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Two Ladies: La Bella Bimba at Barons Court Theatre / Canal Cafe Theatre

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T hey sing. They dance. They clown around. They even wash clothes! Such is the story of La Bella Bimba, part of the Voila Theatre Festival, which highlights new and emerging artists. A tale of two Italian ladies who land in 1920s New York, trying to break into Broadway without speaking a word of English. It’s harmless, primarily even if a little nonsensical, and is currently playing as part of the Voila! Theatre Festival .  I caught the performance at the Barons Court Theatre , where the intimate setting created an evocative atmosphere reminiscent of dark New York alleyways. The space was almost claustrophobic with a distinct smell of rising damp, making you feel immersed in the story of two Ladies hanging around the theatre doors of Broadway. On the plus side, the theatre has some of the most comfortable seats you will find in any pub theatre in London. As the naive and hopeful singers, Co-creator Lucrezia Galeone as Carlotta and Sarah Silvestri as Cecilia are fine singers with co...

Romford burning: A Local Boy @ThePleasance


It had only a short run but A Local Boy which concluded yesterday at the Pleasance Islington is a great new piece of writing by Dan Murphy. The dialogue is funny and incisive about the cruel trials and traumas of today's youth, where anything is fair game and everything is online.

It is a world where there is no privacy and sometimes this has unforeseen consequences. This time there has been an incident at the local war memorial in Romford where young people hang out and drink.


A boy has been killed. Burned beyond recognition. A mother worries for her son who is out. A girl is waiting at a bus stop for someone who does not show. And two teenagers find love online. Through a series of flashbacks and cuts, their shocking and sad stories emerge.

Murphy has a real feel for natural dialogue and the cast be bring this tale to life with humour and tenderness. With simple staging the actors and the dialogue do the work to evoke the humour and harshness of life in outer London for young people.

Tim Bowie as the young lad looking for love online and likes a bit of a laugh. Abigail Rose as the pragmatic young girl looking to lose her virginity. Ross McCormack as the seemingly laid back lad who likes to drink in the park where men have sex with men.


A Local Boy is the result of eleven months of reserach and development with writer in residence Dan Murphy. It has been part of theatre company Invertigo's Creative Shed programme, a collaborative approach to developing new work. Keep an eye out for their future productions...

⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎


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