I’m The One Your Mother Warned You About
Etcetera Theatre
A northern poet in a jazzy shirt addresses the room like it owes him money. He reads poems about childhood, fatherhood and a future in which the nation finally admits it has made a terrible mistake. There are memories, grievances, domestic scenes and an ongoing, mostly imaginary rivalry with Simon Armitage for the role of Poet Laureate. Until that is resolved, he teaches poetry and waits. Bleak, deadpan and strangely tender, the show skirts between kitchen-sink confession and prophecy. Spoken word for people who enjoy laughter, discomfort and the sound of ambition quietly grinding its teeth.
Oswald
The Libra Theatre Cafe
Resolutions, regrets and ridiculous anecdotes. Will 2026 be “the” year or will Oswald win?
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.
The Scale of Power
Rosemary Branch Theatre
The Scale of Power is a bold new original musical set in a dystopian city where vocal pitch determines social status — and those who can sing highest hold the most power. The story follows Aiden, a baritone from the slums, and Lyra, a mezzo-soprano secretly passing as an elite soprano, as they attempt to climb the ruthless “High-Note Ladder.” In a world shaped by surveillance, artificial vocal enhancement, and the constant threat of the Auditor, both are forced to navigate a system that rewards perfection and punishes authenticity. Blending an electrifying original score with a distinctive physical and vocal language, The Scale of Power explores how voices — and identities — can be manipulated, performed, and controlled. As pitch-enhancing drugs promise transcendence and conformity ensures survival, the pressure to “fit the system” becomes impossible to ignore. But as Aiden and Lyra begin to question the rules imposed on them, they choose a different path — one that values resonance over range, and truth over perfection. Their resistance begins to fracture the system itself. The Scale of Power is a provocative and emotionally charged new musical about identity, power, and the cost of being heard in a world that only listens to the highest voices.
Static Lives
Hen & Chickens Theatre
Adam, a social media moderator, witnesses a man kill himself on a livestream. Haunted by his numb reaction, he spirals into a reckoning with his own desensitisation. On a night out with his oldest friend, Ben, they confront brutal questions: what if we’re not the good people we desperately hoped we were? At what point does that begin to affect our relationships with each other? This fearless new writing grapples with a defining modern insecurity: in a world where tragedy is constant and compassion fades, how do we hold on to our humanity?
Kabbarli: An Irishwoman In The Desert
Etcetera Theatre
How far would you go to survive? What would you be willing to sacrifice to do what's right? Arriving in Australia in 1883, an Irish outcast lies and cheats her way to freedom. When she witnesses the devastation being wrought upon First Nations People, everything changes; she gives up her life for theirs. Then she betrays them to feed them. A true story about a morally complex woman, trapped with limited means. who found home in the last place she expected. Does history have to repeat itself, or can it be our greatest reminder to do better? A one-woman-show by Georgia Nicholas.
Windchimes
Canal Cafe Theatre
Swinging in from the South West, writer-actor CJ Smith brings Windchimes to the Canal Cafe Theatre: an intimate, solo dramedy. What does life want from you? What’s your purpose? What now? As Son grapples with vulnerability following his suicide attempt, he is left with unanswered questions. Isolated from his family and surrounded by his friends’ toxic banter, he returns to his family home in an attempt to find his place in the world. But when he forms an emotional bond with his mother’s wind chimes, Son is forced to navigate his past and confront the fear that it has irrevocably altered him. Can he reach the other side of grief? Is he ready to heal? What do these windchimes want from him? Delivered through fast-paced multirolling and sharp comedic timing, this story of reconnection is a reminder that no one must face their struggles alone. Windchimes challenges the perception of masculinity and encourages young men to open up and talk about their troubles. Praised as an ‘unforgettable theatrical experience’ (Plymouth Theatre Review) and hailed by audiences as ‘heartbreakingly funny’ and ‘thought-provoking’ (The Barbican Theatre), this show will have you crying from laughter and then crying some more.
Fishwives
Camden Comedy Club
Step right up for FISHWIVES—a riotous comedy cabaret that’s smutty, feminist, historical, and dare we say, hysterical. Written in verse with the gleeful irreverence of Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes, Fishwives catapults forgotten heroines of history onto centre stage—louder, looser, and far less ladylike than you remember. Following a sold-out short run last year, this anarchic hour fuses poetry and storytelling with vaudevillian chaos. Expect stripping suffragettes, pervy monarchs, and the odd persecuted pudenda. In an age when women’s rights still hang precariously in the balance, this show wields laughter as both weapon and salve. So gird your loins, ladies and gents. These lusty bawds have stories to tell—and it’s about bloody time we listened.
