Local Highlights of the First Week of the Wandsworth Arts Fringe
Huge range of events taking place in Putney and Roehampton
Kathy Maniura performing at Putney Arts Theatre
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May 31, 2024
The Wandsworth Arts Fringe (WAF) is taking place this year over 17 days in June with an eclectic programme of arts & culture.
The open access arts festival has a huge range of events across the borough to choose from with many taking place in Putney and Roehampton.
Since 2010, WAF has brought together hundreds of creatives in an annual line-up of theatre and comedy, music concerts, art exhibitions, experimental performance art, outdoor art extravaganzas, and everything in between. The festival is funded by Wandsworth Council with contributions from Arts Council England.
Originally introduced in 2018 as a provision for housebound audiences, WAF In Your Living Room is WAF's digital programme strand, which aims to make events accessible to as many art-lovers as possible.
Below is just a selection of the events that are on locally. For full listings visit the WAF web site.
Kathy Maniura – Objectifed
Friday 7 June – 8-9pm
Kathy Maniura looks at lots of small objects - a wine bottle, a guitar, a scooter, a straw, next to tiny versions of her. She is ready to be objectified – by which she means pretend to be a bunch of objects live on stage.
In her debut solo show, this award-winning character comedian brings to life a few of her favourite things – and a lot of her least favourite. Meet an exhausting paper straw, a desperate electric scooter and a teeny tiny sexy little airpod among others in an hour of silliness that might make you look at the world a little differently.
Kathy is a Group 64 alumnus and very excited to return to the Putney Arts Theatre with her debut solo show.
Putney Arts Theatre, Ravenna Road, Putney, SW15 6AW
Tickets: £10.00 Concessions: £7.00
Anne Jones & Stuart Deacon – Roehampton Wine and Song
Friday 7 June – 7.30-9pm
Narrated music and wine pairings draw together the natural link between grape and song cycles. Returning to this year’s festival by popular demand, an evening of wine tasting and song with Anne Jones in Holy Trinity Roehampton
Holy Trinty Church, 79 Medfield Street, Roehampton, SW15 4JY
Pay what you can, no booking required - £10
Dodomu Nights: Big Fat Comedy Night
Friday 7 June – 9.10-11pm
A comedian stands on a stage laughing to himself as he tries to get his microphone to work. Late Night Comedy show from six up-coming comedians including finalists of the Max Turner Prize.
Tickets: £10.00 Concessions: £8.00
Zhiyan Cai – The Nine Songs: Asian Art Performance
Saturday 8 June – 2-6.30pm
HeritageXeno, an organisation dedicated to promoting Asian arts, takes you on a journey of discovery, exploring Asian culture through traditional and contemporary performing arts.
This performance will encompass a variety of Asian cultural elements, including cross-disciplinary arts combining digital art with dance, theatre, classical music and Asian fashion. It is a collaboration with numerous digital artists and dance troupes with the aim of showcasing a fusion of traditional and modern Asian culture through diverse art forms.
Tickets: £10.00 Concessions: £5.00
New Stagers: Scene Unseen
Saturday 8 June and Sunday 9 June
New Stagers
'Scene Unseen' is back at the Wandsworth Arts Fringe with another selection of original short plays, all written, directed and performed by the award-winning amateur theatre group, New Stagers.
'Scene Unseen' started as a platform for local writers to showcase their talents and from humble beginnings in 2016, has grown to become a regular event in the Fringe's annual calendar.
Eight years of original writing has produced a catalogue of shows, with themes ranging from the awkward morning after and chats with a houseplant, right through to reflections on the modern female experience.
There are two shows each day 4-5.30pm and 6.30-8pm Saturday and 2-3,30pm and 4.30-6pm Sunday.
The Arches at St. Mary’s Church, High Street, Putney, SW15 1SN
Tickets: £8.00
Dodomu Days: Feminism in 2024
Sunday 9 June – 12-1pm
2 women sit in conversation, dressed in yellow. One has a phone in her hand and speaks, the other listens. Conversations and readings from artists around the world live in the arch under Putney bridge. Let's unpack the important topics for women and the LGBTQ+ community in the world right now.
The Arches at St. Mary’s Church, High Street, Putney, SW15 1SN
Tickets: £10.00 Concessions: £8.00
Buskers Inc: The Apprentice
Sunday 9 June
How far would you go for a second chance at life? And what would you do differently? These are the questions faced by Mitch Rozentzki, alpha male and media tycoon who finds himself dead. The beyond is not quite what it seems, and Marlon, its gatekeeper, may be more foe than friend.
