tomson-Reuters, Time and The Finnish News Bureau. Director Carita Drew has worked on stage and screen shows in Australia, England and Finland
Piercings, Tattoos, and Raw Dogging: A Travelogue
Camden Comedy Club
What happens when you treat a medical warning like a travel itinerary? Before departing for South East Asia, a nurse giving me the Hep-B vaccine gave me three simple rules to survive: No piercings, no tattoos, and no unprotected sex. Naturally, I did them all. This is a honest, unfiltered tale of "spiritual enlightenment," breaking out of the system, and learning to live with absolutely no regrets.
You Smell Like a Cat Under the Sun
Rosemary Branch Theatre
My name is Min. I work in a perfume shop. My life is full of repetition and numbness, and the world grows thinner and more tasteless every day, like a bowl of watered-down wartime soup. Sometimes I feel like I’ve drifted up to the ceiling, but I am still functioning. I still joke with my colleague Alex. Until one day, everyone’s face becomes the same. Something isn’t right! This strange face blindness gets me into awkward and hilarious situations, but it also makes me notice people in other ways, their accents, the way they speak, and the scent of their perfume on their skin. Smells begin to bring me back. You Smell Like a Cat Under the Sun is a sensory theatre experience exploring dissociation through light humour, live music, and scent. A story about losing the world, and slowly finding your way back.
And Kill Him in the Shell
Canal Cafe Theatre
And Kill Him in the Shell is a double bill night at the theatre Exploring Identity, deception, alienation, and the material value of time. The evening is composed of two shows: Mt Glorious, a one-man play in the style of Baby Reindeer or Andrew Scott's production of Vanya - and The Small Hours, a three-hander dark comedy set in the lounge-room of your average, dingy London flatshare. Throughout the night, the two plays engage in a dialogue that beckons the questions, why do we keep ourselves alone? Who wears the burden of action when tragedy strikes? And, why do we strive for our own destruction?
Jellied Eels
Lion & Unicorn Theatre
“I don’t care about the shop. Or winning. I just need you. I just need my brother” John Jelleby has spent his whole life behind the counter, stubbornly preserving the family business as the world outside changes beyond recognition. His younger brother Jerry, glass half full and full of hopeless ideas, is determined to keep the shop going, and one day visiting Japan. What begins as ordinary shop talk slowly unravels into something far more revealing. As times goes by and the shutters creep closer to closing forever, tradition, loyalty and resentment simmer just beneath the surface. Old wounds, buried secrets and unspoken disappointments bubble up. Humour clashes with heartbreak as they circle the truth about family, responsibility and the cost of staying put. The fate of the Jelleby legacy rests on one final chance of survival... keeping an egg balanced on a spoon. Set in a heightened world, that teeters between absurdity and emotional truth, Jellied Eels follows the Jelleby brothers as they wrestle with an ever changing world. Raw, funny and quietly devastating, a story about heritage, masculinity and the difficult question of whether some traditions are worth holding onto. Come visit The Jelleby’s for nothing you need and everything you don’t.
Control
SHAKEFEST @Old Red Lion
Four friends. One séance. One terrible mistake. As a storm rages outside, a night of wine, laughter and revenge fantasies takes a deadly turn. A dark supernatural thriller about friendship, guilt, and the true cost of getting what you wished for.
TIME IS NOW
Etcetera Theatre
An estranged father and son spend the night together. A casual remark exposes a family secret that turns into a reckoning about absence, blame and grief. An intimate, real-time two-hander exploring identity, parenthood and the weight of the past. As dawn approaches, nothing will be the same for either of them again.
UDHAM
Camden People's Theatre
UDHAM! Survivor – Charmer – Revolutionary This quirky one man show follows Udham Singh's astonishing journey from orphan boy through life as a Hollywood extra, a spy an underwear salesman to the act he is best known for – the assassination of Sir Michael O'Dwyer in Caxton Hall, London. Twenty One years earlier, on April 13th 1919, Sir Michael O'Dwyer, then Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab, ordered his troops to open fire on 20,000 innocent men, women and children confined in a walled garden. Udham Singh survived the horrors of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre but, he vowed revenge. With integrity, originality and humour, Udham! brings the legend of India's renowned revolutionary, Udham Singh to this one man adaptation.
