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      Interview: Singing The Elephant Song

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      Jason Moore & Ian Nicholas on The Elephant Song

      OnBook Theatre are just about to bring Canadian playwright Nicolas Billon‘s The Elephant Song to Park Theatre for it’s UK premiere. The play follows the suddenly disappearance of a psychiatrist from a mental health unit and Michael, a young patient, is suspected to be involved.

      We are always excited to see new thrillers coming to the stage, so were delighted to be able to catch up with OnBook’s creative partnership of Jason Moore and Ian Nicholas to find out more.

      [embedded content]

      Great to meet you both, shall we do introductions first then?

      We’re Jason Moore and Ian Nicholas and we created OnBook Theatre in the summer of 2021. Jason is a director, Ian is a set and costume designer. Together we produce plays that we feel passionate about. We seem to be attracted to plays that deal with human relationships, with a dark, comedic undertone. The Elephant Song is no exception. It’s a psychological thriller, with a surprise ending. It’s the kind of play that will haunt you afterwards.

      Are we right in thinking that there is also a lot of humour in The Elephant Song? The press material talks about ‘verbal tugs-of-war’ – does this lend itself to black/dark comedy?

      The playwright, Nicolas Billon, has peppered the script with lots of witty, intelligent dialogue and in that respect, it feels like dark comedy at times. But at its core, it’s an emotional story of a young man who is fighting to be heard.

      How did you first come across the play and what piqued your interest about it?

      Ian saw the movie some years ago and loved the story. After researching its background, he went on the hunt for rights, which led him to playwright Nicolas Billon and his agent in Canada. Finding out it had never been produced in the UK made him even more determined. Several emails and phone calls later, we were in business.

      Have you spoken with Nicolas directly then, and has he been involved in the process so far?

      Absolutely. We reached out to Nicolas and were thrilled to hear from him. After a zoom meeting and several emails, we feel very lucky to have his blessing and involvement in the process. Even better, he’s flying to London to see our production, and he’s agreed to participate in a Q&A after the performance on 24 January. It’s a rare privilege when a theatre company gets to work closely with the writer so we are extremely lucky.

      You’ve brought together three very experienced actors, how was the casting process?

      The casting process was a little unusual. We both saw Gwithian Evans perform last year and were immediately impressed. He was the first person we cast. Louise Faulkner and Jason went to drama school together. Ian was talking to her about another production altogether. While he didn’t think she was right for that part, Ian instinctively felt she was perfect for Miss Peterson. He sent her the script and her marvelous audition proved she was perfect. We never auditioned anyone else. Similarly, in casting for Dr. Greenberg, we reached out to friends at CDM Talent Agency. They sent Jon Osbaldeston over and again, same story. Wonderful audition and never auditioned anyone else. So, all three actors were our first and only choices. How lucky can you get?

      How have rehearsals been going? Did you take a break for the festive period or has it been all go?

      Rehearsals have been going great. We had Christmas Day off but that was it. As producers, we work 24/7, always checking emails, always putting out fires. That’s what theatre producing is about. Managing everything. It’s not for the faint of heart.

      Park Theatre is a lovely venue and PARK90 can be configured in so many ways, can you give us an idea of what you have planned?

      We’re performing in the thrust, so we’ll have audience seating on three sides. It’s a modern, intimate space and just the right size for this play. The last two plays we produced were in the thrust too, it’s a ‘fly on the wall’ approach that we really enjoy. Firstly, there’s not a bad seat in the house. Secondly, there’s no distraction, you’re just a few feet from the stage, immersed in the action.

      What is next for you after The Elephant Song?

      We are producing Neil Simon’s classic comedy California Suite at OSO Arts Centre in Barnes. That opens February 21. And we are currently piloting OSO’s Youth Theatre project, working with young people interested in Theatre. After that, we’ll be working on two brand new plays, one’s a comedy, the other a courtroom drama based on true events. But we’re also passionate about musicals and produced two sell out cabarets in 2022, a format that we want to expand upon in 2023. We are blessed.