Dying To Meet You
The Courtyard Theatre
Dying To Meet You is a fast-paced, action-packed, queer dramedy asking how far we’re willing to go for love, and challenging us to flip the script. Leta and Tess keep dying over and over again, and they’re sick of it - they just want a normal life together. Someone’s behind it and they’re going to find out who. But to do so, they must retrace their steps through each past life, including through the audience at times! And one of them knows you’re there. Yes, you, reading this. Hi. Hello?? We could really use your help with this! Dying To Meet You explodes the fourth wall, pulling you into the heart of the action. Multi-roling actors brilliantly shapeshift around Leta and Tess, sometimes stealing each others’ roles if they feel like it, as we hurtle from crime scene to morgue to restaurant to airport and more. Melding the writer’s favourite styles, from film noir, action comedy, slapstick, meta theatre, thrillers and improv, you’ll need to keep up! Though stay vigilant - you don’t want to stray too far into the story in case you can’t find your way out either...
One Time for the Birthday Girl!
Hen & Chickens Theatre
Time flies when you have no idea what you're doing! Turning 30 causes enough stress without everyone asking their 21 questions. But with just enough thought and reflection, she's just about ready to answer them. Well...she's gonna try her very best! You're cordially invited to a one woman show that tells the celebratory story of a newly turned 30-year-old, revisiting her journey into adulthood and the challenges she has faced along the way. Join our Birthday Girl in taking a trip down memory lane exploring Black British girlhood in the 00s-10s (think Tumblr, skinny jeans and an emo phase that just won't quit), and the lessons learnt to find self-acceptance. This show is a conversation starter that opens the door to a discussion of an often pressured subculture of women who may not be able to find the words to say in regard to life: “It has taken me a while, but I have decided that I no longer care.”
King Lear
Clarence Hall
A body weakens. A mind fractures. A kingdom grows dark. “These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us.” Lear is old. His power is fading. He divides his kingdom, and his daughters too. Which of the raging storms will get to him first? The one in his country? The one in his family? Or the one in his mind? Using a small ensemble and striking puppetry, this urgent retelling from Most Rare Vision reveals the human tragedy at the heart of Shakespeare’s masterpiece: the pain of decline, the terror of dependence, and the longing to be held even as everything is lost. Praise for Most Rare Vision's Macbeth (2025): "This exciting new company has pulled off a breathtaking rendition of Shakespeare’s play about ruthless ambition and made it look easy." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Fairy Powered Productions "This is theatre reduced to its purest form." "It doesn’t just retell Shakespeare’s tale; it reclaims it for today." - The Spy In The Stalls "A spectacle of talent." - Dorset View
HEEL: A New Darkly Comedic Play
The Libra Theatre Cafe
A 60-minute darkly comedic new writing drama A sadistic female CEO abducts a failed actor, turned drama therapist, and collars him to the wall of her apartment. Interspliced with violent dream sequences and a rotating cast of desperate corporate workers, taboo gender-based desires are confronted, and prior evils are unearthed by a pair that threatens to either complete each other or tear one another apart.
Beloved Be The Ones Who Sit Down
Upstairs at the Gatehouse
30 women. 30 chairs. And a fish. ‘Beloved Be The Ones Who Sit Down’ flings the spotlight onto 30 women who have one thing in common: they sit down. A woman who was afraid of the dust. A woman who could not smile. A woman who sold a sponge. And 27 more... This play is about remembering we are human, which, in this world, is revolutionary.
If By Starlight
Museum of Comedy
Janelle and Jacob attempt to take the “hopeless” out of “hopeless romantic” by empowering themselves with self-imposed rules of engagement. But when both of their much-anticipated dates go wrong, they find their rules slipping away in their meticulously measured cocktails. Can their worlds survive the destruction of their romantic structures? Or, can the daylight of the "walk of shame" shed a new light on the matter. A captivating tale of love, resilience, and self-discovery awaits. Join us to find out if they can redefine the rules of love.
For Your Twenties
Etcetera Theatre
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.
