A Pinch of Vault runs from 12 Feb-10 Mar, with the theatre (and cabaret) component on from 12-25 Feb.
Here are my twenty picks of the festival from shows and companies which caught my eye!
Eelmageddon by Intrepid Fools. 13 Feb at Sino Thai.
“The eels are disappearing – fact. Where they’re going – mystery. Eelmaggedon has begun. Will you be on the right slippery side of history?”
Every Man A King by Kingfish Productions. 13 Feb at Union Theatre.
“Decades after his assassination, Huey P. Long’s ghost reexamines his turbulent past to solve his murder and escape purgatory. Blending history, humor, and jazz, the show is authentically Louisiana.”
The Wandering Wombs of Hysterical Women by Fur Coat No Knickers Theatre. 13 Feb at The Spacement at The Glitch.
“Are you suffering from nervousness? A loss of appetite for food or sex? Fluid retention? Don’t worry dear, take a seat in our office, we’ve got just the thing.”
Summoning Sondheim by The Queens of Cups. 14 & 16 Feb at The Spacement at The Glitch.
“Summoning Sondheim is a cabaret comedy séance that uses the power of musical theatre to summon us theatre kids’ Lord & Savior, Stephen Joshua Sondheim (the Joshua is important).”
Whichunt by Mad, Who? 15 Feb at The Spacement at The Glitch.
“Join us on this journey through Spain’s feminist revolution, witch trials, and mystic folklore, and discover what happens when it’s the witches’ turn to go out on a hunt.”
This Is My Body by Abby Ferree. 16-17 Feb at Sino Thai.
“A queer, fat, female-presenting person with religious trauma completes a 500 mile pilgrimage to Santiago…..Why? Penance? Probably not. Free wine? ….Possibly. A chance to reconnect with their body? Undoubtedly.”
Cancer B*tch! by Hannah Ali Khan. 17 Feb at The Spacement at The Glitch.
“Molly has thyroid cancer but she’s like, totally fine. Stuck in a waiting room for yet another appointment, she shares her rules on managing cancer – to basically ignore it completely.”
Spit It Out by Pantano & Co. 17-18 Feb at The Spacement at The Glitch.
“Emily is finally ready to come out as a transgender woman. However, she soon experiences the strain of being openly trans, while staying closeted in her profession and to family.”
misSfits by Bullet Theatre. 19 Feb at Union Theatre.
“Coming out and entering the dating world in this new perspective, missFits explores that transition and attempt to fit into a new identity, space and intimacy with your true self.”
Labour’s Lost Love by Nomadomedy Theatre. 20 Feb at The Spacement at The Glitch.
“A magical romp, Labour’s Lost Love follows a human’s first vacation in decades. Ditching glass ceilings for forest floor, they encounter wild reminders of the necessity and joy of labour.”
Two Sisters by Sam Hall. 21 Feb at Union Theatre.
“A sinister folk actor-musician tale based on a 17th century song telling the tale of a girl drowned by her jealous sister.”
Out of the Depths by Cutpurse Theatre. 21 Feb at The Spacement at The Glitch.
“The words from Oscar Wilde’s prison letters come up from out of the depths and weave themselves through this surreal club scene, as expression and escape fight what lies beneath.”
Mess Maker by Janice Meehan. 22-23 Feb at Sino Thai.
“Sometimes the path from bed to door stretches further and further til the door in the distance is no bigger than my thumb. It’s nice here. Outside is hard. London is really hard.”
She and I by Ayisha Mi. 22-23 Feb at The Spacement at The Glitch.
“Embark on a haunting one-woman journey rooted in a dark, real story. A Chinese girl, entangled in a murder case, navigates a harrowing tapestry of sisterhood, escape, and truth unraveling.”
100 Piccadilly by Ashleigh Laurence. 23 Feb at Sino Thai.
“Leo is meeting their mother from whom they’ve been estranged since their step-father, the Bastard, abused them. Seeking justice, an unexpected plan is hatched in this moving dark comedy.”
Ember by Eleanor Crosswell. 24-25 Feb at The Spacement at The Glitch.
“Ember, along with her best friend Jas, must find a way to confront the past when she finds herself inexplicably, and rather awkwardly, beginning to smoulder, and then burn…”
Babies and Bathwater by Sloane Square Project. 24-25 Feb at The Spacement at The Glitch.
“The perfect housewife sues for divorce. Heightened language and witty humour evoke rural 1950s Australia, ancient myth, and 21st century religious trauma.”
Mud in a Pond by Mollie Blue. 24 Feb at Sino Thai.
“1535. Alice’s story sat like mud at the bottom of a pond. 2023. Alice came along and poked about with a big stick.”
Maenad by Elena Sirett. 25 Feb at The Spacement at The Glitch.
“Maenad explores sex, disorder, addiction, queerness, chaos and survival. Through a mismatched pantheon of personal gods and vices. It confronts you with the question, what myths are you made of?”
JOE by Alex Unwin. 25 Feb at The Spacement at The Glitch.
“It’s winter, 1972. Joe is 29. His childhood stutter is behind him. He’s outgrown his father’s domineering shadow. Oh, and he’s just been elected as one of the youngest Senators in the history of the United States.”