As he grapples with the turn of events, and his unruly afterlife companions, Mitch gets to look back at a life shaped by shifting circumstances, waning principles and, ultimately, greed. Can he redeem himself and do better next time?
The Apprentice is a satirical take on power, life choices, and the media.
Written and directed by Chiara Vascotto, and performed by multicultural, multilingual theatre company Buskers Inc.
There are two performances from 3-4pm and from 7-8pm.
The Half Moon, 93 Lower Richmond Road, Putney, SW15 IEU
Carole Shaw: The Queen, Shakespeare and Me
Saturday 8 June – Monday 10 June 6-7pm
Carole Shaw
Affectionate musical comedy tribute to the world’s longest-serving monarch - a thoroughly modern, fully empowered female role model who headed up a country & united a commonwealth for over 70 years.
From the vantage point of her Platinum Jubilee and final year, we see how this colourful, powerful lady head of state defined the postwar era. In this show, Carole Shaw reflects on HM’s long life and reveals her ‘all’ to her people – her undying love for her corgis, the men in her life, her singlehanded success at forging peace processes, her secret passion for motorbikes … with a surprise ‘coming out’ at 96. "Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety".
You are regally commanded to join the singing, dancing Queen for tea, free cake & biscuits and a gracious glimpse into unseen aspects of her life - with audience participation, Shakespeare, SingalongaLiz & a quiz. Don’t miss Handbag – the regal older lady’s Fleabag and the UK’s answer to Mrs Maisel! We may mourn the end of an era, but HM would not have wished us to be miserable.
St. Mary’s Church, High Street, Putney, SW15 1SN
Tickets: £10.00 Concessions: £8.00
Shakesqueer: Midsummer Night’s Rave
Saturday 8 June and Sunday 9 June 9.30-11pm
This new immersive adaptation of William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', set to some of the most iconic dance music of all time, returns. This is a Midsummer Night’s RAVE!
While four young lovers go on the run and their relationships are put to the test, a group of performers prepare for the most spectacular show ever.... but a group of mischievous fairies have other ideas.
'Midsummer Night's Rave' immerses you in the world of rave culture in the surroundings of the arches of Putney Bridge.
The Arches at St. Mary’s Church, High Street, Putney, SW15 1SN
Tickets: £10.00 Concessions: £8.00
Objectively Funny: Harriet Kemsley & Ania Magliano (Works in Progress)
Monday 10 June 7.30-9.45pm
Harriet Kemsley & Ania Magliano
Starring 'Live at the Apollo' and '8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown's Harriet Kemsley and Ania Magliano, the Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Show nominee.
These are warm-up shows that will eventually be tours heading around the country, so catch them now for twice the fun at half the price.
The Half Moon, 93 Lower Richmond Road, Putney, SW15 IEU
Tickets: £15.00
Objectively Funny: Sophie Duker & Celya Ab (Works in Progress)
Tuesday 11 June 7.30-9.45pm
Sophie Duker & Celya Ab
Featuring Sophie Duker from Taskmaster and Celya AB oof 'Live at the Apollo' and the 'Off Menu' podcast.
The Half Moon, 93 Lower Richmond Road, Putney, SW15 IEU
Dodomu Days: Funny Ladies
Monday 11 June 12-1pm
Let's unpack the important topics for women and the LGBTQ+ community in the world right now.
Funny Ladies unpacks how the world of Comedy, sports and technology remain male dominated, how this can be changes.
With the success of groups like the Lionesses at the world cup, hear from change-makers about how power is shifting.
The Arches at St. Mary’s Church, High Street, Putney, SW15 1SN
Tickets: £10.00 Concessions: £8.00
Torn to Ribbons – Dylan Dodd: Grounddodds Day
Tuesday 11 June and Wednesday 12 June 9-10pm
Dylan Dodd
Dylan’s last show (“an innovative way to experience a quarter-life crisis” – the Wee Review) ended with him deciding to have children. Since then he’s been stuck in a time loop.
Now he’s presenting the follow-up, giving audiences the chance to join him in the loop, if only for an hour. The show examines that feeling you get when you realise you’re older than Jesus, and substantially far off having as big of an impact. Along with many of the big problems facing people in their 30s. Particularly: how do you build a family and move forward when every day feels like the one before?
Whether a new parent, prospective parent, or someone who’s sworn off kids altogether, this show is for you. If you’ve ever felt like nothing you can do will change things... This show is for you. If your thoughts go round like windmills, getting stuck down rabbit holes… This show is for you. If you enjoy copious amounts of repetition... You get the idea.
Tickets: £5.50 Concessions: £3.00
Birthday Fish Theatre
Tuesday 11 June to Thursday 13 June 7.30-8.30pm
Escaping the party presents a gruelling choice: endure existential crisis forever? Or learn to stay numb to it all?