Little Swimmers
The London Art Bar
Little Swimmers is a darkly funny hybrid of theatre, stand-up, and storytelling about one man’s hilariously messy quest to become a father. Battling his own body, a bewildered urologist, and an embarrassing admiration for Tom Cruise, he spirals through fertility clinics, panic, and moments of unnecessary humiliation. What starts as a simple plan to have a baby quickly turns into a chaotic obsession involving babies, spiralling self-doubt, and a growing suspicion that everyone around him became an adult years ago. As the pressure builds, so does his desperation to hold onto control, dignity, and the last scraps of his shrinking masculinity. Absurd, personal, and painfully honest, Little Swimmers is a show about failing bodies, fragile egos, and the strange stories we tell ourselves when life doesn’t go to plan. A funny, raw, and slightly unhinged look at modern manhood, growing up, and what happens when your swimmers refuse to cooperate. Laugh. Wince. Squirm.
Calls From Castlemar
Barons Court Theatre
An original heartwarming comedy-drama about adolescent girls in a children's home. Ray, a dancer who asserts control over PJ, a Portuguese immigrant longing to connect with her mother, both meet Casey, a quiet, troubled, yet musically talented new arrival to Castlemar Children's Home. In such small proximity, three very individual lives intertwine and change completely. Adapted by Sarah Ewen from Canadian play "Home for Boys" by Robin Taylor Wright, the piece is also directed by Sarah Ewen. It features Maria Amado, Isabella Higton, and Jazmine Byer in the cast, with Anna Weaver co-directing and original music by Charlie Edwards.
Scaleno
The Libra Theatre Cafe
A woman onstage. One body. Three voices that refuse to agree. SCALENO – One Body, Three Voices is a bilingual solo performance exploring identity, language, and the difficulty of staying present. Performed in Italian, raw Neapolitan dialect, and English, the piece unfolds as an internal confrontation between a neutral self, a biting alter ego shaped by origin and class, and an artificial intelligence speaking British English through an onstage smart speaker. Language is not explained or softened. It collides. Surtitles are used selectively, allowing meaning to emerge without erasing difference. Structured around breath, geometry, and everyday rituals, SCALENO moves through themes of migration, queer desire, shame, and the pressure to conform. There is no healing arc, no neat resolution. Just coexistence inside a body that does not adapt. An intimate, low-tech, high-intensity performance for audiences willing to listen.
Firebrand: A New Queer Musical
The Water Rats
A sapphic swordswoman. A drag queen duke. A queer Versailles. Julie arrives at court seeking justice and instead finds an unexpected romance and an unlikely community. 'Firebrand' is a new queer musical about an old queer struggle between living authentically and the safety of conforming. Inspired by true events, this heartfelt show is perfect for fans of 'Fun Home', 'La Cage Aux Folles', and 'Bridgerton'. 'Firebrand' is a developmental workshop written by Merilee Ettia and Robbie Hébert, presenting Act 1 in a semi-staged concert format. Water Rats is an 18+ venue and ID may be required upon entrance.
SNAILS OF THE UNEXPECTED
Hen & Chickens Theatre
Chaos Theory is a sketch and character group like you have never seen before! They are four actor/writers – Maria Beadell, Mikyla Jane Durkan, Yasser Kayani and Bruce Williams and director/writer Stephen Dinsdale. Between them they have played a puddle in an advert, worked with David Icke, stripped naked for BBC and Danish TV, worked with Dario Fo, been the face of British Gas at the Olympics and had material broadcast on BBC TV, Radio 4 and ITV as well as on film, the West End and an international tour. And ridden a unicycle. Chaos Theory has been going for about five years and has played the Edinburgh Fringe, the Vault Festival, two Brighton Fringes and five Camden Fringes very successfully. Sketches vary from light and frothy to dark and disturbing to running for your mum....but in a good way. And there's music. Always funny! And sketches are quick-fire, so if one doesn't grab you another one quickly will. Among others we have the return of Brief Encounter, a witch trial, a new version of the Antiques Roadshow, some lice, a very strange baby and a wasp cafe
How Do I Love Thee?
Circle and Star Theatre
‘How do I love thee, let me count the ways.’ Most people recognise the line. Few know the woman behind it. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most influential poets of the 19th century — the first woman to be nominated for Poet Laureate, an inspiration to generations of writers, and a woman who fought fiercely to be heard in a world determined to silence her. Up against a controlling father, a debilitating illness and a literary world dominated by men, she refused to be defined by anything other than her own words. How Do I Love Thee? traces her journey from London to Italy — the journey that changed the course of her life — and asks what becomes possible when a woman finds the freedom to write, to love, and to be herself. We hope to bridge the gap between her poetry and her story to continue to inspire generations.
