"You calling me a skank?"

I have to admit that I actually had to look up what ‘sket’ means in the ever enlightening Urban Dictionary. It wasn’t pleasant and as the venue for this play was the sexual health clinic in Southwark, I had to really push myself to venture out on my only official night off this week. As is so often the case, I am so glad that I made the effort.

After several minutes circling the grim municipal building on Burrell Street trying to find the entrance, I suddenly realised that the shiny, glamorous arches conversion across the road was actually the venue. Gosh! Sexual health clinics have changed a lot in the last decade. 

It was great to be greeted by a smiling Prav MJ, the director of the piece and founder of Liminal Space Productions who explained a little more about this project and it was even more encouraging to see the place filling up for the rehearsed reading. Written by Maya Sondhi, Sket takes an uncompromising look at sex and sexual identity from the point-of-view of young, contemporary urban teenagers. With issues and experiences lifted from real life, Sket uncovers the dangers of cyber bullying and how the battle of the sexes has taken a leap backwards into the murky trenches of social networking.

Sondhi’s written style is concise and engaging, employing the recognisable vocal patterns of south London’s youth - think Catherine Tate meets Kidulthood. There is plenty of humour but the main thrust of the story centres on peer pressure and the lack of self-esteem rife among young teenagers in an age where privacy is simply not an option.

Running at about one hour, there is definitely room for exploring a little more of the back-history to these kids lives. The denouement may be shocking - no spoilers here - but there is room for plenty of foreshadowing at the beginning that will only improve the structure. The rehearsed reading featured an excellent cast of young, talented actors and this is certainly a project that Sondhi and Liminal Space Productions need to take further. If you don't believe me, catch the reading for yourself here - who knows, live streaming rehearsed readings may be the best way to get new projects off the ground in future.

Brompton Bound

The Drayton Arms Theatre is currently operating under the auspices of Gene David Kirk, late of the Jermyn Street Theatre. I cycled over there on Monday night to catch All Alone, an experimental piece of nightmare proportions that examines themes of internet trolling. Written by Kirk, the work is achingly graphic and features three actors who really went for it in a way they probably won't get to do too often. Experimental drama at it's most dramatic!

Yes it was hard work and no, it didn't really appeal to me in narrative terms although I do value the point it makes so very, very clearly. Aside from checking out the new space - quite near the Finborough so it will undoubtedly have an automatic following - I also bumped in to Alexis Gregory, who I hadn't seen in years but who I had just started following on Twitter only a couple of weeks before.

As it happened Alexis, who I last saw on stage in Stonewall, Rikki Beadle-Blair's remarkable adaptation of his own screenplay, is about to have test his new drama there entitled Bright Skin Light. Sadly I can't make it this week but I'll keep an eye on it's progress and hopefully catch the play at a later date.

Way Out West End

It's been another packed week of theatre and theatre-folk, while I've been trying frantically to keep up with my training regime. It's mad really, when I consider that a couple of years ago somebody asked me how often I train - how I laughed! I had always imagined that one 'trained' for something - I just swam lengths of the pool to allow myself more cake. However, I am training now, or rather it's a more formalised way of working out with instruction and advice. Here's hoping....anyway, I digress so back to theatre talk. 

Of course the biggest news this week has been the announcement that The Full Monty will be closing much earlier than was scheduled - much earlier. On the back of Stephen Ward and From Here To Eternity also closing early this was very much news as critics had recieved it warmly but felt it was going to be a popular hit no matter what they wrote/tweeted/blogged.

Some of the team have started publicly apportioning blame - mainly at the producers - but ultimately we have to assume that the tickets simply weren't selling. A Facebook campaign to stop it from closing is all well and good but tbh, it's pointless without the sales to back it up. Personally I find it interesting that nobody appears to be blaming a recession for a lack of tickets sales on this project and others. 

In other news, I caught Invincible at the Orange Tree and Away From Home at the Jermyn Street last week. Invincible is a 'must-see' and in all honesty, I could easily imagine it coming into town. Away From Home I found slightly derivative - I saw two one-man plays on the subject of football and theatre last year at the Lost. It did however hammer home the point that even the Church and the Armed Forces are making headway where sexual equality is concerned so why are the FA doing sweet FA about the problem. 

Award Night Fever

It's been a few weeks since my last post with all sorts going on in and around London's theatre community. The What'sOnStage Awards may have offered few surprises in terms of winners and it was great to see the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and David Walliams turn up to collect their awards. However Danielle Tarento, accepting the award for Best Fringe Production (Titanic) reiterated the dire need for musical directors recognition at these events. A fact musical director Tom Deering then appeared to hammer home by promptly falling into the orchestra pit. It stopped the show but Trouper Deering clambered back on stage to see the rest of the evening out before heading off to A&E.

Before Mr Deering had even time to rest his aching baton, the great and the good turned up at the (thoughtfully child-proofed) Unicorn Theatre for the Off-West End Awards. Boasting less of a star turn-out this year the awards celebrate all that is great and good in London's independent and Fringe venues. Having sat on the judging panel for the Offies, it is intriguing to see how they have progressed and to note patterns that have emerged as the theatrical landscape changes. Congratulations to all the winners, not least Danielle Tarento and Thom Southerland for the Titanic again and also Michael Strassen for his Best Director nod for the work he did on Billy!

Sadly all of this award-winning glamour was eclipsed within 24 hours by one woman - Adele Dazeem - oh well, bring on the Oliviers!