Combining physical theatre with surrealist horror and cartoon comedy, Birthday Fish asks: are we all fish out of water?
Erin and Steph are Northern performers and writers based in London. They met whilst training in contemporary dance at Trinity Laban, and lived together for two years forming their now 7 year-long friendship.
Birthday Fish was born out of their desire to write and perform work that felt relevant and relatable to themselves and their peers. Erin and Steph brought their love for comedy, surrealism and cartoon characters together with physical theatre to explore the realities of being in your twenties, navigating life as a creative, living in a big city… and feeling like a fish out of water.
The Arches at St. Mary’s Church, High Street, Putney, SW15 1SN
Zhiyan Cai: The Nine Songs – Asian Art Exhibition
Wednesday 12 June to Sunday 23 June
'The Nine Songs - Asian Art Exhibition' unveils a captivating display of the diversity and ingenuity inherent in Asian culture.
Comprising both a visual arts exhibition and a theatrical exhibition, the art exhibition will be showcased at Putney Library, featuring traditional and contemporary works such as paintings, sculptures, and photography by talented Asian artists. (See separate listing for performance information.)
"The Nine Songs" aims to underscore the unique allure and limitless creativity of Asian culture, inviting participants to immerse themselves in an artistic landscape that seamlessly melds traditional and modern elements. Join us in exploring the captivating blend of Asian traditions and the marvels of contemporary technology.
The Wild Woman Show
Tuesday 18 June and Wednesday 19 June 9-10pm
Narin Özenci returns with her alter ego Narin Oz
Surreal deadpan comedy actress and writer, Narin Özenci returns with her alter ego Narin Oz to the stage with her solo show, The Wild Woman- in progress.
This show is a love letter to her own struggles of coming to terms with being autistic, trying to make sense and cope with the world around her. The show is still developing and turning into a magnificent beast and Narin is inviting all brains to come and watch. Follow her alter ego Narin Oz as she ventures off into the surreal world of her unfinished show falling into plot holes. Watch her futile attempts of pulling herself out of them, info dump, play with her sensory overload and melt downs not wanting to be the wild woman in progress.
Alice from check out 5 stacks shelves in a Turkish corner shop. Her real name is Melek but her boss made her wear an Alice name tag because of budget cuts. Whilst stacking shelves during a night shift, to make up for her lateness, the electrics cut out. She awakens to find herself inside her own brain, wearing a very scary wedding dress in the frozen food section. In order to escape back to the real world she must find her way out by revisiting all her past memories that are packed away in different aisles before she forgets everything and ends up betrothed. Luckily there to support her are her trusty sidekicks, Severed Finger & Dr Faecal Matter who are completely unhelpful. Unawares lurking around the corner is the wild woman ready to sabotage her mission for freedom.
Expect audience interaction. Expect mayhem. Expect an unfinished show.
Narin has made three previous theatre shows for the Edinburgh Fringe festival, has her own show called Girls Go Trolling on Channel 4 and has appeared on BBC 1’s Man Like Mobeen amongst other things. Recently won best comedy for her short film The Geoffrey Diaries as part of Mindfield Film Festival.
The Arches At St Mary’s Church, High Street, Putney, SW15 1SN
Unexpected. Unexplained and Totally Glitchy
Tuesday 18 June and Wednesday 19 June 7.30-8.15pm
Brought to you by two sisters, Fab & Flo. Unexpected. Unexplained and Totally Glitchy is a brand new dark comedy, based on the lived experience of one person's diagnosis of Functional neurological disorder (FND) and their journey to remission.
Lucy doesn’t know what to do… Lucy, an exercise instructor and life juggler, is wading through life, with two jobs, living with Dad at 34… and single. Lucy pushes through, until she’s forced to stop.
When Lucy's life is overturned by The Malfunction, she is thrown into the unknown. Interrupted by unexplained sensations, involuntary movements and sporadically breaking into song, Lucy tries to make sense of it all. Will she completely lose her identity? Or find a new way of living?
This dark comedy shines the spotlight on FND to raise awareness and money for FND Hope UK, a charity which is part of the first & only global patient-led charity for people with Functional Neurological Disorder
“FND describes neurological symptoms like limb weakness, tremor, numbness or blackouts [and more], related to the movement and sensation parts of the nervous system…”
Expect multimedia, song, dance, some laughs and some serious moments.
Written & performed by Fabienne & Florentina Bowden with Music & Lyrics by Harry Creffield
The Arches At St Mary’s Church, High Street, Putney, SW15 1SN
Tickets are £10 | £8 concessions
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