Are you a Vault newbie?
Now we are into week 3 of 8 at Vault Festival, here are LouReviews’s tips to make the most of the festival.
Number one: Check out the venue. You can either head in and look around before you commit to booking a show or read information about each space so you are forewarned!
Number two: The Vaults can be cold and damp. If this bothers you, dress acordingly (thermals or ye big coat) and consider wearing a mask in the dampest spaces.
Number three: Use the facilities in Waterloo station where the hand driers work and there is hot water on a regular basis. You’ll thank me later!
Number four: Take a risk! There are over 500 shows on offer, so you can either plan out your festival or take a punt on the day. Try something you might not usually see, and see two shows on the same day if you can.
Number five: Enjoy the bars, pick up the flyers, and buy the merchandise, including the Plays from Vault Six showcase of five titles playing this year.
Number six: Check out the street art in the Leake Street tunnels, which is never the same from day to day. There are also some chain eateries along there, which you can also access from Westminster Bridge Road.
Number seven: If you are claustrophobic, perhaps check out the Network Theatre as your first venue. Not strictly part of the Vaults complex, it doesn’t require navigating through the busiest spaces.
Number seven: Download the show spreadsheet, which tells you all you need to know week by week; engage with and follow the performers on their socials.
Number eight: Look out for performers giving out flyers for their shows. You might find something you would never have considered, and if you can’t go, file the show details away for the future.
Number nine: Try to do a bit of everything. I’m booked into a range of shows in almost all the venues (I couldn’t fit in anything in Void, the shipping container). Check out the bars, the food, the lates.
Number ten: Have a fantastic time, be an enthusiastic audience member, and enjoy some terrific emerging artists and companies!