The Proposal at Hen & Chickens

• Set in Kansas in 1873, true-crime drama Bloody, Bloody, Kansas is based on America’s first known serial killing family, the Bloody Benders. Heidi Van’s play reveals the chilling legacy they left behind. At the centre is Mary York, a grieving widow turned detective, piecing together a puzzle of violence, justice, and memory. Various times. July 28-Aug 2. In Anton Chekhov’s short comedy, The Proposal, Lomov is determined to marry his neighbour’s daughter Natalia. Everything seems to be in his favour, but why can’t he get to the point? 4.30pm, August 22-24. Hen & Chickens Theatre.

Net Cafe Refuge at Camden People’s Theatre

• During the First World War more than 38,000 women and men worked as nurses and ambulance drivers. Alfie James’ Women in War follows Lottie, a volunteer nurse. Over the course of a few days, she works with Lady Dorothie Feilding, Miss Knocker, and Miss Chisholm of the famous Munro Flying Ambulance Corps under the strict and stern watchful eye of the ward sister. As friendships grow and love blossoms, tragedy strikes, bring­ing them closer together in their fight to survive. 7pm, July 29-Aug 2. In Net Café Refugee, three strangers live in quiet isolation in a cramped Tokyo internet café, until the arrival of a foreign YouTuber shatters their fragile peace. As boundaries blur, hidden emotions rise to the surface, re­vealing the quiet chaos of lives on society’s edge. 7pm, Aug 17-18 & 24. Camden People’s Theatre.

2.36 at Etcetera Theatre

• Tracey Yarad’s All These Pretty Things is a musical memoir. She takes us on a journey from Australia and the fallout of a devastating divorce following her husband’s affair with their teenage goddaughter, to New York City and an inspiring new life. 7pm July 28, 9pm July 29-31.

• 2.36 is the average family size. Exploring themes of ambition, hypocrisy and mendacity, 2.36 follows siblings Keira and Josh on an ancestral trip to Luxembourg. The world they know changes overnight as secrets within the Carrington family are revealed. 3pm, Aug 1-3. Etcetera Theatre.

Elon Musk Is on His Way to Mars

• Elon Musk Is on His Way to Mars takes a satirical look inside the scary mind of Elon Musk to find out what’s really going on in there. The man-boy, sci-fi geek blasts off into space, but he’s about to get a call from the White House that will send his universe into a spin. Ben Whitehead plays Musk and Sarah Lawrie is the ship’s next generation computer, with conjurings of Donald Trump, Sir Patrick Moore and Arthur C Clarke. 7pm, Aug 1-2. The Forty Elephants tells the story of an all-female criminal syndicate based in Elephant and Castle in 1920s London. Featuring original musical compositions by Jack Blakey, the show combines a unique fusion of dance and physical theatre with expressive storytelling. 9pm Aug 4-5. Theatro Technis.

Native Wit at The Libra Cafe

• Performed by Ayodele Scott and David Evans, born in Sierra Leone and Nigeria respectively, Native Wit is a patchwork of six stories drawing on formative episodes from their childhoods in colonial West Africa. Although they occupied vastly different points on the spectra of privilege, complexion and colonial history, they meet in their agbo, or playing space, as kindred spirits – two wide-eyed boys keen to enter each other’s lives. The show includes drum, dance, song, story and laughter. Various times, Aug 6-10. The Canterville Ghost: The Musical reimagines Oscar Wilde’s beloved story, and features an original score and soundtrack. When a modern American family moves into an old English manor house, the resident spook is determined to scare them off. 5pm, Aug 23-24. The Libra Café.

Miss at The Lion & Unicorn Theatre

• Miss follows a day in the life of a secondary school English teacher. From the students and staff she encounters, and everything in between, the play highlights the joy, heartbreak and humanity of a profession in crisis. 7pm, Aug 7-9. Lion and Unicorn Theatre.

The Musical of Mirror at Courtyard

• The Musical of Mirror blends storytelling and music, drawing the audience into a psychological maze where reality and illusion collide. A folk musical about identity and family pressures within an East Asian context, it reveals the hidden struggles behind the “good child” mask, silent repression and control disguised as love. 4.30pm, Aug 8 & 10. Tango in Silk tells the story of an East Asian woman arriving in the UK – her fear, tension, and cultural collision – expressed through a fusion of Argentine tango and Chinese qipao style. 6pm, Aug 9.

Tales of a Jane Austen Spinster at Courtyard

In Tales of a Jane Austen Spinster, a Jane Austen heroine finds herself thrown into the modern world of dating. She must set aside her expectations to brave this new world of courtship, but the unsolicited pictures and lack of chivalry may be all too much. Will she persevere, take charge of her story and find love or retreat back into the safety of her pages? 7.30pm Aug 8-10. The Courtyard Theatre.

