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Love is love: An Instinct - at The Old Red Lion Theatre

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What do you do when a pandemic breaks out and people start dying? In An Instinct, the answer is to escape to a remote cabin in the woods with your ex-boyfriend, leaving your current boyfriend behind. This is the premise behind Hugo Timbrell’s An Instinct, billed as a queer thriller that delivers a few shocks along the way. Yet, the real tension lies in the disturbing dynamics between the three characters—the mind games, gaslighting, and unhealthy dependencies. While the play is cleverly constructed, its underlying themes of domestic violence may not be everyone’s cup of tea. It's currently running at the Old Red Lion Theatre .  The play opens with Max (Conor Dumbrell) and Tom (Joe Walsham) arriving at Tom’s parents’ cabin in a remote part of England. A pandemic broke out, but not the kind where you have to pretend to practice social distancing or hand out government contracts to your mates for dodgy hospital gowns and face masks. This one is highly contagious and very deadly. But s...

Brief recollections: Throwback @jacksons_lane @SilverLiningCo_


You leave Throwback by circus troupe Silver Lining thinking, hmm they're a frisky lot. Some circus acts want to show sexy. Others want to show brawn. These young men and women seem to just want to play... And show off a little...

But that's ok. They do incredible acrobatic work - hanging, flying, spinning while also managing to sing, act and tell stories. 


Arriving at the theatre, there is a piece of paper on every seat for the audience to fill out, naming a good party song. Then Tom and the gang will sing a few of them. 

The piece borrows from #throwbackthursday. That weekly hastage where people get nostalgic about something for a brief moment. Here the focus is on memories of childhood. Sammy Dineen recalls how his mother got him piano lessons as a child. Which leads to a recital of nursery rhymes. While standing on one hand...


Ulrike Storch's songs from growing up leads to some evocative foot juggling. 

Another by Kalyn 'LJ' Marles about watching Michael Jackson perform growing up leads to a dance performance on straps.

It's a well-timed piece that doesn't let up with its enthusiasm, warmth, fuzziness and playfulness for life... 

It's concluded its brief run at Jackson's Lane but hopefully we get to see these incredibly talented (and frisky) guys and girls around more this year. 

⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎


Photo credit: Production photos by David P Scott and Mark Robson

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