The Art of Evil
The Courtyard Theatre
Twin Peaks meets occult horror in this visually striking supernatural thriller blending horror, movement and dark comedy. Set against the backdrop of a decadent art exhibition, "The Art of Evil" follows a detective tormented by visions as he uncovers a growing darkness surrounding the murder of a rising young artist. Inspired by noir cinema, occult horror and surreal theatre, the production explores ambition, manipulation and the fragile boundary between reality and nightmare. “Hell is empty and all the devils are here.” The Tempest
Meteor, Incoming!
Bridewell Theatre
At a small-town Comic Con, superfan Matt is mistaken for famous actor Dick Chase and is thrust on stage for a live Q+A where he inadvertently implicates his hero in a series of scandals. A hilarious farce ensues, as Matt and his friend Larna attempt to salvage Dick’s reputation. If the pair are to save the day, they must swerve savage TV execs, scoop-hungry reporters, and an overzealous policeman, all while navigating the asteroid field of teenage awkwardness.
The Little Woman in My Head Must Die
Upstairs at the Gatehouse
'The Little Woman In My Head Must Die' is a playful, absurdist comedy following an ambitious and pragmatic 30-something woman, Emmeline, who’s on a desperate mission to banish her unbelievably annoying, should-be-long-gone childhood imaginary friend. Unfortunately for Emmeline, she won’t go without a fight. Her imaginary friend offers her a deal - she will leave, but only if Emmeline agrees to revisit her past. For fans of the sisterly mischievousness in 'Fleabag' and the wacky theatricality of fringe shows like 'Weer' - this is the Millennial’s 'Christmas Carol', with glitter.
The Velvet Lads (working title)
Aces and Eights
From the moment they met at Saint Nobbington's boarding house for boys, Jack Toff and Harold Cholmondeley became fast friends and heated rivals. After being kicked off the school rugby team because they couldn't keep their hands off each other, they channelled their energy through the arts in the after-school drama society. This show explores their journey to superstardom and genius through DRAMA! SONG! and INTERPRETIVE DANCE! However, along the way, their passion for devising creates conflict between the boys, and they have to remember the real reason why they love theatre so much..
Steaks and Lesbians
Lion & Unicorn Theatre
The show follows Stevie and River, two best friends living in London. We follow them as they navigate lesbian heartbreak while trying to cook the perfect steak dinner. This new comedy is blended with tender moments of love, heartbreak and friendship. Steaks and Lesbians aims to show the beauty in queer love and friendships. The writer plays on the use of stereotypes, written by a lesbian about lesbians, aiming to give representation in an authentic way, representing the queer community in the way we see around us, not what people think it is.
Currer Ball: The Neighbours
Camden Comedy Club
Something funny's going on next door... A comedy hour about the couple next door. The perfect couple. Except... What were those noises coming through the wall this morning? And who was that knocking on their door in the middle of the night? And what were they really throwing out at the recycling bins? Currer smells a rat, and not just because his flat’s infested. Notting Hill meets Rear Window in a true story packed with jokes and twists. ‘Quite weird, very funny’ – Guardian
Jacob Lovick: The Famous Ashtray
SHAKEFEST @Old Red Lion
Miles Betterthanieu is one of the world's leading True Crime Podcasters (TM). You'll know him as creator and presenter of '15th In Line: An Investigation into why Prince Edward is actually the Queen’s Worst Child' (Natter Platter Nominee 2022*), 'Windsor vs Castle: Who Is The Best Barbara?' and 'Murder of the True Crime Podcaster'. But for his new series 'The Famous Ashtray', an investigation into the object at the dark heart of every musical controversy of the 20th and 21st Centuries, has Miles finally met his match? In a terrifying live show that ties together everything from witch cults to BuzzBalls, from getting punched in the face to '80s EuroPop, this is True Crime Podcasting (TM) you'll want to like and subscribe to. Buy tickets wherever you get your tickets. *the highly competitive 'Most Episodes in One Series Award'. 'The Famous Ashtray' is a psychedelic character-comedy explosion from the unruly mind of Jacob Lovick. "One of the most clever pieces of original writing seen so far this year" ★★★★★ - Theatre in Brighton, 2026 Directed by Martin Willis (Andrew Doherty: Gay Witch Sex Cult) Produced by Ellie Shaw (Vault Creative Arts)
Maybe Tomorrow
Etcetera Theatre
This powerful new play follows two Lebanese sisters, Yara and Mina, who advocate for change in Lebanon. When the 2019 revolution begins, their frustration is turned into action. However, as the year passes, the fire of the revolution wanes, and the country descends further into crisis. This draws a chasm between the sisters and ignites a heated discussion about identity, colonialism, and corruption. On August 4th, 2020, the port explosion rips through their living room, changing everything. The play is both a love letter and a ‘fuck you’ to Lebanon: a dichotomy that every Lebanese person has felt. We don’t know what to feel, but we know it is all valid. A percentage of ticket sales will go to Migrant Workers’ Action, an organisation that supports displaced migrant workers in Lebanon and fights to abolish the Kafala system.
