VAULT Festival 2020
VAULT Festival is back for its 8th year.
Taking over venues throughout Waterloo, VAULT Festival 2020 will showcase over 500 shows with the best in new writing for theatre and comedy, immersive experiences, cabaret, live performance and late-night parties, all at affordable prices.
Head underground through Sunday 22nd March for eight weeks of diverse voices, innovation and fun. Here are Pop Culture Beast’s picks:
Top Pick: Rhubarb Ghetto
the spelling might be off but the sentiment is real in Rhubarb Ghetto
The Vaults under Waterloo station are the perfect setting for Mark Heywood’s short-form urban drama.
There’s gentrification everywhere and vast differences exist both in the capital’s neighbourhoods and in the paths taken by the people living there. Stripped bare and superbly acted by a pensive Damian Lynch and a tightly-wound Izabella Urbanowicz, Rhubarb Ghetto captures the city’s stark contrasts in a raw, explosive two person story about love, choices and life on either side of a London underpass. Compelling. Through Feb 16
Top Pick: Jekyll and Hyde
This is not a staged version of the Stevenson classic but something much more fun. Fire Hazard Games Ltd are back with an interactive mobile game that plunges you into a world where your memory can’t be trusted, and neither can the players around you. You’ll have 90 minutes to search for hidden clues around the local streets: uncover the truth nd the secret of the game.
If you like an escape room, this is twice the fun. Bring some friends and have a blast. Through March 22
Also worth your time:
The 4th Country : through 16 Feb
Present day Northern Ireland. As old wounds heal, and new ones open, we see the extraordinary changes facing Northern Ireland through the lives of some ordinary people.
Coming Out of My Cage (And I’m Doing Just Fine) : through 16 Feb
Tim, Hannah and the audience conduct an investigation into the chart-busting
these two realllly love the song “Mr. Brightside” and you will, too
phenomena that is The Killers hit “Mr. Brightside”, with on-stage explorations into how this song became an anthem for millions, musical interludes and just enough audience participation to make you feel good.
[The Cobbled Streets of Geneva] : through 16 Feb
Adham is outside a Mosque, waiting in the rain. Tea, an umbrella, and friendship arrive. What blossoms is a sweet queer love story about being closer to who you really are.
Josh Glanc: Work in Progress (or one hot loose sexy ride) : 15 Feb – 7 Mar
Award winning Aussie oddball (his words not mine, I haven’t met him yet) Josh Glanc unveils his latest absurd and wild character creations. Expect a whirlwind of characters, sound effects and costumes as he creates the show in front of you. he promises it will be a fun-filled hot loose mess of a ride.
Pussy Liquor’s Self-Love Sanctuary : Saturday 15 Feb at 10.30pm
This Valentine’s weekend, treat yo’self at Pussy Liquor’s Self-Love Sanctuary! A riotous, grrl-power queer disco for eveyone, designed to make you feel good as hell! Expect powerful, positive vibes, so head out for a good time whether you have a date or not.
Beige : 25 Feb – 1 Mar
Alex is funny, at least so their mum says at least. In this half-play, half stand-up gig, Anna Wheatley plays Alex, stuck living with their mother and navigating a world obsessed with boxes and labels.
My Mother Runs in Zig Zags : 25 Feb – 1 Mar
Presented by an all queer-person-of-colour company, this show turns real conversations between a refugee mother and daughter into a live-scored tragicomedy about humour, story-telling, intergenerational trauma and the Lebanese war. (That old cliche, right?)
Gabby Best – 10,432 Sheep : 27 – 28 Feb
Share the comedic pain of being up all night
Insomnia comedy, we can very much relate. Best hasn’t slept properly in years, she feels like a ghost and looks like a shoe (again, those are her words). A whip-smart, animated hour for anyone who’s ever stared wild-eyed at a ceiling. Plus, she has a perfect name for a chatty comic.
The Bitten Peach: Friday 28 Feb at 10.30pm
Experience the pleasures of The Bitten Peach All-Asian queer cabaret featuring stellar line-up of the UK’s legendary queens, kings and creatures of the East. How can this show not be a blast?
V&V : 3 Mar – 8 Mar
V&V charts two narratives: the iconic love story of literary legend Virginia Woolf and esteemed socialite Vita Sackville-West; and a far newer story of Lottie from Tunbridge Wells and love cynic Mia. Two couples communicating by the letters of their day.
Bin Juice : 10 Mar – 15 Mar
A new mysterious job at a hazardous waste removal company means Belinda’s going to have to get her hands a little dirty. The position isn’t quite what it seems and chaos and intrique ensue. This one has us very interested…
See, something for everyone! Support small, innovative theatre and have a fantastic night out and under, London.
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A former ABC National, Dallas and Atlanta radio personality, Martina O'Boyle is now making movies and covering culture in London, Dublin, and as far in Europe as the cheapie flights will take her, for Pop Culture Beast.