From now until the 21 September, Barons Court Theatre plays host to the Reboot Festival, now celebrating its 4th year.
It is a dynamic short play festival featuring some of the most exciting emerging talent in London. Three weeks of different line-ups with writers around the world means there’s something for everyone with six plays to enjoy each week.
I was pleased to be able to join in for day one of the first week, which presented a varied programme of writing, directing and performing talent. These showcases are always a gamble because all we know about them are that they present ‘new writing’ with teaser titles.
However, for £15 for an evening, or £30 for a pass to see shows in each of the three weeks, it proves exceptionally good value, and Barons Court is ideally situated above the Curtains Up pub a short walk from Barons Court Station in West London.
The plays
First up was LA 8AM, a very short four-handed written by Mark Harvey Levine, and directed by Emma Wilkinson. A man (Adam Gower) likes order, numbers, and Fruit Loops.
His partner/wife (Emily Brown) isn’t that bothered about order, and they have a bit of a tiff before she goes to work.
What makes this play successful is the narration of the other two characters (played by Vincent Marquis and Colette O’Brien) and the gut punch at the end, with the repetition of ‘zero’.
Michelle and Little Fish, by Sarah Baxter, and directed by Namoo Chae Lee, boasts a very powerful solo performance from Martha Crow.
She slowly reveals, after having a dizzy spell in the supermarket, that a lot is going on in her life, with a baby on the way, a scary diagnosis, and a husband who seeks to control her. So she has a decision to make.
In Minor Deviations by Erin Osgood, directed by Ivantiy Novak, the premise is a rather blackly comic one as a bereaved husband (Will Tusker, whose reactions are hilariously uncomfortable) seeks a nanny to replace, almost exactly, his wife in personality and physical terms.
The candidates are all androids, and all played by a mechanically subservient Iulia Pal and presented by an eager salesman (Alex Smith). The physical comedy and clever writing lead you to an unexpected twist.
After a short ten minute break, we are back with a woman (Moya Matthews) holding a box. This is Hamster Railroad, written by James Robertson, and directed by Kay Brattan.
Hamsters have been outlawed by a government who has taken power and control of an unnamed country, raiding pet shops and homes, leaving trails of wood shavings behind them.
Tyler Woods’s character seems to offer some hope to the group of rodents saved, but is everything as it seems, and is it worth sticking your neck out to save something or someone being driven out? I thought the political subtext came across very well here.
Bag Body, written by Eliza Hallinan, and directed by Luke O’Field, is an odd tale about an academic archaelogical dig which takes a strange turn.
With commentary on status, the pandemic, and the universal need for touch, this four-hander offers a couple of comic turns from Lauren Stones and Alex Smith as bickering PhDs, with Sara Hind making a curious connection with student Clara Rozzi.
Finally we had The Elephant in The Room. Written by Bethany Dickens Assaf and directed by Paris Hoxton, this focuses on a new mum (Maya Biskupska) who is finding it hard coping with the demands on mind and body.
Her ‘sexy friend’ Ericka Posadas has come along to help, but is it the kind of help that she’s looking for? A rather commonplace situation was helped along by the chemistry between the two actors.
Overall I would rate this collection of plays 4 stars, and feel it comes together very well to provide an evening’s entertainment.
The Reboot Festival continues until 21 September with details here.
Barons Court Theatre needs your help! Hammersmith and Fulham council have issued an improvement notice for the seats and risers to be replaced for safety reasons. With over £23,000 to raise by 31 Oct, there is a real possibility the venue may close if the amount if not raised.
This must not be allowed to happen. Fringe venues such as Barons Court Theatre are essential for the development of new talent, as evidenced by the Reboot Festival.
You can help by sponsoring a seat (£500), purchasing one of the original seats (£150), or making a donation of any size to the seats fund. For full details please visit the theatre website.