      Our thanks to OnBook Theatre for taking some time out of rehearsals to chat with us.

      The Elephant Song plays at Park Theatre from 18 January until 11 February. Further information and tickets can be found here. More

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      Interview: Going 12 Rounds With On The Ropes

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      Director Anastasia Osei-Kuffour on bringing Vernon Vanriel’s story to the stage

      Boxing and theatre might not seem the most obvious of bedfellows, but we reckon there have been some wonderful plays that bring the two together. And we hope that On The Ropes, which is playing at Park Theatre right now, will add to that list.

      So we were delighted that director Anatasia Osei-Kuffour found some time out of her busy schdule to chat with us about bringing this real life boxer’s story to life.

      Photo credit @ Dujonna Gift-Simms

      What can you tell us about the play?

      It’s a dynamic musical drama set in a boxing ring with a twist, telling the story of the pioneering Lightweight boxer Vernon Vanriel. We see his highs, his lows and how he kept on fighting despite the challenges he faced in his life, not least the challenge of being caught up in the Windrush Scandal and being prevented from coming back home to the UK after visiting family in Jamaica.

      Was Vernon someone you were aware of prior to getting involved with the play?

      I wasn’t aware of him unfortunately. Realising that when I read the script, I immediately felt the draw to join the effort to bring him back into mainstream consciousness because his story is so inspirational.

      Did you get along to any boxing matches as part of your research/ prep for this?

      Zahra Mansouri, our designer, and I went to Wembley to see a set of matches and some of the actors and I went to a second boxing event at Alexandra Palace, both visits were very informative and useful for the process of working out how to put the show together.

      It’s a musical drama about a boxer – which sounds different! How does the rhythm and structure of a boxing match lend itself to music?

      Having visited a modern-day boxing match, I was struck by the many similarities there are to theatre, from the announcer who theatrically announces the boxers, the boxers entering the hall and then the ring to thumping music in performance mode, portraying the character they know the crowd have come to recognise them. At one match there was even a live professional singer performing for one of the boxer’s entrances. I was mostly struck by the thumping music played during breaks in the action and how the crowd sung along to anthemic songs and waived country flags in support of the boxers. It felt celebratory and animated, much like the style of our play.

      What musical styles can we expect then?

      The music in the play is the soundtrack to Vernon’s life and includes Reggae, Blues and Gospel.

      The play’s blurb promises us “12 metaphorical rounds featuring key moments in Vernon’s life” – how has it been working with that kind of structure as a director, what different challenges does it raise?

      It has felt right for the story to be presented in this way because the writing is so clear, Vernon and Dougie Blaxland, the co-writers have set out the story so clearly that we are easily guided by the script. Artistically the main challenge has been working out how we can take the staging of a boxing ring and make it say something more, communicate something theatrical and metaphorical about the story. Working with Zahra Mansouri was a great joy and really helped in figuring this out.

      It’s co-written by Vernon himself, have you spent time with him to discuss his vision for the play, or is he more hands off at this stage of things?

      In summer 2022, we had a research and development week where Vernon communicated his hopes and desires for this production. It was inspirational to have him in the room, have him talk about his life and even take the actors through some boxing training!

      The play is of course also about Windrush, is it important to keep making sure we talk about what has, and is in some cases, still happening with this less than flattering part of British history?

      It is important. The headlines have disappeared from news outlets, so we need to highlight the fact that there are still thousands of families still dealing with the repercussions of the injustice that happened to them. It’s important that the government stick to their promises of compensation and reversing some of the chaos they caused.

      On The Ropes is playing for a month at the Park Theatre, are there other plans to take it elsewhere afterwards? 

      There is hope that it will have a further life. What that will be will be determined by how the run at the Park Theatre goes.

      Our thanks to Anastasia for chatting about On The Ropes. The play is on right now at Park Theatre until 4 February. Further information and bookings can be found here. More

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      The Etties: Best Fringe Venue Nominations

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      The Etties really are just our way of rounding of 2022 with a nod to some of the best shows we’ve seen. But of course you can’t see a good show without a good venue, so we thought we also needed to include a Best Venue category.

