It's the final week before tinsel and fairy dust takes over the nation's theatres, but there are still shows worth seeking out in the coming week. Down on the Hampshire coast The Point at Eastleigh is doing some ambitious programming. On Tuesday and Wednesday you can catch Forced Entertainment's Exquisite Pain, and on the following Saturday Blind Summit's terrific puppet show Low Life is playing for one night only.
Doo Cot may have fallen by the wayside, a victim of devolvement to the regions and the Arts Council's knife, but adult puppetry is very much on the up. Blind Summit are the new kids on the block but old timers Green Ginger are playing at Bristol's Tobacco Factory this week with Rust, a show that's been raved about in Europe and abroad but has barely been seen in the country. It's our loss.
Further north you can catch Steve Unwin's fine revival of The Changeling at the Lowry this week, and catch up with Rani Moorthy's Shades of Brown which Alfred Hickling has raved about. I'm also intrigued by Motherland at Live in Newcastle, a piece based on interviews with those who have family or lovers serving in the current Middle East conflict. Put a date in your diary: next week the legendary Geraldine Pilgrim will be creating two large scale outdoor pieces in Newcastle parks. The first is in Leazes Park (December 6-9) and the other in Saltwell Park from December 13. Well worth a look.
Further north still, Gregory Thompson's great revival of Brian Friel's Molly Sweeney is winding up its tour. It's in Duns this week before heading for the Glasgow Citizens and the Traverse in Edinburgh.
Back in London, I'd opt for The Brothers Size at the Young Vic and the brilliant Enda Walsh/Mark Ravenhill double bill Chatroom/Citizenship at the National. Looking ahead, you should be booking for Rose in Kingston which opens its doors on January 16 for Peter Hall's production of Uncle Vanya. Personally I don't really think we need any more new theatres in this country, but I have to admit that this replica of the 17th century theatre of the same name (the remains are close to the Globe) is exquisite, as is Hall's casting: Nicholas Le Prevost as Vanya, Neil Pearson as Astrov and Ronald Pickup as Serebryakov.
Anyone interested in the future of theatre should be booking for Intimacy: Across Visceral and Digital Performance, a three day series of workshops, seminars, performances and happenings that takes place in London from December 7-9. Sounds fab.
