Dissociation, TheSpace at Surgeons’ Hall.
Reuben Wade’s Dissociation is a powerful and intriguing play that separates the two aspects of an individual with dissociative identity disorder. Rod is perplexed by the presence of his other half, Todd, until Todd starts showing him the way to lead a more fulfilling and successful life. Deliberately ambiguous, it messes not only with the concept of time, but also with your head, as you try to fathom exactly what is going on here. It’s the kind of play that leaves you thinking for hours afterwards. Superbly acted by Christopher Patrick Mullen, Keith Conallen, Heather Michele Lawler and Kimberly Fairbanks. Well worth catching if a production comes your way!
Fifty Minutes to Save the NHS, TheSpace at Surgeons’ Hall.
50 Minutes to Save the NHS? It can be done, if you allow Dr Phil Hammond and Dr Clare Gerada to take control of policies. In an extremely funny rattle through all the problems that beset our beloved health service, they highlight the ridiculous underspends and mis-spends, the obvious ways in which prevention is better than cure, and how the Clangers can provide the key to a happy and healthy life. Packed with fascinating insights and – despite the seriousness of the subject – frequently hysterically funny, this is a must-see for everyone.
Rebels and Patriots, Pleasance Courtyard.
Floating Shed Theatre – a British/Palestinian/Israeli acting company – have created a bleak and hard-hitting play based on the lives of those teenagers who are conscripted into the Israeli Defence Force. Each of the four characters in the play face the horrors of war in different ways, and it shows the potentially disastrous effect on both their physical and mental health. Nadav Burstein, the writer, was conscripted into the IDF, and the events of the play stem from his own experiences and those of his colleagues. There’s so much to say about the IDF, and this play goes part of the way to tell those stories. Very emotional and effective, well acted and with some very harrowing moments.
Martin Rowson: Shred the Front Page, The Stand Comedy Club 5 & 6.
Armed with just his shredder and a projection screen, cartoonist Martin Rowson takes us on a journey through all the newspapers and magazines with whom he has worked; more than you can shake a stick at, in fact, and most of whom he left by being given the sack. Fortunately, there’s always a new publication to try his hand at. Entertainingly illustrated with both his own work and some of history’s cartoon trailblazers, Martin’s reminiscences are funny, astonishing and sometimes just simply bizarre. A tremendous raconteur, and not afraid to tell it like it is!
Run, TheSpace at Surgeons’ Hall.
What starts as a charming and touching story of first love and sexual awakening turns sour as a young man is chased after using Grindr, beaten up and ends up in A&E. Taylor Moore gives an excellent, word-perfect performance in a tale that’s both touching and terrifying. The text was occasionally a little difficult to follow, and I felt only sporadically comes to life, sometimes being a little – dare I say it – dull. But Mr Moore makes the very best of the text he is given!
Randy Feltface, Assembly Rooms.
There aren’t many puppets – spoiler alert: he is a puppet – that can command the massive stage of the Assembly Rooms Music Hall venue, but Randy Feltface is one such specimen. What you might get if you cross Australian cultural attache Sir Les Patterson with Zippy from Rainbow, Mr Feltface is a hilarious and endearing creation, who has mastered the combined arts of puppet crowd work and satire. He wrung every conceivable comic possibility out of the idea of “First Banana”, and the huge audience hung on his every word.