Up The a(Rs)e
Lion & Unicorn Theatre
“This is it, I prepare myself as if nothing whatsoever in my life has led up this moment” George lives in the throes of two different lives and it’s just about splitting him in two; this is the night they collided like an atom bomb. ‘Up the a(Rs)e’ is a new writing one man show that tackles football culture, sexuality, identity, masculinity, family and good music. We follow a man leaving the football stands for one night to take you on a journey of discovery through London’s gay club scene. Although, the discoveries that he makes might not be quite what he hoped for. We also get an insight to the events on his life that had led him to this moment.
Sorry I Can’t Come Into Work. My Cat Died.
Museum of Comedy
Preview performances as the show enters its final stage of development. A new absurdist dark comedy about grief, lies, and one suspiciously alive cat. Ivy is certain her cat has died - but when it returns, very much alive, she finds herself trapped in the fallout of her own mistake. Over the course of one week, she scrambles to hold onto her job, her flat, and her sanity, all while asking something she probably should've asked sooner: 'Whose ashes are these?' Beneath the chaos, it‘s a show about loneliness, corporate wellness theatre, and the difficulty of cleaning up a mess you never meant to make.
Harmonise Or Die
Rosemary Branch Theatre
A dark, side-eyed, comedy, sci-fi set in a post-scarcity utopia where citizens must maintain strict emotional regulation in order to retain their citizenship. Trapped in a high-tech correctional facility, Gabriel (J. Stern) and Lyra (M. Michael), face the consequences of their “deviant outbursts”.Now, in order to return home, they must co-operate on challenges designed to break them and prove their relationship is “harmonious”, or face banishment into the hostile wastelands forever. Dir.: L. Dubarry.
Say “It”
The Libra Theatre Cafe
Cliché, the world is ending. Again. Zombies are roaming round the streets, but for Izzy and Ruth, nothing is more devastating than being stuck in the house together, avoiding conversations they should’ve had years ago. Between weaponised tea-making, heated debates about popcorn flavours and the occasional emergency broadcasts, the sisters attempt to survive the lockdown together. Yea... It doesn’t go well. Secrets surfaces, accusations fly, and someone might cry, or run away. Again. Fast, funny and quietly devastating, this dark two-hander blends the absurdity of apocalyptic chaos with painfully recognisable family dynamics. At its core, this is a story about grief disguised as bickering, love disguised as annoyance, and care disguised as stubbornness. Because who really is more dangerous? The undead horde at your doorstep, or the person who knows exactly how to hurt you?
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.
The Rat Pack Stand-up Comedy
Camden Comedy Club
The best comedians and TV stars from the UK and international circuit. 14th sell-out year in London. The legendary Rat Pack show presents the very best at one of London's top comedy venues, the Camden Comedy Club. A new line up every show. Multiple Time Out Critics Choice 'Classy stand-up show. Laid-back, joyful fun and a wonderfully friendly vibe' Time Out Total sell-out Camden Fringe 2025 – book early!
No But…Where Are You Really From?
Hen & Chickens Theatre
No, but...Where are you really from? follows the lives of two women struggling to find where they belong. Saraya, a young actress disillusioned by the industry due to a set of rejections and Linda, a lawyer struggling to prove that she has the right to stay in the UK. The play originally born out of 7 poems; explores themes of race, womanhood and finding a home when you’ve never had one and learning to find it wherever you are. Sort copy: No, but...Where are you really from? Follows the lives of two women struggling to find where they belong. Born out of 7 poems; it explores themes of race, womanhood and finding a home when you’ve never had one. First premiered at Theatre Peckham, Peckham Fringe Festival 2024. Supported by Hoxton Hall-Hoxton labs residency. Supported by Theatre Deli & New Diorama Theatre through The Allotment. Produced by Thea Merton and Monique Eleanor.
Dead Effing Rebels
Barons Court Theatre
The brand new Theatre of Cowards debuts Sylvia Gardner’s fantastical satire of the corporate world: a phantasmagoric, absurd extravaganza of bastardised masculinity. Following Mister, Andrew, David, Frank, and Mark, ‘Dead Effing Rebels’ delves into every aspect of power and control, swaying between the backstage of a drag show and a sterile conference room, revolution and sadomasochism. As financial tensions come to a head, the company begins to sweat; professional, clown-white masks give way to contemporary insecurity. In line with the Cowards’ moniker, ‘the new art of the weird’, this show is born of transsexuality and amusement, a series of observations from a once-man exploring the many structures of masculinity; directed by Sylvia Gardner and assisted by Mika Trench, tech designed and operated by Bryony Curley, featuring Kian Standbridge, Ivy Harper, Rufus Brierley, Icarus Gilbert, and Ben Oliver.
