One of the hottest shows at this year’s fringe? Flamenco: Orígenes at the Etcetera Theatre

SINCE 2006 the Camden Fringe has hosted new and experimental theatre and comedy by emerging artists across north London. This year sees the biggest line-up yet with almost 300 different productions, hosted by 24 venues.

The Queer Comedy Club in Tufnell Park opens its doors to the festival for the first time, while the Etcetera Theatre, above the Oxford Arms in Camden High Street, continues to be a central hub for the Fringe, hosting three or four shows a day.

There are 20 different improvised shows in the line-up. These include The Bareback Kings’ mixed bill of improv, music and drag at the Hope theatre (Aug 10-12), an ad-libbed Greek tragedy, Absurdocles, at the Camden Comedy Club (Aug 17-19) and Kerfuffle’s Theatresports at Museum of Comedy (Aug 18 and 20).

Stand-up artist Rachel Fairburn will be testing out her new show Showgirl at 2Northdown (Aug 18-20) before heading out on a UK tour. Camden Fringe regular Matt Green is back with a new show which has already sold out its Edinburgh and Brighton Fringe runs. A handful of tickets remain for his Camden performances at Aces and Eights (Aug 10-12) and the Camden Comedy Club (Aug 12 and 26).

Errol McGlashan in Something to Take off the Edge

The new podcast – Camden Fringe Pod – offers a look behind the curtains of the festival. Aimed at both theatre-makers and curious audiences, the podcast features interviews with industry insiders such as agents, marketing experts, venue managers as well as performers.

The acclaimed Lourdes Fernández Flamenco Company presented their brilliant work Flamenco: Orígenes at the Etcetera Theatre – this will surely prove to be one of the hottest shows at this year’s fringe.

Fernández collaborated with British-Sri Lankan flamenco and contemporary dancer Josie Sinnadurai in a high-energy duet performance. They were accompanied by a four-strong band of expert musicians led by Barcelona-born composer Adrián Solá and extraordinary singer Mónica García.

Flamenco’s roots can be traced from ancient trade roots to modern shipping lanes and the show celebrates the many art forms that have fed into its evolution over hundreds of years. A stunning hour of music and dance. Anna Lamache picked Heretic/Gallows, also at the Etcetera, as another highlight.

She describes it as: A deft exploration of what it means to survive rather than live in the pressure cooker of modern Britain. Punctuated by strong language and scenes of drug abuse, this succinct two-man play unfolds in a dismal flat in the aftermath of a corner shop heist.

Played by writer Tom Levermore, “Older” is an ex-convict whose days in prison are now the subject of nostalgic longing. Levermore swings fluidly between humour and molten rage, offering a sharp portrait of the violence and insecurity lurking beneath lad culture.

Glad To Be Dead, a series of monologues at the Hen and Chickens

Michael Dennison is his counterpart, “Younger”, a country boy caught up with the “wrong crowd”. Trapped between obsequiousness and defiance, Dennison conveys his character with the nervous energy of a sprung trap.

Directed by Betsy Chadwick-Jones, this well-executed black comedy succeeds in complicating the traditional understanding of poverty as the product of individual moral failings. AL

It’s a challenge to condense all the nuances of the Irish abortion debate into 55 minutes but Izzy Rowley felt May Day, at the Lion and Unicorn, did the best it possibly could. Featuring friends and roommates Ciara (Eimear Griffin) and Julie (Paige Leavy), Holly Furey’s play details Ciara’s reaction to a traumatising night out, parsing the ways toxic masculinity makes itself felt in the country running a referendum on women’s reproductive rights.

Ciara, determined to be the face of the pro-choice movement, can’t quite work out how much of herself she ought to put on the line for the sake of other women. Julie is the opposite – more interested in keeping her head down, and less committed to her vote than her friend. The play questions how far you should push yourself to demonstrate your commitment to a cause, and who can be trusted if they are seen to not be pushing themselves far enough. IR

May Day is at the Lion and Unicorn

This Girl, a new musical by Mike Howl, enjoyed five performances Upstairs at the Gatehouse. Inspired by Cynthia Powell’s marriage to John Lennon, Howl takes us through their first meeting at Liverpool Art College in 1957 to their divorce, Lennon’s death and Cynthia’s subsequent marriage to Noel Charles, their son Julian’s friend.

Simply staged, the singing was slightly underpowered (possibly the result of first-night nerves) and Howl’s playing with the facts may frustrate some, but it’s great to see a large cast breathing new life into a well-worn story. Marky Reader and Lee Clotworthy, as John and Julian respectively, impress the most.

Glad to be Dead, a series of monologues at the Hen and Chickens, is a mixed bag. Co-scripted by mother and daughter, Donna and Jade Flack, highlights from the one-hour show include the account of Elizabeth Francis, tried three times for being a witch in 16th-century Essex and Girl in a Drum, which explores the murder of a woman in 1969. Her body was discovered 30 years later in the former home of the prime suspect. Both are evocatively narrated by Barbara Llewellyn. Jade Flack and Bruce Murray make up the trio of actors. You can catch these ghostly tales at the Etcetera on Aug 28, 30 and 31. LP

Izzy also enjoyed Something to Take off the Edge, a semi-biographical tale written and performed by Errol McGlashan exploring prison life in the 1980s. This one-man play focuses on the relationship between two cellmates, Ezra and Terry. Ezra has a passion for literature and the spoken word, while Terry’s central passion is rockabilly and heroin. The two couldn’t be more different, but find themselves becoming inseparable as their relationship moves from trading chocolate Hobnobs for drugs, to bonding over an unlikely figure: Shakespeare.
Addiction is at the heart of the story – how it can upend your priorities and take over your life. McGlashan’s refreshing portrait of an addict is deeply compassionate and void of judgement. He builds characters that feel, and possibly are, very real. Having spent time in prison, McGlashan draws you into its world with relentless humanity. IR

• The Camden Fringe Festival runs until August 27. For the full line-up see camdenfringe.com