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No country for old women: Old Ladies - at Finborough Theatre

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The day after seeing The Old Ladies at the Finborough Theatre , I was describing the play to someone in great detail: about three old ladies who lived in a rickety house in southern England in 1935. Based on Hugh Walpole’s novel and adapted by Rodney Ackland, it is the sort of story with enough believability, humour and mild thriller to stick in your mind. Perhaps it is the lure of this dark, forboding tale of a life without money, to be alone and to be old, that makes you feel attracted to this poverty porn. But then again, given the state of the world, the cost of living, an ageing population, or just the fact that it’s a dog-eat-dog world, it might as well be an every little old lady-for-herself, too. It’s a well-acted and staged piece that moves at a brisk pace, so there isn’t much time to think about it too much. And in the intimate (or should that be claustrophobic?) space of the Finborough, there’s nowhere to avert your eyes. Even if you wanted to.  The scene is a grim Cathe...

Ambiguously Straight: Bromance @udderbellyfest @bmtroupe


Flying by the seat of your pants takes on greater meaning with circus troupe Barely Methodical and their latest offering Bromance, which is at the Udderbelly Festival on the South Bank until 19 July.

The three performers, Beren D’Amico, Louis Gift and Charlie Wheeller, fuse circus performance with their expertise in martial arts tricking, parkour and breakdancing; not to mention some hilarious comic interactions for a thrilling hour.


By the end of the evening there are more than a few times you will find yourself gasping at some of the positions they throw themselves into and the feats they perform. Handshakes become handstands as D’Amico and Gift perform a series of clinches and grasps. Meanwhile Wheeller captivates the audience balancing on the Cyr Wheel as he goes it alone… And before the end of the show they strip down to their underwear showing their fantastic... er... form by creating a human pyramid.

The piece explores the boundaries and limits of male companionship. Trust, the essence of relationships and the boundaries of support and personal space. Much of the humour is derived from challenging what is considered to be acceptable non-sexual behaviour between men (much to the titillation of the audience).

The performers relish this ambiguity and these boundaries... Is it just friendship or is it something more. But it is a thoughtful examination of how it is possible to use acrobatics, movement, dance and theatre to provide  insight into what makes us who we are.

Yet another amazing piece of circus theatre at the Udderbelly, Bromance runs on the South Bank until 19 July. Don't miss it.

⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎

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