Am I losing My Mind or Just My Figure? Etcetera Theatre

• Sam Holland-Bunyan’s acclaimed 2001 Edinburgh show, Am I Losing My Mind or Just My Figure? has been updated in collaboration with writer and theatre-maker Genevieve Labuschagne. Labuschagne plays Fin, a freelance illustrator, who side-hustles as a cycle courier to make ends meet. An unplanned pregnancy at 30 forces her to reassess her priorities and make substantial life changes. Charming and characterful illustrations form the backdrop to this well-crafted production. Labuschagne’s performance is a moving portrayal of a young woman’s experience of pregnancy and childbirth. A gem of a show. Etcetera Theatre, 7pm, Aug 17-19. LAH

The Milky Pigeons: Not Suitable for TV, The Hope Theatre

• In a last-ditch attempt to salvage their careers, The Milky Pigeons: Not Suitable for TV, follows fictitious comedy duo ‘Frost and Glass’ (famed for their 2009 daytime TV pilot, and little else) in a one-off, live BBC4 reunion special. Arran Kemp and Conor Mather shine in this fast-paced, romping sketch satire, with the crowd at the Hope Theatre playing a TV studio audience. Their energetic wit quickly draws us into a world of inappropriate yoga, warring DJs and alien romance. Naturally, chaos ensues, with the weight of the occasion exposing a rift – notably regarding Glass’s product placement on the Beeb. Some skits land better than others, but this duo works the crowd with ease, and pulls off a genuinely affecting subplot. LB

The Musical Medea, Upstairs at the Gatehouse

• Originally a music hall, Upstairs at the Gatehouse’s stage – here decked out like a folk music bar – is an ideal setting for Hassabis’s excellent The Musical Medea. As the audience take their seats, members of the cast warm up with a couple of familiar tunes. The bare bones of Euripides’ classic remain – Medea’s (Flo Lunnon) fateful meeting with Jason (Alistair Higgins), her sacrifices, his betrayal, and her revenge – but with a crucial twist. Hassabis’s original folk score, expertly arranged by MD Thomas Arnold, and a musically gifted ensemble under Tara Noonan’ adept direction make this a fresh and absorbing interpretation. LP

• Bound by the Wind, Scroll Arc Theatre’s debut, builds its narrative around the mythology of Mulan. A study of identity, Sammi Xing’s production is well-paced, utilising special effects, a textured soundscape, video game aesthetics and tight choreography to convey the overwhelming, dehumanising single-mindedness of conflict. When Mulan (Fangnan Zhao) refuses to kill Enkhtuyaa (Hui Chen), bringing news of the war’s end, an uneasy friendship begins to bloom. Both characters are tested upon discovering the true nature of their world, sparking debate about humanity in the context of legend and expectation. A convincing set-up fails to land wholly, however, with a script prone to prescriptive, rigid academic debate over meaningful characterisation. Nonetheless, a thought-provoking hour. The Spid Theatre, various times, Aug 19-22. LB

• Six young teachers struggle with relationships in Alone, Together at the Hen & Chickens Theatre, a beautifully choreographed show written by Francesca Woods in collaboration with the cast. Lanyards hang from hooks, hands become smart phones and the staff room is a place of agonising disconnect. Woods plays Eva, who puts up emotional barriers in her relationship with Pietro (Gianlorenzo Neri). James (Adam Wadge) and Daisy (Jennifer Adams ) are a couple struggling to communicate. Farren (Rachel Elizabeth Smith) and Sophia (Chloe Lauren Cheung) are foisted together as flatmates after Farren leaves her boyfriend. When The Weeknd’s song Hardest to Love plays, it feels as if they have little in common other than their inevitable loneliness and connection to the music. They argue, interrupt, collide, but there are also moments of mirroring, physical touching and rare tenderness that offer hope to the technological generation. LAH

Metamorphoses at Camden People’s Theatre

• Ovid’s Metamorphoses gets a vibrant makeover in this lively production at Camden People’s Theatre, co-directed by Amelia Shelmerdine and Jack Gogarty. Reimagined for our times by playwrights Sami Ibrahimi, Laura Lomas and Sabrina Mahfouz, the talented six-strong cast (Dilip Kumar, Grace Alice Murray, Max Pink, Natalia May, Oliver Winn and Samuel Ferrer) guide us through tales of transformation involving both gods and mortals. Familiar and lesser-known myths are brought to life, including Actaeon, turned into a stag and killed by his own hounds; Orpheus and his doomed love for Eurydice; Arachne the defiant weaver transformed into a spider; and Medea, the powerful sorceress. Music enriches several tales in this joyful and delightfully silly production. LP

FIASCO, at the Rosemary Branch Theatre

• FIASCO is a fantastically dark take on longform improv, taking its name from the role-playing game, which encourages the creation of characters with “powerful ambition and poor impulse control”. We choose from three assigned playsets (London 1593, Dark, Dark Fantasy and Rat Patrol) as well as dictating the nature of on-stage relationships. Shelby Corley and Ian Chapman Black, as Archivist and Reader respectively, inspire an edgy atmosphere, punctuated by welcome quips. The narrative is somewhat simplistic at times, failing to push into new territory. But the clear chemistry between these improvisers delivers macabre and whimsy in equal measure. A polished, welcome addition to the theatrical form. Rosemary Branch Theatre, 4pm, Aug 16 & 23. LB

• Ido Raphael’s one-man-show, Let’s Talk Again Next Year, is a personal journey in which the director-performer battles grief after losing his father. Mirrors positioned at the back of the stage enhance a sense of multiple characters. Scenes are centred on the dinner table as the family meets for Shabbat. However, a meal in a restaurant in Israel is abandoned after it transpires his father has pancreatic cancer. Following his death, Ido’s mother’s insistence that he talk about his emotions results in more food left uneaten. Voice-overs, used to create a dialogue with his deceased father, are well-timed by Shai Lavi on sound. Etcetera Theatre, 9pm, Aug 17. LAH

• Set inside the iconic yellow-and-blue homeware giant, Swedish Furniture Store – The Musical at the Courtyard Theatre is a wry love letter to all things IKEA. With a nine-strong cast, clever staging and fantastic worldbuilding (workers in yellow polos emblazoned with “Hej” escort you to your seat), this feels like a pre-assembled success. There’s clearly a lot of heart to this production, but the narrative – which floats between influencers, tap-dancers and a problematic relationship – fails to find focus and some characters fall a little flat(pack). Aixa Casanellas and Ida Thorp have created a memorable concept with some decent tunes, but it feels like there’s untapped comedy gold to be had with SFS hiding at the bottom of the Frakta bag. LB

Far Away, staged at the University of Westminster’s Ambika P3 space

• We are filled with unease from the outset of this evocative promenade performance of Caryl Churchill’s dystopian drama Far Away, staged in the University of Westminster’s cavernous concrete hall. As we’re ushered around the space, our sense of unease deepens across three unsettling scenes. In the first, young Joan (Lorna Dales) confides in her aunt Harper (Lizzie Hopley) that she’s just seen her uncle loading bloody people, including children, into the back of a lorry. In the second, Joan works alongside Todd (Samuel Gosrani) in a factory creating hats for a chilling ceremony. In the final scene, Joan and Todd reunite in Harper’s home as chaos reigns outside. Rebecca McCutcheon’s terrific site-specific production, compelling performances and haunting lighting (Jack Hathaway) and sound (Lucy Anna Harrison) make for an unforgettable experience. Ambika P3, age 14+, 7.30pm, to Aug 23. LP

• Camden Fringe festival runs until August 24. Tickets and full details of venues and productions on the website https://camdenfringe.com/