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The agony and the misogyny: Banging Denmark @finborough

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Banging Denmark, the comic play by Van Badham, answers the question, what lengths does a misogynistic pickup artist go to date with a frosty Danish librarian? It may be an uneasy farce given the subject matter, but it is made more palatable by the cast assembled to convince you of it. It's currently having its European premiere at the Finborough Theatre .  It opens with Guy DeWitt (Tom Kay) at one end of the stage. His real name is Jake, and he's a part-time podcaster whose expertise is misogyny and playing the role of the pickup artist. That is, someone who attempts to coax women into having sex with a mix of flattery or manipulation. His podcast attracts a variety of involuntarily celibate men (or incels), so call in asking for advice. And while he gives the impression of living the high life, he is in a grimy flat strewn with empty pizza boxes.  At the other end of the stage is feminist academic Ishtar (Rebecca Blackstone). She lives out of the photocopy room, losing all her
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Party time: I Went To A Fabulous Party @kingsheadthtr @fabpartyplay

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I Went to a Fabulous Party by debut writer And Davies is currently showing at the Kings Head Theatre. Its a play that leaves nothing much to the imagination.  Under the guise of a party at a successfully married couple's place, a range of gay stereotypes is summoned to liven things up. There is the gym bunny, the nerd, the bear, the jock and the chicken.  Anyway, after a few throwaway lines about it being too darn hot or wanting to show something for the cammers, suddenly half the cast are naked. 
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Chop it up: Chef @Sohotheatre

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One woman’s descent from a haute-cuisine head-chef to convicted inmate provides for some mouth watering entertainment in Sabrina Mahfouz’s Chef at the Soho Theatre . While it is not necessarily an unexpected journey, it provides enough interest for its short duration to make you wish you were not watching it on an empty stomach. It all starts with a peach. With the simplest of ingredients,   Jade Anouka takes us through a range of courses that track her culinary career and the events that lead to her ending up in jail. Food as her passion comes out more strongly in this piece than the stories of her troubled teenage years, domestic life and the need to keep things level while behind bars. The dialogue is so evocative of food, its preparation and presentation that it is bound to make you hungry.
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Those underground Italian girls: L’Italiana In Algeri @popupoperauk

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Popup Opera’s second summer show is full of energy, enthusiasm and some fine singing… Even if it is a rather silly show, it is great to see a piece that has not been performed in London for a while in such an unusual space. This minimalist opera group has pared back Rossini’s work and taken away all that business of harems and bad Turks. Instead it moves the story to a modern day den on iniquity - Las Vegas - and the Algiers Hotel. Popup Opera’s unusual choice of venues and performing lesser known works (with a modern twist) is a great introduction to opera.  Silly plotted operas work well with this format and so moving the piece to Vegas gives the tale of gambling, infidelity and cheap thrills a new dimension. Although perhaps a few cuts in the second half to bring things to a quicker conclusion might help.
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Monkey business and other catastrophes: The Dead Monkey @ParkTheatre @Mongrelthumb

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The sphincter of modern life as viewed from a grimy, and gritty (well they live by the beach so sand in the house must be hell) American marriage is both absurd and fascinating in Mongrel Thumb’s production of The Dead Monkey . From the minute you enter the smaller space of the Park Theatre it is as if you are transported to California where the sun, sand and surf are so enticing that people just drop out of life. Sure you may be living in poverty but what a lifestyle with linoleum floors, distressed furniture, an endless supply of oranges. But it is all incredibly evocative and alluring. 
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Ginger and oiled: The Clockmakers Daughter @LandorTheatre

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The Clockmaker’s Daughter is an exciting new piece of musical theatre, full of promise and some terrific music. It has landed at the Landor Theatre  and with its charm, strong performances and production values, it will no doubt keep enthralling audiences. What is most intriguing is how this original work by Michael Webborn and Daniel Finn , appears so fully formed and seemingly ready to move on to bigger or better things after the London fringe.
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Straight up circus and jazz: Scotch and Soda @LdnWonderground

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Spade guitars, feats with champagne bottles you didn’t think were possible, dancing budgies and amazing acrobats. It’s all part of the mix with the latest offering from Company2 , Scotch and Soda, now playing at the London Wonderground on the SouthBank. The show is a mix of circus and jazz provided by The Crusty Suitcase Band , led by by Ben Walsh, who keeps things moving with an impressive collection of percussion devices instruments.
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Previews: The Dreamers @St_JamesTheatre

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The St James Theatre is giving a new piece of musical theatre its London debut from 30 June. Commemorating 100 years since the Battle of Gallipoli, Runner Bean Productions is presenting The Dreamers. With original words and music by James Beeny and Gina Georgio, this new musical tells the true story of war hero Captain David ‘Reggie’ Salomons who led his regiment Third Field Company to Gallipoli in 1915. Set during 1914-15, The Dreamers is based on the true story of Captain Reggie Salomons and tells the story of the outbreak of the First World War through the eyes of the soldiers and the families that they left behind.
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There’s something about Tracy: High Society @oldvictheatre

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An ingenious staging in the round and some rousing numbers (in the second half) may still have you wondering about the point of this revival of High Society at the Old Vic Theatre, a show that was probably best left on film rather than attempting to transfer it to a staged musical. The production is quite marvellous to look at. Things just pop up from the floor - stages, tables with umbrellas, second pianos. There is even some on-stage cooking of breakfast and as someone who loves the smell of eggs and bacon cooking in the morning (although it could have been pancakes - I wasn’t sitting close enough), it was pure bliss. But by casting actors who are not the best singers, the shine seems to be missing in this frothy, superfluous musical, giving it a grittier feel that does not quite sit with it’s farcical and escapist plot.
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