Out of the 20 shows I saw, I had a hard time whittling it down. There is certainly 8 shows I really rated but I promised 5 , so here they are:
- Emilia by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm at Vaudeville Theatre in West End. Dir: Nicole Charles. It felt so different from plays I have seen before. I actually gave it a standing ovation and felt inspired and angry. Incredibly diverse cast of all women including those with disabilities.
- Night of the Living Dead LIVE! Pleasance. Dir: Benji Sperring. It was a fab night of immersive (luckily for only those on stage- yes, the best way for me) comedy horror with a great ensemble. Great set/design choices too.
- Noises Off by Michael Frayn at Lyric Hammersmith. Dir : Jeremy Herrin. With Merra Syral. It’s one of the funniest farces ever. I have seen it in 3 different productions and still v good. One day I will direct it.
- Mallory Towers by Enid Blyton adapted by Emma Rice at Cambridge Arts Theatre. Dir. Emma Rice. Different from the books, but it took the spirit of the books and improved them. The audience of young people were also happy.
- Little Miss Burden by Matilda Ibini at The Bunker. Dir: Debbie Hannan . This was the last show of my year and it was joyous, pointed and inclusive. Good to see a set that was wheelchair accessible too.
There’s a announcement today from our Merry Spinsters company but that comes later.
So Happy New Year & Decade!