      Of course we all have our favourite venues, and often for very different reasons. It might be because of the welcome you always receive there, or it may be because the view is great, or if could be because they never let you down with their shows.

      So we asked our team to nominate their favourite venues to come up with our shortlist below. The only real criteria is that it had to be a venue we visit regularly, and one we would call a Fringe Theatre (which as we all know, is a broad church!).

      We’ll be announcing the winner on 18 January during our Runn Radio show.

      Battersea Arts Centre

      Why? Because “BAC have absolutely leading edge work, they are totally inclusive with their Pay What You Can performances and relaxed policy. The bar is lovely – you always meet someone interesting and unusual there, the staff are friendly and the Press contacts couldn’t be more helpful.”

      Finborough Theatre

      Why? Because “Finborough have a standard of quality pretty much unmatched in London pub/fringe theatre. Even the rare shows that I have not enjoyed so much have had such a strong cast and technical work behind them. A real testament to all involved.”

      Lion and Unicorn Theatre

      Why? Because “The Lion and Unicorn always feels the most welcoming of venues, not just for the audience, but the artists as well. It’s rare to go along for press nights and not to bump into artists coming along to support others.”

      Southwark Playhouse

      Why? Because “the welcome we receive there is always so friendly, and you suspect it isn’t just because we are there to review. And their programming has delivered regularly quality all year round.”

      The Space

      Why? Because “The Space really is a place that does what fringe theatre should do, encourage new voices and offer support to all the artists that pass through their door. And their move into live streaming has opened it up to a whole new audience.”

      Turbine Theatre

      Why? Because “their front of house staff were absolutely lovely when I couldn’t get there on time because of transport and the staff and crew dealt with a show stop amazingly!” More

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      The Etties: Best Comedy Shortlist

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      The Everything Theatre Fringe Theatre Awards, or Etties for short, are simply our fun round up of the past year. Previously, come the end of the year we’ve asked our reviewers to pick some highlights which we would publish as a round up of the best of the year. But in 2022 we decided we should do things a little differently. And that led us to the Etties.

      Obviously we don’t have a team of assessors to go and watch every show, so we aren’t going to pretend these are anything more than a fun way to highlight some of the shows our team have loved in the past year. The shortlists have been put together by looking back at our 4- and 5-star reviews, and then with the help of some of our reviewers, whittling them down to a shortlist. It’s not the most scientific approach but what awards ever are?

      We’ll be announcing the winners on Wednesday 18 January as part of our Runn Radio show that evening.

      The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much

      Photo credit @ Jake F Wadley

      Omnibus Theatre, March 2022

      I can’t remember the last time I came out of the theatre wanting to book to see the same show again.
      Dave Bushe

      Project Dictator

      Photo credit @ De Giglio

      New Diorama Theatre, April 2022

      Project Dictator was outrageously energetic and terrifyingly audience-inclusive. Given the starting point of talking to artists who live under oppressive regimes, it was both worryingly hilarious and seriously worrying.
      Dean Wood

      Qrumpet

      Camden People’s Theatre, April 2022

      Qrumpet draws deeply from the ideas of 20th-century absurdism – at times feeling like an Ionesco for the modern day – and applies them to the weirdest scientific theories of our time
      Matt Aldridge

      Experiment Human

      Credit: Michael O’Reilly

      Cockpit Theatre, July 2022

      Experiment Human is an extremely well made, bold, unique, surreal comedy that explores the things that make us human, and what makes us happy.
      Aaron-Lee Eyles

      Crone

      The Hope Theatre, August 2022

      The tone is set almost before the first sentence is completed, leaving us laughing at the absurdity of it all.
      Rob Warren

      Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story

      Photo credit @ Dave Bird

      The Pleasance, November 2022

      Oh Linus, you extraordinary beast you. This is a magnificent piece of work – whacky, wayward and totally unique. If Diana is looking down now I am certain she’ll be joining in the fun!
      Mary Pollard

      Winners will be announced on 18 January. More

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      Interview: Make Mine A Pint

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      Matthew Blaney on The Best Pints.

