Theatre Guide Dog: Week 4

It’s the perfect time of year for cashing in on kitsch sentimentalism; which is exactly what no shows at all are doing this week. Theatre’s come over all serious. It’s a shame that last year’s uber-topical and sublime The Vagina Monologues has no 2011 equivalent. Nonetheless, your very own Hound of Love is here to hunt down the week’s winners. And remind you of Kate Bush.

Noises Off 9th-19th February

The only show actually running on Valentine’s day (there’s a smoker too) – if a metatheatrical farce about a shambolic play on a revolving stage seems like the kind of thing suited to your relationship, then you’re in luck. But also have much deeper issues. Here’s our definitive review.

ADC at 7.45  £6-10

Endgame 15th-19th February

Beckett. The End of Days. If you thought your [insert petty problem here] was important, come along to be crushed back into perspective by people in bins. That is all.

Fitzpatrick Hall – Queens’ at 7.30  £5-6

The Good Soul of Szechwan 15th-19th February

Brecht rears his long-dormant, Germanic, non-Aristotelian head. The gods naively descend in search of a ‘good’ person. It doesn’t go so great. RSC-approved props, an original score and big philosophy contrive to cram Epic Theatre into Corpus’ humble confines.

They did a trailer too. Szechwan looks a lot like Market Square.

Corpus at 7  £5-6

Jeff Carpenter’s Dido and Aeneas 16th-19th February

If Henry Purcell and Jeff Carpenter don’t seem like an obvious pairing to you, then you are beyond hope. Opera meets Musical meets Virgil in this easy-access take on some lofty-as-fuck cultural territory. Your mum will be impressed if you tell her you saw this.

ADC at 11  £4-6

AND/OR 15th-19th Feburary

New writing at Corpus did badly last week. We scolded it. But this is a different creature entirely. A half-hour experimental piece which tries to keep a hold of multiple parallel realities at once. ‘It’s a car-crash’, we’re told. Lots of new writing can be described as a car-crash, but setting out with this in mind could make for the kind of car-crash with interesting gory bits.

Corpus at 10  £5-6

Footlights Smoker 15th February

Sold-out thing where jokes happen.

ADC at 11  £6-7

Corpus Smoker 14th February CANCELLED

If you’d like to laugh out loud on Valentine’s day for any reason, here’s where. Youtube is cheaper but can’t convey the smell of good comedy.

Corpus at 9.30  £5-6

William Fergus Stuart – The Revival 16th-19th February

Revival is perhaps overstating it – this new writing had its virgin run only last term. We didn’t see it then, so the jury is still out (4 stars in TCS being little more than an acknowledgement of existence). It’s autobiographical and borderline incoherent – not necessarily bad things to be.

Fitzpatrick Hall – Queens’ at 10  £4-6

Dannish Babar Knows What You’re Thinking 15th-19th February

If he really does then this talent is wasted on stand-up comedy. But with this guy there’s always the chance that he’s joking – either way this could be worth seeing. He’ll open with a joke about Marmite, but after that the possibilities are endless.

New Cellars – Pembroke at 8  £5-6