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
Take Your Time
Bridewell Theatre
As past and present begin to blur, Francesca must confront the moments and people that shaped her—and the painful truth that the present may be the most valuable thing we have. Take Your Time is a science fiction play that uses time travel as a lens to explore grief, human connection, and the fragile nature of time. It invites us to ask what would happen if we had the chance to change things—and whether we should.
The Whore Queen
The Courtyard Theatre
You wanna get to know the ‘Real Anne Boleyn’ right? Now’s your chance! But she may not be what you are expecting... Anne is dragged through her memories by what history has deemed interesting. She’s fighting for her whole story to be heard before time reduces her down to a single word in a limerick - ‘beheaded’. She’s been forced to relive these same events for nearly 500 years - and she is pissed! The eclectic one person play written and performed by Ellie Grace, explores the boundaries of objectivity and historiography through the life of one of history’s most iconic Queens.
Maz Pantz
Canal Cafe Theatre
Are you ready to laugh your Pantz off? This comedy sketch show combines physical comedy and cleverly written script with some bizarre twists to make you do just that. Created and performed by actor and comedian Mary Redmond, this is a character-led comedy sketch show that uses cinematic voice over and mime to immerse you in each of their worlds. With certain characters reappearing throughout, you will unfortunately have the privilege of getting to know them, perhaps a little too much, as you start to unravel and understand their slightly dark and tragic lives. With years of tried and tested material, plus fresh new treats, this is the alternative comedy show you didn’t know you desperately needed. Your pantz will not survive it.
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
Twelfth Night by The Shakespeare Circus
SHAKEFEST @Old Red Lion
Orsino luxuriates in his own heartbreak. Olivia abandons hers at impressive speed. Viola tries to keep the whole thing from unravelling. Meanwhile, a late-night drinking club launches an ill-advised prank involving forged letters and a pair of unforgettable yellow stockings. With six performers playing the entire world of Illyria, this production leans into the play’s wit, heart, and beautifully escalating absurdity—where love is sincere, pride is fragile, and no one is quite who they seem.
“London, Do We Have A Problem?”
Lion & Unicorn 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
Rosemary Branch Theatre
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.
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.
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.
Tales From the Wasteland: Post-Apocalyptic Improv
Hen & Chickens Theatre
Tales From The Wasteland is an improvised post-apocalyptic adventure comedy. This twisted and talented cast of wastelanders will take a single suggestion from you and craft an entire narrative show with no pre-prepared characters, story or dialogue. If the world was ending, what would be the one thing you’d want to survive? Join us as we explore a new world and find out what’s left over after Earth’s devastation. Expect raiders, mutants and violence over scarce resources in this absurd dark comedy inspired by classics of the genre such as Mad Max, The Last of Us and Fallout. Warning: this show tends to have dark themes, violence and cannibalism. Seriously, cannibalism comes up way too often. “I’m still reeling at how such an intricate tale was woven on the spot, it’s truly a gift this cast has been blessed with.” – Obscure Reviews “They have the audience in stitches, thanks to sharp timing and an ability to spin chaos into comedy.” – Bristol 24/7 “Their world-building is bewitching; conjuring a violent, gory Mad Max vibe alongside whimsical and, somehow, endearing characters.” – The Everyday Magazine
Cold Maple Cloth: The Farewell Tour of a Delusional Diva
The Libra Theatre Cafe
Who says you have to be a success to go out with a bang? Sydney is a 27 year old failing actress, and she is ready to quit for good! (Not without a little attention of course.) But could a surprise visitor from her past help her to see things differently? Fresh off it’s run at Toronto Fringe, this musical comedy has been lauded as “Everything Fringe theatre should be- funny, poignant, sincere.”
Who to Call When the World Starts to Implode (And You’re Crying at Tesco at 11am)
Barons Court Theatre
“First I want you to understand that this is not a love story.” From the moment Isabel (an international student who is a bundle of nerves) laid her eyes on Sophie (the most carefree, carpe-diem person you’ll ever meet) everything changed. Anyone who sees these unlikely people together would think they were best friends. But when feelings start to emerge, and boundaries get blurry, even music can’t save this sinking ship. “Who to call when the world starts to implode (and You’re Crying at Tesco at 11am) is a messy play full of music, ADHD fuelled word vomit, and a kiss that changed everything. Disclaimer: no keyboards were harmed in the making of this production.