      After a successful one-off night south of the river at the White Bear Theatre in 2022, January sees The Best Pints returning for four more nights, this time north of the river at The Hope Theatre. We caught up with Matthew Blaney, fresh from an Offie nomination for Lead Performance in Not Now at the Finborough Theatre, to find out just what is The Best Pints.

      Tell us about The Best Pints. What can audiences expect in the Hope Theatre this January?

      The Best Pints is about three old friends who meet down at their local a couple of times a week. They have a good laugh over a few pints of stout. But today one of the lads decides to go a little deeper… I think audiences can expect a fun and fast comedy about male friendship that’s ultimately very sweet and wholesome. It’s about the better side of drinking culture, which at its core is about community; being ourselves with friends and family. And I do a bit of dancing too, which’ll be well worth the price of admission.

      The play ran for one night only at the White Bear last year. Has the show changed at all since then? Were there any takeaways which have informed the return?

      We’ve only just got back into rehearsals again, but I think the main change now is we’ve more time to try things out in the space. As is the way with most fringe theatre, you’re really on the clock and have got to make fast decisions. There’s a pressure to get it right, which is understandable but unhelpful. We want to do a good job but it’s nice to know we’re able to rediscover the play and experiment a bit more this time around.

      If we put you on the spot now, do you remember your lines from that night? Are they something that vanishes totally out of your head once a play finishes or will they maybe come flooding back to you as you prep for this run?

      Nope. In one ear, out the other. We did a recall exercise the other day, where we just tried to go as far as possible without drying. I probably only got through half the first page before folding. Sorry Kay! [Kay Dent is the director – ET]. We’ll be off book after Christmas, here’s hoping.

      We have to assume the idea for The Best Pints came from a real conversation that writer Jack Gallagher had once (or nineteen times) in the pub with friends. We’ve certainly had it ourselves – what about you?

      Definitely. I think that’s what drew me to the play; being able to be social with your tribe is vital to anyone’s survival, and pubs do play a part in that. Whether that’s telling jokes, playing games, sounding out your worries or actually saying how you’re not doing very well to your mates. We’ve all done it! I know I have. And I think Jack’s captured that in this play very well.

      We had a chat late last year before Not Now played at the Finborough. This was a massive success, sold out for its run with great reviews (including our own) and several Offies nominations – not least of all one for yourself. Could you reflect a bit for us on the whole Not Now experience? 

      I just feel very lucky. David and Max took a chance on me and I think it paid off. I was given the opportunity – which we all need as young actors – to cut my teeth, so to speak. To be onstage seven shows a week for a month, opposite an actor as accomplished as Stephen Kennedy, my fellow Offie nominee, was all I’ve wanted since leaving drama school, and for that I’m extremely grateful.

      Tell us what you have coming up after The Best Pints?

      Back to grafting! Auditions and meetings hopefully.

      Obviously, our last question just has to be ‘tell us about your own best pint?‘

      Good question. I had a real heart to heart with my dad a few months back. It’s been a long couple of years for everyone, and it was the first time in a long time we were able to get into it and put the world to rights. We went for a drive from Belfast to Donegal in Northern Ireland, couple days on the road, and on the second we stopped off at a beautiful little pub down by the water. Couple of stouts and a good chat. We got proper into it! We took a picture of our round and it’s been my screensaver for the last few months. Then, I’m back home for Christmas and I found a photograph of our two pints overlooking the sea and a massive sky in a little frame in the hallway. That’s the best pint we’ve had in a while no doubt. Hard to beat!

      Our thanks to Matthew for taking time out from rehearsals to chat about The Best Pints. You can follow Matthew on Twitter here.

