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Two Ladies: La Bella Bimba at Barons Court Theatre / Canal Cafe Theatre

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T hey sing. They dance. They clown around. They even wash clothes! Such is the story of La Bella Bimba, part of the Voila Theatre Festival, which highlights new and emerging artists. A tale of two Italian ladies who land in 1920s New York, trying to break into Broadway without speaking a word of English. It’s harmless, primarily even if a little nonsensical, and is currently playing as part of the Voila! Theatre Festival .  I caught the performance at the Barons Court Theatre , where the intimate setting created an evocative atmosphere reminiscent of dark New York alleyways. The space was almost claustrophobic with a distinct smell of rising damp, making you feel immersed in the story of two Ladies hanging around the theatre doors of Broadway. On the plus side, the theatre has some of the most comfortable seats you will find in any pub theatre in London. As the naive and hopeful singers, Co-creator Lucrezia Galeone as Carlotta and Sarah Silvestri as Cecilia are fine singers with co...

The young and the infectious: Make Mine A Double @ParkTheatreLondon


Ah, to be young, carefree and single. When the receptionist at the clinic testing for gonorrhoea knows you by sight, or you haven't yet found the right (Jewish) man to settle down and enjoy smoked salmon and bagels. You know that there is trouble afoot. Park Theatre has programmed a series of short plays from emerging artists called Make Mine A Double this month. Four shows are running for two weeks apiece. And the first two are hilarious. 

The first piece is called Anything with A Pulse. It's a two-hander about twenty-somethings falling in and out of love in London. Describing all the action in the third person can sometimes be a bit jarring. The reviewer thought. The reviewer also struggled to keep up with the goings on in the drama. But that was probably more to do with his age than the writing.


Still, things move fast in this boy meets girl on the dance floor and then returns to her place for some ambiguously unsatisfying sex before they go their separate ways, wondering what might have been. Writer/director Eliana Ostro keeps the story witty throughout, and Annie Davison as the woman and Rufus Love as the man give the characters infectious likability and enthusiasm.


Then there is Pickle, which returns after an earlier sold-out run this year. It is a one-woman story about being Jewish and single in your late twenties in secular (or at least not very Jewish) London. Written and performed by Deli Segal, the piece captures the life of nosy parents and family members, traditions and flying foreskins. 

Along the way, there are meaningful conversations about Amy Winehouse, goys without hairy backs and just how uncomfortable the pews are in Christian churches. Segal riffs on so many topics that it could be a standup routine. Or a Jewish Fleabag. Helpfully there is a glossary of terms on every seat so you can try and keep up. 

Both shows run until 26 November. Following on from their run will be Tunnels, a story set during the Cold War (and sounds a bit more serious) and Press, which is about confessions of a tabloid hack. Check the Park Theatre website for more details. You can book shows individually if you fear the commitment.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (for the double)

Photo credits: Anything With A Pulse production photos and Pickle photos by Danny Kazan


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