Golem, Manchester
Jewish folklore becomes a fable about 21st-century technology in this show from theatre company 1927. It’s a clever satire on consumerism and the persuasions of those who want to sell us more things, but the real joy is not so much in what it tells us about the world as the way it paints that world. Imagine Metropolis crossed with Monty Python and you will have a flavour of Paul Barritt’s extraordinarily inventive visuals and animations that make your eyes dance with pleasure and sometimes surprise. Even if this extremely clever show doesn’t make you feel anything much, the attention to detail and wit of the satire will leave you open-mouthed.
Home, Wed to 17 Oct
LG
French Without Tears, London
Set at a French language crammer for adults (mainly men), French Without Tears finds l’amour rearing its head with the arrival of a young woman. Phrases such as “The pen of my aunt is on the table” and “The postillion has been by struck by lightning” are familiar bizarre translations from French-language textbooks of yore, and this is the era conjured up by this 1936 play, which was the first big hit for Terence Rattigan. Penned prior to such mid-century classics as The Deep Blue Sea and The Winslow Boy, it is a light comedy that was also responsible for making a a star of Rex Harrison.
Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, Thu to 21 Nov
MC
A Wolf In Snakeskin Shoes, London
From the title alone, it’s hard to discern the origin of Marcus Gadley’s A Wolf In Snakeskin Shoes: it is, in fact, a reworking of the Molière classic comedy Tartuffe, set in the US world of multimillionaires and mega churches. As super-rich Archibald Organdy awaits his end with his family, from the deep south comes archbishop Tardimus Toof, a preacher, healer and part-time masseur (in the aforementioned shoes) with the covert aim of lightening bulging wallets rather than healing and absolving souls. The Tricycle Theatre’s artistic director, Indhu Rubasingham, who tackled Gardley’s The House That Will Not Stand last year, directs a cast led by Sharon D Clarke and Lucian Msamati.
Tricycle Threatre, NW6, Thu to 14 Nov
MC
The Crucible, Bristol
Tom Morris directs a major revival of Arthur Miller’s landmark play, inspired by both 17th-century Salem and the anti-communist witch-hunts of 1950s America. The Salem witch trials indicted dozens of entirely innocent people and the investigations of Senator McCarthy and the US House Un-American Activities Committee did exactly the same in a postwar US that was gripped by the cold war and saw reds under every bed. Miller’s 1953 play is one of his most enduring, and tells of how, when a group of young women are accused of dancing in the forest, one of their number, Abigail, starts accusing others. Included in the number facing the death penalty for cavorting with the devil is the man she loves, the married John Proctor. Soon everyone is pointing the finger at everyone else and, as fear and hysteria spreads, no one is safe.
Bristol Old Vic, Thu to 7 Nov
LG
Brief Encounters At Bradford Interchange
No, not a version of Noël Coward’s play about a married man and woman who fall in love at a railway station, but a new play written by Rav Sanghera and produced by Freedom Studios. Sanghera has spent time observing the comings and goings at Bradford Interchange train and bus station and interviewing passengers and staff to create a show that celebrates this liminal space and the city’s welcoming spirit through a series of entwined stories. A site-specific promenade show, this is a piece that excavates hidden lives of those who pass through or work at the interchange. Tom Wright directs and takes audiences on their own journey in a place where journeys start and end.
Bradford Interchange, Tue to 10 Oct
LG
Fierce Festival, Birmingham
Performance, theatre, dance, music and parties are all in the Fierce mix. There is plenty to catch the eye, including Ria Hartley’s Spit Kit (Bom, Fri to 10 Oct), a one-on-one encounter and a chance to talk about genetics and chromosomes. Or follow Simone Kenyon and Neil Callaghan around for Permutations In The City (city centre, Thu to 11 Oct), an ever-changing performance that responds to architecture and which will take place in various locations from a roof top to a canal side. Look out for the premiere of the latest from Chris Goode & Company, Weaklings (Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Wed & Thu). The performance is inspired by the blog of cult US punk writer Dennis Cooper, and unveils a hidden world as it asks: “Who are we to each other online?”
Various venues, Wed to 11 Oct
LG
