Edinburgh may still be weeks away, but Bush Theatre's summer season brings Fringe-style entertainment to your doorstep now.
The Shepherds Bush venue has announced 11 weeks of experimental theatre without the Edinburgh price tag.
From June to September, its 'ALT B' series puts the spotlight on emerging artists across artforms including poetry, improv and spoken word.
The season runs until early September and includes:
- Shakespeare reimagined: An all-women reading of A Midsummer Night's Dream kicks off the season on 21 June. The one-night show celebrates girlhood and raises money for Refugee Week.
- Improvisation: Elina Saleh's Talking People returns from 23-27 June after six sell-out shows at the Bush last year. The 'choose your own adventure' format creates unscripted storytelling that's different every night.
- Open mic: Poets, singers, rappers and monologues will share the stage for Come As You Are on 14 July and 29 August. Wildcard slots available for walk-up performers.
- Faith and art: Lost in Pavilion is set to champion Muslim storytelling on 15 July. An evening of 'nasheed' vocal songs and spoken word will celebrate community and cultural heritage.
- Dance theatre: Tap and Dance explores brotherhood and rivalry on 17 July, featuring a reading followed by singing and tap-dancing performance.
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Interactive theatre: Have you ever wanted to ask the writer of a play: "Why did you have the character do this?" Well, now you can. Samples runs 18-19 July, letting audiences sample performances and quiz writers about their work.
- Experimental improv: Caught In The Act returns for two nights in August, with actors riffing off of scripts they've never seen before.
- Poetry: Poetry & Me Live will have poets share their journeys in writing at the Script Library on 29 August. Open mic slots available at the end of the evening.
- Heritage performance: The season concludes with the Twisted Roots Festival in September. Seven British East and Southeast Asian artists will showcase their work in progress, blending heritage artforms with contemporary theatre.
Visit the Bush Theatre website to book tickets for all upcoming ALT B performances. Tickets from £5.
Elephant
Meanwhile, H&F-made artist Anoushka Lucas is taking her show, Elephant, to the Menier Chocolate Factory south of the river.
Born in Fulham, raised in Hammersmith, she debuted the self-penned monologue performance in Shepherds Bush.
Is it a gig? Is it a confessional life-story? Is it a piano lesson? Is it a tour through Empire? Its all of these things and more – very deliberately so.
Her half-Anglo-Indian, half-French-Cameroonian heritage doesn't fit neatly into any census-box, and her show talks about the attempts of others (among them music industry marketeers and boyfriends) to unsuccessfully pigeonhole her.
It was commissioned as part of The Bush Theatre's Protest series in 2022, which was itself a response to the global shock caused by the murder of George Floyd. It was so critically-acclaimed it garnered a second run in The Bush's Main House.
At the very heart of Elephant is Lucas' voice. Her confident, knowing spoken swagger and singing voice with fine, understated jazz tones make her truly unique H&F-born view on the world unmissable.
Elephant runs until 28 June. Get your tickets on The Menier Chocolate Factory website.