      The Best Pints plays at The Hope Theatre on January 22-23 and 29-30. Further information and tickets can be found here. More

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      Interview: Lining up with Emilia Teglia

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      Emilia Teglia chats about On The Line

      Writer and Director Emilia Teglia has developed On The Line with participants from Camden’s Action Youth Boxing Intervention. It plays at Stanley Arts in January and VAULT Festival in February, and we caught up with her to find out more.

      Tell us a little about On The Line. What can audiences expect?

      You’ll be hanging out with Tia and Kai, lifelong friends who’ve grown up on the same council estate. They’ll chat to you about that mad day they skipped school to go to the new schoolmate Sienna’s mansion – because “someone’s got to check it ain’t just Tik Tok filters” – and how their lives changed forever that day.

      On the Line is a Gen-Y play. It’s fast-paced with twists and turns, wit, deep themes, banter and emotion, and all told in contemporary London slang. It’s immediate and honest. It’s a bit like scrolling through your Instagram feed but it’s real. It’s based on the real experiences of a group of young people from Camden’s Action Youth Boxing Intervention.

      (c) Alex Brenner

      On The Line deals with a lot of socially relevant themes. Can you give us some insight into these and the importance of sharing them?

      It’s about growing up at the bottom of the social ladder whilst having to negotiate life-long loyalties, family values, aspirations, and handed-down generational trauma. It’s also about the real barriers to social mobility, the complex experiences of individuals behind the statistics. In Camden, like in other areas of London, the rich and poor gap is widening but is not unusual to see a student from a very wealthy family sitting next to a student living in poverty.

      The awareness is painful. Armani*, an outspoken sixteen-year-old girl living in an overcrowded situation, put this plainly during the writing process: “Our school is basically a prison for poor kids with the random children of famous leftie actors or Labour politicians.” Her brother Tyrese*, who has ADHD and a history of gang affiliation, talks about some of the richest streets in the borough. His eyes sparkle as he describes the flashy ‘whips’ (cars) and the ‘cribs’ (houses). Then he gets gloomy. He says: “this level of rich makes me feel sad. There’s people who’ve got too much, and we got jack.” All this is in On The Line, verbatim.

      You have a fabulous promo image for your show – it really caught the team’s eye here. How did the design come together?

      I’m glad you are curious about the image. People say it makes total sense after watching the play, so I’m not going to give too many spoilers.

      Photo: Paul Grieve, Giorgia Valentino  Design: Max Batty

      Like the rest of On The Line’s creative process, the design developed collaboratively. We wanted to show the ‘fish out of water’ essence of the story and at the same time the grit and the harshness of Tia and Kai’s background, as well as their playfulness. For the photo, I approached Paul Grieve, a street photographer that has a talent for capturing defiance, humour and tenderness in his portraits of everyday people. That was important because we also needed to convey the amazing friendship between the two protagonists and their ‘one front’ against adversity. Props were lent by friends and sourced by our amazing Assistant Stage Manager Andreea Pieleanu. We shot on Chalcots Estate in Camden, the actual setting of the play. Our leading actress Giorgia Valentino, who is also an incredibly talented portrait photographer took the headshot of Zacchaeus Kayode which ended up in the final image. Then Max Batty did the magic with his graphics. Max has been designing Odd Eyes Theatre’s posters and book covers for the past ten years and was immediately on board with the concept and aesthetic. It takes a village…

      On The Line has been touring around schools and we’ve seen some great feedback. How has that been, and are there any differences between playing in schools and playing in theatre venues?

      Huge differences! To begin with, theatre audiences come with a completely different attitude. They’ve bought their ticket and are determined to have a good time, a return on their investment. They’re easy. They respond, react, suspend disbelief immediately and get lost into the world of the play.

