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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

Another look at nowt: The Daughter-In-Law @arcolatheatre


Last May the Arcola Theatre presented The Daughter-In-Law in it’s downstairs space. Now is the chance to revisit this piece in its larger theatre. And it’s great to have another look at this simple tale and evocative production about lives against the backdrop of the 1912 miner’s strike. 

 Transferring from the intimate downstairs space gives the production a bigger audience and a bigger space to work with. And while it loses some of the intense claustrophobia of the smaller space it also seemed funnier. And more shocking. With it’s local dialect and intense relationships you soon find yourself drawn into the life of this Nottinghamshire mining town. 


 DH Lawrence’s drama, written in 1913, is set a world where money and family are your means for survival. Mrs Gascoyne (Veronica Roberts) has two sons who are still in her orbit. The youngest Joe (Matthew Biddulph) is carefree and careless living at home. The other Luther (Matthew Barker) has just married. 

 But the marriage seems to be an ambivalent one. The daughter-in-law, Minnie (Ellie Nunn) has inherited a small fortune and is setting up a fine home. A fine home full of fine china, tablecloths and antique furniture. But what she doesn’t have is her husband’s love. And he has a wife who couldn’t find anyone better. 

But its Luther’s relationship with another woman before their marriage that sets in train a series of events. Soon money, economic circumstance and class conspire against them.

Minnie is a terrific part that feels both modern yet trapped in the her life and time. Ellie Nunn expertly realises the character with humour and anguish. She’s simultaneously a breath of fresh air and a hurricane. 

In the larger space Roberts as the dominating mother gets to dominate the space. And Tessa Bell-Briggs seems even more practical as Mrs Purdy. She seeks compensation of £40 for Luther’s relationship with her daughter.

Louie Whitemore’s design evokes life in a miner’s cottage without being too overbearing. Geoff Hense’s lighting is subtle and beautiful. 

Fringe theatre at its best. Here’s hoping that this is not the last we see of this Daughter-In-Law. Directed by Jack Gamble, The Daughter-In-Law is at the Arcola Theatre until 2 February.

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Photos by Idil Sukan

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