Camden Fringe 2018 will run from the 3oth July to the 26th August. Our shows are listed according to the week in which they open
30th July-»31st July
From the brisk Siberian winds, in walks The Watcher, a strange man wrapped in a massive coat and carrying a tattered bag. He has travelled far to tell you a story of his homeland through three pivotal moments of Russian history. Three young women are faced with the most dangerous threat of their lives. And the wolves are advancing...
30th July-»1st August
Based on true events. A forgotten maritime tragedy becomes the catalyst for confusion when former Navy man Joseph reveals the forty years of pain locked away in his mind. A mind under the grips of early onset Alzheimer's, which no longer comprehends the present. For all those moments Joseph can't remember, he'd give everything to forget that night
30th July-»31st July
From a brisk morning run to belly-laughing with old friends, everyone has things they need to feel okay. We’re no different. Unfortunately, we can’t move. Can you help make us happy? Using clowning, games and stationary theatre, ‘delightfully playful’ (Three Weeks) Hatch It Theatre explore happiness and helplessness. (★★★★The Stage on Whalebone)
1st August-»3rd August
"Here, at last, is a true lover!" In a shady grove, on a branch of the tallest Oak tree, the Nightingale has sung of love her entire life. Never has she found a worthy muse for her song - until she meets the Young Student. But there is a darkness waiting at the end of her path. A new piece of physical theatre based on Wilde's haunting fairy tale
1st August-»5th August
It is 2022 and Britain is in post-Brexit-transition transition. In this wry look at democracy two newly elected MPs (with different views on Brexit) are inexplicably detained upon entering an apparently friendly country whilst on a 'good will' mission; British embassy staff are their only link to the outside world. They discover that unilateral decisions to change the rules have personal, political, diplomatic and unforeseen consequences - from 'concerning' to 'absurd' and 'hilarious'. A new play from the writer of 'Making Allowances', Tom Levitt, a former MP (and a passionate Remainer) and Fourth Sector Theatre, a company of experienced actors brought together for this show. This is its first performance (also in Norwich on 2nd, 3rd August)
2nd August-»7th August
Are we living in a post-truth world? 2 plays, 2 comedies, 1 local & 1 global. Have the chickens come home to roost? 'Collateral': James meets with Angie to end their affair. '#FakeNukes': Nuclear War is imminent, PM May arrives at the US war-room to find Donald and Ivanka strategising via twitter-polls, fashion considerations, Russians and hearsay
2nd August-»5th August
Fourteen characters, two actors and one night in a bar in Northern England. This is the recipe for Jim Cartwright’s Two. Blended together with a whirlwind of emotion, questionable customer service and unspoken truths. From the landlord and landlady who despise the sight and sound of one another to a shaken (not stirred) cocktail of customers, Two explores the different types of relationships in society today. Beautifully written & performed. “Jim Cartwright’s 1989 play is a distillation (no pun intended) of what we’ve all experienced whilst nursing a drink in the local – rows, adolescent showing off, pathetic pick-up lines and overheard snippets of bizarre conversations” – J.D. Atkinson. The comedy, descending into tragedy and back to hope, was handled with absolute ease by the cast and we were swept along with this rollercoaster of emotions
Pierse Stevens – Spotlights Magazine
3rd August-»7th August
New piece of writing set on a run down estate in Kingston Upon Hull. Rob and Chelsea are a seemingly content couple; ordinary, working class, full of routine and reality TV. They know what they like. But what should be one of the happiest moments of their lives turns into a nightmare when Jimmy suddenly turns up at the house. He's just been released from prison and is out for revenge. They all must face up to their lies, buried secrets and past mistakes. How far are we prepared to go to protect the ones we love? Can broken relationships ever really be fixed once the damage has been done? A play which pulls no punches and examines the extremes people can go to when push comes to shove
4th August-»5th August
Teetering dangerously between tragedy and comedy Annie takes you into the high-achieving, low-esteem world of a lawyer turned actress and her ever questioning alter ego. Inspired by a real life story, DOTS is a deeply poignant, and, at times, frankly farcical reminder of life’s real challenges – serious stuff that doesn’t take itself too seriously
6th August-»8th August
When Jude meets a chap who claims to be God, he seems to just be a deluded recluse. But when one of her patients has visions of a strange man in his flat, she finds herself caught up in the birth of a new religion. Hilarious yet morbid, bitter yet warm, Neon is a new play that shows the potential to find faith in the unlikeliest of places
6th August-»8th August