      In schools, we are playing to groups of teenagers who have often only experienced theatre as part of their statutory education: they are somehow compelled to watch it: it’s not a choice. So that’s already setting their attitude in a different way. They sit down, legs stretched, arms crossed or in their pockets, looking unfazed with a ‘show me what you’ve got’ kind of attitude. And then they hear the language, they start to get the story, the familiar Drill and R&B tunes come up, they get the jokes. You see them start leaning forward, elbowing each other, laughing, gasping, and they can’t get enough of it. Teachers turn to the low achieving students to ask the meaning of some of the words. It’s all in London slang – finally something they’re masters at.

      Most importantly, school performances are followed by Odd Eyes’ Creative Debate workshops. The students have a chance to let us know what they think of the issues in the play and develop scenes and short plays based on their response to the story and on their personal experience. Some of their stories go on to be developed professionally, and this is how On The Line was developed.

      Finally, what is next for On The Line and Odd Eyes Theatre?

      More theatre and school tours and a screen adaptation of On The Line. The film will be another great opportunity to involve young people in the rewriting process and as cast. Funders, producers and schools interested in partnering with us, get in touch!

      *Names have been changed to maintain confidentiality

      Our thanks to Emilia for taking the time to chat with us. You can find out more information about Odd Eyes Theatre on their website.

      On The Line plays at Stanley Arts on Thursday 19 January (tickets and info) and VAULT Festival on Saturday 11 February (tickets and info). More

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      The Etties: The Above and Beyond Award

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      The Etties are simply our little bit of fun to round up the past twelve months. We’ve already announced (most of) the main awards for the shows themselves, but we also have a couple of fun awards for our reviewers. They are Best Review (shortlist to come soon) and The Above And Beyond Award.

      The Above and Beyond Award is just what it says, for those reviewers who went above and beyond in 2022 for a variety of reasons. The only real criteria for nomination is that they reviewed at least ten shows. We’ll tell you more about the main reason each has been nominated below.

      You can find out more about the Etties and all our other categories here.

      We’ll announce all our winners on 18 January.

      Dave Bushe

      Nominated for being a one-man reviewing machine.

      Dave joined us in 2022, and within a few weeks we had already realised he was quite the theatre addict. In fact he has proven to be a bit of a one-man reviewing machine. In 2022 he squeezed in a quite frankly crazy 70 reviews, and it’s already looking like that will be drawfed in 2023.

      In addition to reviewing, Dave’s also been a great help in working on our website and some interviews, which frees up more time for us to edit all those damn reviews.

      Lily Middleton

      Nominated for fighting the corner of Musical Theatre.

      As well as contributing a fantastic 27 reviews this year, Lily really is one of our musical experts. For certain people who will remain nameless within ET (you know who you are), musical theatre is a swear word. But Lily stands her ground and puts up with all the abuse she receives everytime she gets a little too excited about her next musical outing and going out of her way to stick up for them. She even braved the Excel Centre and thousands of other musical fans to check our Musical Con for us in October!

      In addition to this, Lily is now our Head of Recruitment, taking on the fun role of onboarding all our new recruits. So if you happen to want to apply to be a reviewer with us (you can do so here), you’ll soon be hearing from Lily.

      Marianna Meloni

      Nominated for making Edinburgh happen year after year.

      Marianna brings some Italian flair to ET. Ok, she may not have been around in London to do any reviews this year, but when it came to Edinburgh, she was right there again. It was due to Marianna we started doing our Edinburgh coverage a few years back and she has returned every year since. Spending three weeks there balancing work and fun, somehow finding the time to review 26 shows. We could share some stories of the weird and wild emails she was sending us by the end of the month when the madness started to creep in, but instead we’ll just say that without her we wouldn’t have managed to get others up to Edinburgh this year, which lead to us publishing an incredible 84 reviews, our best ever Fringe coverage.

      Mary Pollard

      Nominated for her editing prowess and for braving the worse show of the year.

      First things first. Without Mary’s increcible contribution this year in editing around 80% of all our 543 reviews (our best year ever), we aren’t sure how we would have survived. Yet somehow inbetween all her editing duties, she also managed to review 58 shows, many of which were spent supporting Theatre for Young Audiences.

