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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...

Life among the poppies: Shoot I Didn't Mean That / The Last Days of Mankind @Tristanbates

Is it okay to smile and take a selfie when you visit a memorial or make a nazi salute gesture in Austria? Maybe even write something glib in the visitors book at the Anne Frank museum? If you did not know the answer to these questions, Shoot I Didn't Mean That starts to explores the implications of doing things like this.

Catriona Kerridge's dark comedy looks in to the strange and surreal downfall of four women as they become fascinated and then obsessed by the politics of The Great War.


In an era of conflict tourism and ongoing global crises, Juliet finds herself making an obscene gesture in a Viennese flea market and finds herself in jail. Two schoolgirls get carried away at a Remembrance Day service and an interpreter loses her voice and her mind listening the antiseptic responses from present day politicians. It's funny but thought provoking as well.

Running along side this new work is the harrowing epilogue to The Last Days of Mankind by Karl Kraus. This part of this epic work is an expressionistic and apocalyptic vision of a world. While Kerridge's work is a response to this piece, played together it becomes apparent how distant modern life is from real horrors.

In a year when light shows and ceramic flowers are stylistically commemorating the outbreak of WW1, this serves as a stark reminder that war is always hell.

It runs at the Tristan Bates Theatre until 18 October and contains replica weapons, haze and some frightening looking gas masks.

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