Of Course I’m Hot... I’m 50! is a factual, no-frills look at the *whispers* menopause. One woman’s journey through the brain fog, sweat and desert of vaginal dryness is every woman’s journey. Warm, truthful and funny, this show tries to clear the brain fog of everyone – whoever you are
9th August-»12th August
When an unexpected guest turns up on an unexpected day in an institute of great expectation, what might you expect? Farce a Minute brings you an original anarchic comedy in a Sperm Bank. Get in early - there's a 1 in 250 million chance of success
9th August-»11th August
7.00pm: The One Show. Matt Baker presents the live magazine show with special guests HRH Queen Elizabeth II and Stavros Flatley. 8.00pm: Eastenders. How will the Square react to Ian's shocking discovery? 9.30pm: NEW. That's All We Have Time For. Tim only has thirty minutes to live and a lifetime of TV to catch up on. Will he make it through this re-run nightmare or just sit back and switch off? There's never anything on - except something you don't want to watch. 10.00pm: The News at 10. A devised physical comedy exploring the darkest depths of 24-hour television. Dont worry, there's still time to put your kettle on, and let the cat out, before the season premiere of Son Of A Dog's 'That's All We Have Time For'
10th August-»12th August
The camera flashes. We are exposed. Four people find themselves alone with a camera - what will happen? With playful physicality and subtle ensemble encounters, GOLKK explores what it means to exist in a world where we are simultaneously witnesses and the witnessed, offering you an experience which is not only live but ALIVE
10th August-»12th August
‘Why do people care more about one missing girl than half a million refugees?’ Hummingbird’s are social influencers, paid to persuade. They’re the first source of opinion in a world battling crises. Introduced to promote social discourse, they now control the narrative. This play explores communication and global crises in the 21st Century
10th August-»
'The Apocalypse': As the working classes are forced north, no longer affording to live in London, the rich realise they have no one left to make their lattes or feed their children. As desperation grows on all sides, an unlikely group of activists’ come together to rise up against the housing injustice. A comedy, about the housing crisis, by people affected by it
10th August-»12th August
Clay, a middle-class black man meets Lula, a white woman, on the Subway. They talk, they flirt, and their differences emerge... A dark and starkly relevant exploration of race and gender in the United States, Modern Myth Theatre presents Dutchman by Amiri Baraka. A modern retelling of Adam and Eve, a struggle to be heard and a struggle for power
11th August-»12th August
Three stories, three adventures, three legendary heroes. Discover how Thor lost his hammer, how Oona McCool defeated a terrifying giant, and how Sir Pellinore set out on a strange hunt for the Questing Beast. Join these "masters of storytelling" (The Wee Review) for a family-friendly tour through some lesser-known and comical myths
12th August-»19th August
Kit meets and falls in love with Felicity. After a romantic evening, Kit rapes her. Ten years on, Kit is forced to return home and perhaps face judgement for this crime that went unpunished. However, Kit feels ten years in guilt-ridden solitude is penance enough. Can man ever understand the gravity of rape? Is there a gender divide in society?
13th August»14th August
1997. A lonely, science-fiction obsessed child starts recording his life on cassette tape - and continues for the next two decades.
Billy Hicks ("Age of Love", "4x4 Squared") returns to the Camden Fringe with his new play, 21 years in the making
13th August-»18th August
Is Britain facing a crisis of masculinity? What can we do as a society to enable debate? And what is life like for those suffering today? In this new Verbatim play, real stories from men across Britain, confronting their mental health are given the stage. Mood Kill raises these voices at a time in our social conscience when talking is crucial
13th August-»17th August
An original comic book brought to life on stage. May Valrane's father is missing, 50 of his employees are dead, and May wants answers. A robot she meets wants to connect. A man she knows wants her love. And, a narcissistic (possibly mad) "doctor" wants... well... it’s hard to say what she wants. In a world that’s falling apart, not everyone can get what they want
14th August-»17th August
"All things die be they good or bad, you do not know which you may next meet." Bardo is a piece of theatre about love, death, and monsters. When Ammara’s girlfriend Sarika commits suicide, Ammara is desperately sure it is not the end. Without a guidebook of any kind, she takes it upon herself to descend into the Underworld and save her girlfriend, regardless of what foes and foul beasts await her. Nothing here in Bardo will stop her
15th August-»23rd August
Have you ever stood on a railway platform when a freight train rolls slowly through. Have you ever thought about hopping on board? Have you ever wondered just for a moment? Have you ever wanted to leave your life? Come and join Zoe and her fellow travellers on her journey towards community, belonging, survival and freedom. Jump on!