      But beyond all that, Mary deserves her nomination simply for braving what was very clearly the worse theatre experience of the year, The Queen of Ocean, all three and a half hours of it!

      Mike Carter

      Nominated for consistently making us smile with his reviews.

      Mike’s been with ET for a while now, and we’re so glad he stays. He consistently produces some wonderful and fun reviews as well as doing his best to encourage us all to go along to The Space, where he may or may not have a slight vested interest.

      Nathan Blue

      Nominated for services to keeping the mystery alive.

      We call Nathan our man of mystery, because no one actually knows who he really is. But what we do know is that he can write a brilliant review, so the 13 he has contributed this year have all been treats. We’re not sure anyone else could slip the phrase “comfort wank” into a review so casually.

      Zoe Pfaller

      Nominated for getting into the real spirit of the Rocky Horror Show.

      When we were invited to review The Rocky Horror Show, Zoe was overjoyed to be the lucky one set to go. We jokingly told her she could only go if she dressed up for the occasion, and wow, she didn’t fail us on that front, with the team at New Wimbledon Theatre even sending us a photo to prove she had gone full Rocky Horror for the evening! It was an effort that we really felt showed her commitment to the cause.

      Special Mentions

      We had 19 reviewers cover 10 or more shows this year, so a special mention as well to Anna Robinson, Matt Aldridge, Scott Wddell, Sara West, Dean Wood, Lucy Boardman, Charlotte Boreham, Kit Bromovsky, Gabriel Wilding, Xi Ye and M Jacob. More

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      The Etties: Best Regional Show

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      The Everything Theatre Fringe Theatre Awards, or Etties for short, are simply our fun round up of the past year. Previously, come the end of the year we’ve asked our reviewers to pick some highlights which we would publish as a round up of the best of the year. But in 2022 we decided we should do things a little differently. And that is the Etties.

      For our Regional Theatre category, the criteria was simple; a show anywhere outside of London, but excluding Edinburgh. We’ve been trying to expand our coverage outside of London, although we didn’t do as well as we’d hoped in 2022. However we did see enough great shows to more than justify an award for them.

      We’re always looking for reviewers around the country, so if you want to help us in 2023 to see more, and never know, maybe help us with next year’s award for shows outside London, then get in touch.

      We’ll be announcing the winners of all our awards on our Runn Radio show on 18 January.

      Cherry Jezebel

      Photo Credit @ Marc Brenner

      Everyman Playhouse, Liverpool – March 2022

      The atmosphere flowed with the feelgood factor and applause. Glitter confetti rained from the ceiling while colourful lights illuminated the room, with an audience unanimously on its feet, suggesting a night with Cherry Jezebel is not to be missed. 
      Ezzy LaBelle

      Wonder Boy

      Photo credit @ Steve Tanner

      Bristol Old Vic – March 2022

      Shakespeare’s words, ‘Answer me. Stand and unfold yourself’, take on a new significance here, as Wonder Boy gradually sees Sonny speak up and unfold himself, his trauma and his relationships, to the audience. We are privileged to watch his unfolding and his liberation.
      Polly Allen

      The Taxidermist’s Daughter

      Photo credit @ Ellie Kurttz

      Chichester Festival Theatre – April 2022

      The production neatly treads the line between suggestive and visible gore. Though some viewers might find later scenes a bit much, I felt it was tastefully done; to be fair, you can’t expect a play about taxidermy and trauma to be completely sanitised.
      Polly Allen

      Dog/ Actor

      Hope Street Theatre, Liverpool – May 2022

      Smith seamlessly become a range of different characters, differentiated through his movements, expressions and voice. The live transformations he makes are an acting masterclass.
      Ezzy LaBelle

      Sleeping Lions

      Hanger Farm, Totton – September 2022

      The closing image is one that will stay with audiences as they leave, both visually and emotionally. With what is revealed, we can’t help but try to examine the clues that were dropped along the way, and be impressed with the cleverness with which they were curated.
      Anna Robinson

      The winner will be announced on 18 January More