Pressure 3 is not your typical London fringe theatre night. It’s the third instalment in Second Quarter Productions’s drama showcase nights where four short plays go head-to-head to be crowned the winner.
Playhouse East was the venue last night. It’s a friendly venue with a café on the ground floor and the theatre upstairs. The building was formerly a warehouse; the theatre took up residence this year and is run by James Alexandrou and Avital Lvova. It is also the home of the Actors East training programme.
Pressure challenges writers to create a new 15-minute play in just six weeks on a particular theme – last night’s was “time is running out”. Four plays are chosen by producers Gregor Roach and Arthur Campbell, and given directors and casts.
The rest is up to us as audience members as every person watching can vote for their favourite of the night, with free drinks and a trophy for the winning writer on offer. It’s a fun way to spend 90 minutes on a cold evening.
The four plays last night were quite diverse and inventive in the way they interpreted the brief. Each team helped the other transition between shows, adding to the supportive atmosphere in the room.
Kyle Eaton’s Forwards or Backwards, set in 2125, has a wonder drug that didn’t just halt the ageing process but made it go backwards. As Professor Yorick (Cameron Krogh Stone) wrestles with the ethics of the drug as he turns 40, younger people just see the chance of a big party.
In Cookie Dough, by Andy Sellers, a pair of former co-workers (Abby McCann and Grace Lyons) bond over a tray of brownies and a rainstorm, with a powerful moment of connection and a curious ending.
Catriona Stirling’s Sad Face is about transition and regret in a relationship. He (Arthur Campbell) is about to head home to the USA and make a clean break; she (Georgia Laird) seeks a real connection. When his friend (Harrison Sharpe) arrives on their last day together matters come to a head.
Finally, Oliver Woolf’s A Big Tip has a nervous man (Will Lockey) visiting a male escort (Jack Donoghue) for sex. How will they make the most of their 15 minutes together, and what secrets might reveal themselves?
Directors Apostolos Zografos, Saniya Saraf, Aaron Finnegan, and Jessica Whiley keep the pace sharp and the energy levels up throughout. Time related tunes (ABBA, Jim Croce, etc) play in snatches in-between shows.
I’d recommend this night out to those who enjoy seeing teamwork in action and experiencing new work. It differs from the Reboot Festival, The Side Hustle, Union Shorts, and Criterion New Writing in its purpose and structure, but any vehicle that promotes short form work in fringe theatre is valuable for both writers and audiences.
Check out Pressure‘s Instagram page to hear about future events. This quartet of plays runs again tonight at Playhouse East – currently sold out.
My thanks to Gregor and Arthur for bringing Pressure to my attention. Do go and check it out!