15th August-»18th August
Taking place in Denmark during the years of WWII, 'The German Girls' tells a story often overlooked in the tale of events surrounding the German occupation of Denmark. Through the relationship of Ingrid, a young Danish woman and Mathias, a young German soldier, deployed to Denmark by the Wehrmacht, the play explores the consequences experienced by women who, like Ingrid, engaged in relationships with members of the Wehrmacht and the double standards occupied Denmark held against their own young women..
15th August-»19th August
A fable for our times about fake news, internet conspiracy theories and family feuding, [citation needed] tells the story of one man’s efforts to bring down a massive encroachment of personal privacy by a mega media corporation. Or at least that’s what he says he’s doing. A chance encounter with a mad woman in a station leads Daniel on a mission to halt the mythical spy programme Red Fortress, created by Reibart News International. A fast-paced comedy with a cast of four, this is low-tech theatre about a high-tech world, which will leave audiences wondering if they have been let into a mysterious secret. However, this is Daniel’s perspective and anyone can write a blog, right?
18th August-»19th August
“The worst day of our lives might just be the best thing that ever happened to us” "Brothers!" 'There is a knock at the door. They freeze, look at the case, then each other'. In a society of presumption and fear, ‘Mourning Overnight’ journeys onto darker shores of farce. How could a suitcase question so much? - identity, even right and wrong?
18th August-»26th August
What question would YOU ask God? What if you didn’t like the answer? In this religious satire, God gives a monthly interview answering ANY question. For Ash Pentel, a troubled heavy-weight political journalist and this month’s interviewer, the right answer could be a life saver
19th August-»23rd August
Is anything more important than family?
Vanessa is a middle aged black woman on her way to her son’s wedding. A wedding to a middle class white man she barely knows. The day will cause her to challenge what she believes and will bring her to a crossroads. Her son and Grandmother help tell her story in this rich, moving solo show about families
20th Aug-»21st August
The students of The Falconsbridge School for Girls navigate the twisted paths of teenage girlhood, exploring love, friendship, mental health, race, class and more. This unmissable all-female production from exciting new theatre company Bashir Productions holds nothing back, showcasing excellent up-and-coming female talent on their own terms
20th Aug-»25th August
Meet Mitch, a cynical out-of-work actor who's had one of the worst days of his life. Armed with a whiskey bottle and a box of chocolates, he takes the audience on a journey through his life, wisecracking about the present and poignantly recalling the past. But what begins as a conventional one-man show slowly morphs into a reflection on why we tell stories, who we share them with, and what they say about us. This brand-new comedy-drama is a celebration of theatre, storytelling, and the people who make our lives worth living. This is Putnockee Players' second show for Camden Fringe, following last year's five-star reviewed Honest Lies. "Entertainment at the highest grade... when it isn't making you laugh its making you think" - The Open Door
20th August-»26th August
Aoife can do anything she wants. No need to go to work, or pay for her meals, the world simply bends to her will. As the lines between whimsy and abuse are blurred, an innocent person in Aoife's way doesn't stand a chance. Scram Collective presents a surreal comedy combining quick dialogue with intense physicality to explore corruption and consent
24th August-»26th August
The Humour Condition explores the different facets of humour in daily life, and what can happen when a life becomes devoid of laughter – from psychological effects to physical, real-world health issues. Follow six lives as they interweave on their own journeys to understand what it means to be human and how they use humour to forge relationships
24th August-»26th August
One day three children vanish without a trace. As the years go by, their stories distort and are retold, before warping again; becoming fairy tales, snippets of courtroom statement, ghost stories and fragments of misremembered memory. For those left behind, immersed in a sea of speculation and half-truths, is it possible to piece together the past?
24th August-»26th August
'Welcome To The PVC Shopping Channel!' A short comedy play based on the realities of modern dating and the less-than-glamorous truth of the beauty industry. Neve Turner has always wanted to present on the shopping channel PVC. She finally gets her big break working with skincare brand, Vibrantly Lieu. But..will her unusual sales technique pay off?