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One hundred people’s ninth favourite thing: [title of show] @swkplay

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[title of show] takes you back to a time before the fast paced social media where word of mouth for a positive show came from chat boards, video diaries or (god forbid) blogs. A simple staging makes it an ideal (and economical piece to stage), but it’s sweet and earnest take on just putting on a show, and putting it out there and taking a chance gives this show its heart. With a strong and energetic cast and endless musical theatre references, it’s hard to resist and it’s currently playing at the Southwark Playhouse .  It opens with Hunter (Jacob Fowler) and Jeff (Thomas Oxley) as struggling young writers in New York City. An upcoming New York Musical Theatre festival, inspires them to write an original musical within three weeks to make the deadline. As they discuss ideas, writers block, distractions and endless other good and bad musicals, an idea for a show emerges. Which is about writing a show for a musical theatre festival.  Their friends Heidi (Abbie Budden) and Susan (Mary Moor

It's a wonderful life: The Me Plays @ORLTheatre

Growing up in Wembley seems like fun in Andrew Maddock's The Me Plays, currently showing at The Old Red Lion Theatre. 

Two forty-five minute monologues delivered by Maddock present a semi-autobiographical look at his life growing up there.

Male body image, internet pornography, Catholic schools, surgical procedures are all covered in this brutally honest account. The cleverness in the work is its frankness and his matter of fact delivery, which makes for a fascinating evening that will linger with you after leaving the show.

The first piece, Junkie, looks at how the internet and the bombardment with constant information and potential suitors has transformed the dating game. It helps if you are familiar with the mobile application Tinder (nowadays dates are not arranged on a computer that would be so old fashioned) and how connections are based on mutual likes. But the piece shows how fleeting and superficial the modern dating world can be, the efforts taken to hook up that can be abandoned on a whim. 

His second and darker piece, Hi Life, I Win, sees Maddock waiting on the results of biopsy and looking back on his teenage years, and how events can change your life. It is a unique perspective on universal themes of loneliness, isolation and fears in a smart looking production that deserves to be seen.

Maddock’s training and previous work has been with the Playing Up programme - which gives young people who are not in education, employment or training a chance to take part in the National Youth Theatre. The entire run of performances will also offer £6 tickets to selected groups in the Brent and Islington area working with young people who are not in education, work or training.

It runs through until September 20.

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