Earworm
Camden People's Theatre
Guy, an alternative cabaret artist, is searching for the perfect song to cope with his dying relationship with John, a scholar of queer relationships. As separation looms large, Guy’s soundtrack-heavy brain starts compulsively looking for the perfect breakup song. Seeking the audience's validation, Guy’s inner monologue spills out as everything unravels during a dinner party from hell. Hosting friends for the evening, old frustrations, tensions, and unfulfilled desires all reach a boiling point. Think Abigail’s Party, but with a gay twist With sharp direct address and dry wit, this anti-rom-com explores the unquenched need for validation and the craving for thrill in modern love, particularly in queer relationships.
London Fields
The Courtyard Theatre
London Fields is a gripping two-hander that dives deep into the struggles of identity, belonging, and radicalization. Luka, a migrant, just wants to fit in. After a verbal assault, he becomes obsessed with mastering the language, the culture, everything. But as time goes on, Luka’s desire to fit in pushes him down a dangerous path of extremism. As his relationship with his partner, Paulina, crumbles and she plans to leave with their son, Luka’s world shatters. What happens next is a desperate, tragic decision, showing the high cost of trying to fit in at any cost. Blending sharp humour with raw emotion, London Fields is a haunting look at assimilation, extremism, and the dark edges of identity.
“London, Do We Have A Problem?”
Hen & Chickens Theatre
'London, do we have a problem?' is the inevitable question that all residents of the city find themselves asking, because at this rate, the bad luck feels personal. This sketch-comedy and improv show, based off genuine events, pokes fun at what it means to be a Londoner in 2026, demonstrating the realities of the student experience (because if we don’t laugh we'll cry). Follow four university students, who've relocated from opposite ends of the country, as they navigate living together in The Big Smoke. This brand new show is brought to you by Sent West, a theatre company consisting of four female Drama School Graduates, slowly but surely completing their mission of correcting the false narrative that ‘women aren’t funny’, following a run of sold-out shows across small venues in London. Join us on this adventure and you’ll either relate, find solace, or finally understand why our generation is riddled with so much anxiety! It’s just like ‘Sex and the City’, only less chic, and set during a post-Covid cost-of-living crisis, with a combined £200k of student debt. On second thought, maybe ‘The Hunger Games’ is a more accurate comparison...
Downward Spiral: The Benji’s Mind Show
The Libra Theatre Cafe
Downward Spiral: The Benji’s Mind Show is an absurd solo comedy that takes place inside the mind of a young man named Benji. In this late-night talk show set inside his own psyche, Benji's Mind interviews guests like Shame, Marijuana, Cheesy Bread, and a Random Authority Figure while trying to figure out how to live a life that’s worth living. Haunted and saved by his humour, Benji's Mind searches for a way. But what if the jokes run out before he does? Blending physical comedy, surreal characters, and sharp humour, Felix Jakob Mangold takes you on a “darkly funny and deliberately unsettling” (FringeReview) ride through depression, anxiety, identity, and overall existential chaos.
Tim Swanton: Bear The Load
Aces and Eights
So-called comedian Tim Swanton presents his breakout comedy special - a gut-busting appreciation of the struggles we all face in life, from love for Legoland to running over old ladies (with shopping trolleys). A show of stand-up comedy and theatre meshed together that looks at what it means not just to be a stand-up comedian, but a performer, and what happens when it's just not possible to bear the load any longer.
Dear Lihua
Canal Cafe Theatre
After dying in London, Qiuqiu awakens in an afterlife organised not by morality but by language. Assigned to English Heaven, she must earn her way home through a points-based system. Working in the Dead Letters Archive, she discovers decades of unanswered correspondence from a recurring sender: Li Hua. As she reads, her Mandarin begins to erode. When Qiuqiu finally accumulates enough points to return, she finds her mother tongue has slipped beyond reach—only to discover that the price of belonging is the slow erosion of the language that once defined her. Performed in Mandarin and English, Dear Lihua also invites audiences to read selected letters aloud. At its heart, the work unfolds a quiet truth: language is both our homeland and our Babel. What remains of us when the tongue that shaped us begins to slip away?