Going Cabaret

As you may, or may not know at the moment, I am currently one of the judges for the London Cabaret Awards. Now in their 9th year, the awards have been set up by that doyenne of the cabaret scene Paul L Martin, in order to celebrate the vast array of cabaret on offer in the capital. It's a hefty task to undertake but fortunately I am not alone and my fellow judges and I welcome all applicants for consideration. If you are performing in London and one of us can make it, we'll do our utmost to get there.

As if Paul L Martin wasn't busy enough, he is also organising The Cabaret Convention - a massive 'get-together' of cabaret folk, which takes place in London every year. For those new to the business, it offers so many possibilities in terms of networking and gives you a chance to chat with people who are actually making a living as performers. Classes, panel discussions, cabaret films and choirs - I am currently in the process of persuading Sean to do a feather demonstration, which will be a must for any designer!

Put simply, if you want to take your cabaret career seriously, this is the perfect place to start!

To book tickets or to find out more about the convention then check out their website after the link.

All Over The Place And In Between

I popped over to the King's Head Theatre in Islington last night to catch the two productions that are currently running there. My hopes were fairly high, as the days of London lacking during the Edinburgh Festival had been all but dismissed thanks to several well placed productions and the Camden Fringe Festival, now in its 9th year.

Ruby In The Dust's production of Lady Windermere's Fan has been transformed to the 1930's because - according to the director Linnie Reedman -  the original period of the 1890's is not considered accessible any more. Personally I have to ask are the 1930's anymore accessible than the 1890's?

I don't think that they are and for me, the change makes the play seem remarkably thin. In her attempt to make Lady Windermere a 'modern' woman, she appears foolishly rash, oddly thick-skinned and I found Ellie Nunn's performance awkwardly anachronistic. And don't get me started on the hair! The men faired a little better although the dandy Cecil Graham seems slightly out of place in the 1930's but I particularly liked Graham Hoadly's Lord Augustus - who seems to transcend any era.

The second show of the evening proved a little more straight-forward. Between by Oskar Brown apparently had sell-out runs at Edinburgh, Brighton and Cape Town and bills itself as the 'Sexy South African, Sell-Out Sensation' - gotta love those marketing guys.

In actual fact Between is a sweet little story that touches on issues of male sexuality from puberty to adulthood. Author Brown also acts in the short play opposite Nicholas Campbell and while it is neatly delivered, with both lads switching tops as they slipped between characters, the narrative remains a little muddy and inconclusive in places.

Pretty to look at but not nearly as bright as it's rack of four and five stars might suggest, but certainly worth a look if you are in Islington late at night.

Names To Keep An Eye On

As the frenzy of the last few months dies down, I thought I highlight a few new writers who I believe have very bright futures ahead of them. Firstly, my time at the Lost in May for the One Act Festival introduced me to several thought provoking dramatists, including the two eventual winners Jennifer Sarah Dean and Victoria Gimby.

Gimby's By Virtue Fall pursued a deeply complex moral dilemma involving the Roman Catholic church and young couple expecting their first child. It's a fascinating study of the human moral compass and thoroughly deserved a winning place in the popular festival. Without registering it, I had already seen Jennifer Sarah Dean's work the previous year with In The Loop. This year, What If was a beautiful play, which told the story of Jamie, a young man who is unable to suppress his actions or thoughts. Beautifully directed by Elizabeth Kent and with thrilling performances, What If is both heartbreaking funny and deeply moving.

I first ran into Jim English at the 2013 Spotlight Showcase, where he had been nominated for the prize. Oddly, his writing appeared also in the 2014 Spotlight Showcase with Chloe Levis as the frustrated supply teacher in his Memoirs of an Actor. He invited me - very kindly - to visit his latest play The Words I Should've Said To Phoebe Lewis and aside from the restrictions of the Phoenix Artist Club the play was an absolute joy. Neatly crafted and faintly whimsical, Phoebe Lewis is an astonishingly accomplished calling card for English and shows much promise for the future.

Finally, I recently caught The Picture of John Gray by CJ Wilmann at the Old Red Lion, a story set at the end of the 19th Century depicting the lives of a selection of gay men in society. This thoroughly absorbing drama is particularly well crafted and I found it curiously similar in form and purpose  to My Night With Reg, which is currently being revived at the Donmar.

After its short run at the Phoenix Artists Club as part of the Camden Festival, Phoebe Lewis is returning for a one-off performance on the 18th of August and I urge you to try to get along. The Picture of John Gray continues its run at the Old Red Lion until August 30th.