Off-West End Theatre Gives New Works a Vital London Platform

Admin

July 31, 2024
3 min read

Off-West End Theatre Gives New Works a Vital London Platform

West London’s off-West End theatre scene continues to be a fertile ground for new and innovative creative works, such as “How to Kill a Chicken,” which returns to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer following its London premiere at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith earlier this year.

Off-West End theatre continues to give a platform to emerging work in the capital – with an Edinburgh Fringe re-run announced for “How to Kill a Chicken”.

The show presents a dream holiday narrative: a young girl learns to surf, rides horseback on deserted beaches, and falls in love.

What starts as a clichéd, sex-fuelled holiday romance quickly shifts, revealing a darker, more complex story. The play is accompanied by music that sings, weeps, and laughs, becoming a character in its own right as it unravels the raw truth about womanhood: even in paradise, a woman’s safety is a fragile illusion.

The critically-acclaimed dark comedy will have a limited two-week run at Underbelly’s Bristo Square during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Written by Gigi Tisminetzky and directed by Lauren Lambert Moore, known for her work on “Gweneth Goes Skiing,” the play delves into themes of love, consent, and the complexities of female identity. Set against the stunning backdrop of Costa Rica’s golden beaches, the performance is enriched by the mesmerizing cello music of award-winning artist Midori Jaeger.

Off-West End Venues Nurturing New Works

The show appeared in the line-up of the venue’s Bitesize Festival IIII back in February, which enjoyed its largest iteration yet with 78 total performances across two venues. Performances saw a 61% increase in audience attendance on average compared with the previous festival in July 2023.

Figures for the theatre’s most recent festival in June-July 2024 have yet to be released. The festival serves as a platform for new work across all genres and theatre practices.

Off-West End theatre continues to give a platform to emerging work in the capital, including shows like 'How to Kill a Chicken' — Off-West End theatre continues to give a platform to emerging work in the capital, including shows like ‘How to Kill a Chicken’

Inspired by real-life events, “How to Kill a Chicken” aims to ignite crucial conversations about female sexuality and the profound impact of abuse. Supported by The Survivors Trust, the production also seeks to raise awareness and provide support for abuse survivors.

The journey to bring this play to the stage has been a collaborative effort which includes music at its centre. Dramaturg Ella Rowdon and director Lauren Lambert Moore have have worked. Midori Jaeger’s cello weaves music into the production.

The production’s return to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival follows a successful festival appearance and London debut for the production’s creators.