October: A Month of Power, Manipulation, and Ghostly Affairs
October unfurled like a dark, twisted fable, with standout productions that delved into humanity’s grittiest impulses—power, obsession, and the occasional spectral visitation. Here’s a quick rundown of what the bee's standout shows (all of which are still playing, should you wish to catch them, and the bee highly recommends that you do, dear reader).
Brutal, intense, and unapologetically political. Coriolanus remains a story of pride and alienation, a Roman general entangled in the thorny underbrush of public opinion and personal honour. Turner’s production, driven by Oyelowo’s intense performance, brings this tragic hero to life with clarity and conviction. In an era when political disillusionment runs high, Coriolanus serves as a timeless critique of loyalty’s limits and the tragic consequences of a world where moral integrity is a liability rather than a virtue. For the theatre-goer willing to face this bleak reality, Coriolanus is a necessary, albeit unforgiving, experience.
Beckett’s existential farce spun as darkly humorous as ever. To call Waiting for Godot “stimulating” would be an understatement. It’s a play that turns the mind inside out, blending thoughts and ideas as if through a blender. Each detail invites a kaleidoscope of interpretations, yet resists any single one. In the days after seeing the play, the bee found itself haunted by the small, strange images that had swum before its eyes on stage, each as bizarrely potent in memory as they had been in real time. These images persisted, invading dreams and fueling a strange, lasting affection for Didi and Gogo, two lost souls who, despite everything, keep each other company in the endless wait.
This adaptation hit a nerve with its focus on celebrity and manipulation, reflecting all too well the pitfalls of modern media. An era-appropriate cautionary tale if there ever was one. The bee's head is still brimming with so many thoughts, so much so that it ended up pouring out its rumination in not one, not two, but three essays.
Honorable Mentions
The Other Place at the National Theatre received a standing ovation, though the bee found it somewhat overrated. The Turn of the Screw at the London Coliseum just concluded its run—a fittingly chilling choice for Halloween, complete with spectral children and Gothic whispers. The Forsyte Saga at the Park Theatre rounded out October’s highlights, though it leaned a bit too far into obsessive family drama for the bee’s taste.
The Bee’s November Watchlist: A Dark Odyssey Through Love, Memory, and Futility
This November promises no shortage of daring new stories, each demanding to be seen and dissected.
In Eurydice, Sarah Ruhl retells the myth from Eurydice’s perspective, plunging us into the underworld with a modern, feminist twist. Expect a sensory-heavy journey, with ethereal music and symbolic staging, as Eurydice wrestles with her love for Orpheus and memories of her father. Reviews suggest that Eve Ponsonby’s performance has a haunting quality, though some find the narrative’s experimental style occasionally disjointed. Will this Underworld’s blend of the surreal and tender captivate or confound? Only time will tell.
Voila! Festival celebrates panlingual, boundary-breaking theatre, and Stampin’ in the Graveyard stands out with its hauntingly immersive headphone experience. Elisabeth Gunawan plays “Rose,” the last AI chatbot, piecing together the memories of her human creator in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. It’s AI meets poetry meets the existential void, questioning migration, loss, and the limits of belonging. The bee expects an experience that’s as intellectually demanding as it is eerily atmospheric. More on the Festival below.
Details on Wolves on Road are scarce, but it promises a deep dive into trauma and resilience. This production seems like it could bring the heavy, raw storytelling Bush Theatre excels at—think wounds torn open, then slowly sutured with deft narrative strokes. The bee expects this one to pack an emotional punch and leave audiences reeling.
Shows of Interest (Pending a Miracle Discount)
London’s hottest shows, for those willing to brave sky-high ticket prices:
Tragedy personified, Oedipus combines Freudian neurosis with regal downfall. A Greek classic that’s always good for existential dread—if you can afford it. Or if you're willing to sit in the grandest grand circle, a mile away from the stage, squinting to see past the pillars from your restricted view seat.
Kubrick’s nuclear satire hits the stage, likely to strike that tricky balance of humour and horror. A darkly comic warning about the absurdity of war, perfectly suited for our times. Set in the Cold War, this political satire follows a deranged US general who orders a nuclear strike on the Soviet Union. Yikes! Now that's a fitting show for (US) election season. Okay, maybe this show isn't all that expensive, but the Noel Coward Theatre is notorious for never participating in TodayTix rush sale or the usual theatre week sale events that seem to happen every few months, so this is the bee's little way of registering its protest.
Dost crave to see the Scottish Thane’s grim plight?
Then empty well thy coffers, brave and bold—
For tickets soar to heights of dizzying might,
Two hundred sixty pounds the tale is told!
Yet mark, ‘tis dearer still than kings have paid,
To watch ambition’s curse so dark displayed.
One could call it the holy trinity of high-stakes drama: Oedipus at Wyndham Theatre, Dr. Strangelove at Noel Coward, and Macbeth at the Harold Pinter, whose astronomical ticket prices (a cool £260 just to glimpse the Scottish king!) are as maddening as they are perplexing. It’s a classic lineup—existential doom, political satire, and Shakespearean ambition—but accessible to only the most financially flexible theatregoers. For the rest of us, one can only dream or hope for a last-minute miracle discount.
From Greek myths to AI reflections, November’s theatre promises stories laced with darkness and complexity. And speaking of new stories, there’s a festival in town making a splash—Voila! Festival has spread its wings across London, bringing a panlingual, eclectic mix of theatre from around the world. It’s a feast of boundary-pushing plays, all in the name of celebrating London’s vibrant tapestry of languages and cultures. Here’s what’s on the bee’s radar, and what Voila! has to offer:
Running from 4th to 24th November, Voila! is a theatre festival with a distinctly global flair, hosting works in 35 languages across nine venues, including Applecart Arts, Barons Court Theatre, Camden People’s Theatre, and, of course, its original home at The Cockpit. This year, the festival embraces an astonishing range of voices and stories that break free from linguistic borders, making room for everything from multilingual plays to interactive dance performances.
Here are the bee's top picks.
Political and Social Reflection: Sharing is Caring: The European Dream at Theatre Deli dissects Europe’s sociopolitical fragmentation through a squat turned battleground.
Absurdist and Existential Works: Postdramatic at The Cockpit explores identity in an absurd, fragmented world, while The Dream of a Ridiculous Man at The Playground Theatre delves into Dostoevskian existentialism.
Interactive and Immersive Theatre: Where We Meet at The Questors Theatre uses location-tracking for a mental health-focused, interactive dance piece, and Stampin’ in the Graveyard invites audiences into an AI-driven, end-of-the-world narrative at The Cockpit.
Cultural and Generational Dialogue: I Didn’t Know I Was Polish at Applecart Arts explores identity in a comedic yet poignant context, while Gen X Has Left the Chat at Barons Court Theatre humorously examines generational divides.
Each play dives into what it means to remember, to grieve, to survive—a fitting lineup as we edge deeper into autumn’s shadows. Whether these productions achieve brilliance or just flirt with profundity is, of course, up for debate. The bee remains cautious, curious, and ready to report back, dear reader.
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