Holly Hudson: Shipfaced at various venues

• Raw, unfiltered stand-up, Holly Hudson: Shipfaced is a savage, comic ride through midlife reinvention—fire, divorce, single parenthood, and a houseboat called home. 4pm, Aug 9, Museum of Comedy; 3.30pm, Aug 10 & 6.30pm, Aug 17, Camden Comedy Club; 9.30pm, Aug 19-20, Canal Café Theatre.

The Marriage of Figaro at the Cockpit and Upstairs at the Gatehouse

• White Lotus is a bilingual, movement-led production exploring British-Chinese identity. Blending shadow puppetry, Chinese opera movement, and the meditative artistry of ink painting, the show explores legacy, inter­generational trauma, and diasporic connection across time and space. 7pm, Aug 11-12. Opera Kipling’s latest production is a 90-minute version of Mozart’s beloved master­piece, The Marriage of Figaro. As Figaro and Susanna prepare for their wedding, secrets unravel, identities are mistaken, and love is put to the test. Will scheming nobles or cunning servants change the course of history? Will love triumph over power? 6.30pm, Aug 7-8; 4pm Aug 9, The Cockpit; 7pm, Aug 16 &  2pm, Aug17, Upstairs at the Gatehouse.

• In To Mars, we join Maddy and her brother Jack as they journey to the red planet and meet an actual Martian. Except they’re the aliens here… Maddy and Jack’s relationship is tested in this unfamiliar environment. How much is a pinky promise really worth? Ages 6+  2pm & 5pm, Aug 16-17. Bridewell Theatre.

• Combining experimental puppetry (crafted from recycled objects, such as plastic bottles, fabric and paper) and physical theatre, Rip Current delve into the rich, often overwhelming sensory experiences of neurodivergent individuals. Taking inspiration from the natural phenomenon of a rip current, a calm surface concealing powerful and invisible undertows, the piece becomes a vivid metaphor for hidden emotional landscapes. ages 12+ 6.30pm, Aug 16-17, Little Angel Theatre.

Fickle Eulogy at The Hope Theatre

• Please Shoot the Messenger is about a cursed royal messenger during a plague, determined to prove their worth, and mixes Shakespeare, clowning, and physical comedy. 7pm, Aug 13-15. Based on true events, Fickle Eulogy delves into the messy, unpredictable nature of mourning. Ann is tasked with delivering a loving eulogy for her mother, Sue – who refused vaccines, distrusted science, and ultimately died of Covid-19. As the funeral looms, Ann wrestles with grief, frustration, and guilt, slipping into different characters and memories in a solo show explor­ing loss, love, and the seductive power of misinformation. 7pm, Aug 16-18. The Hope Theatre.

SPUDS: Tatties in Business at Aces & Eights

• In SPUDS: Tatties in Business, Dave and Greg, two clueless potatoes, are in command of a teleshopping channel. Catch these man-child tatties selling bizarre goods, fighting, schmoozing with the shoppers and navigating a precarious existence. This interactive show is a surreal rollercoaster ride into couch capitalism and the dying world of teleshopping. These budding spuds will win your heart, steal your dog and maybe sell it back to you. 6.30pm, Aug 16, 8pm Aug 18-20. Aces and Eights.

• Part stand-up, part soul-searching monologue, Laughing Matters is a bittersweet exploration of grief, love, and creativity. The show follows up-and-coming stand-up comedian Chris as a life-changing tragedy forces him to throw out his once-reliable stand-up material and start again. As he struggles to rebuild his set and his life, he must also confront deeper questions about closure, performance, and what it means to be authentic in the face of tragedy. 7.30pm, Aug 22-23. Canal Café Theatre.

Two Women Hamlet at The Old Red Lion Theatre

• Part of Shakefest, in Two Women Hamlet two women (and a skull) take on 23 roles between them in 75 minutes. 6.30m, Aug 12-14. Puck: A Fairy’s Tale, a family show (ages 8-12) inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream, explores themes of neurodivergence, mixed heritage, family relationships, identity, and feeling “different”. We Join Shakespeare’s most mischievous fairy on a comedic and heartfelt ride through his magical origin story. 5pm Aug 23-24. Old Red Lion Theatre.

July 15th to… at Rosemary Branch Theatre

• How do you move forward when your mind keeps pulling you back? Through flashbacks and dynamic shifts in time, July 15th to … explores the highs and lows of Ella’s world – moments of excitement and creativity with unstoppable energy, followed by deep sadness and overwhelming darkness. Ella’s emotions take central stage, shaping the world around her. Time feels unpredictable, memories blur with reality, and the weight of grief is always present. It’s a story about the impact of trauma, the struggle to regain control, and the search for healing. 7pm Aug 22-24. Rosemary Branch Theatre.

• The Camden Fringe runs from July 28-August 24. All shows can be booked online at camdenfringe.com/