Science fiction as a genre takes many forms. It can have its roots in fantasy, transporting the reader to parallel worlds. On the other hand, it can serve as a warning to humanity, attempting to preemptively prevent catastrophic events from unfolding — 1984, for example. We meet Rey (Jake Mace), a 20-something queer nightclubber. Rey’s best friend, Robin, appears to be embarking on a polyamorous relationship. Rey's friend Flora has an almost omniscient quality. Rey is on a mi

Siobhán arrives, or, as she puts it, is “chucked off” the airport bus, in central Paris. She has booked a holiday apartment and can barely contain her excitement as she is shown around. The apartment, belonging to Anna, is located in the exalted Latin Quarter and radiates style – wooden floorboards, artsy posters, original artwork and books. The host’s agent meticulously reels off a list of forbidden fruit: access to the locked wardrobe and drawers, her belongings, her food a

Some performances—especially those featuring circus and juggling—can only truly work in a large space. However,  Café de Profundis  has at its core an intimacy, making the Beseda stage at Prague Fringe a fitting venue for this show. The stage is minimally yet intriguingly set: a small table and chairs stage right, and a glowing circular shape affixed to the backdrop. Ofelia Grey enters deliberately and strikingly. Is she stalking? Her movement evokes a flamenco style. She beg

Some people simply don’t have a filter, managing to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Our protagonist is one such person. Gobstopper  unfolds the story of a young woman in a small Scottish town. For the benefit of international readers, gobstoppers are large, round, boiled sweets, best consumed slowly to avoid breaking your teeth. (The word “gob” is British slang for “mouth.”) Given their size and nature, gobstoppers take a long time to consume, inadvertently silencing c

Grand Guignol de Milan presents three vignettes inspired by real-life events. The first of these is  The Butcher . It is just another day for the working ladies at a late 19th-century Milan brothel. However, they are alarmed by reports of a serial killer – a butcher’s assistant – at large in the city. The newspaper article, falteringly read aloud by semi-literate Rosetta (Giulia Mazza), reveals a description of the butcher, complete with an unmistakeable tattoo. The butcher s

It doesn’t seem so long ago that, to go shopping, you’d head for your nearest town centre or mall. The internet drove a truck through that model, though, and click-purchasing has become the norm. So simple is it that consumers can sit at home and bring the world to their doorstep – over and over again. But what if this purchasing became compulsive? Enter Michele Puleio. His character marvels at the simplicity and efficiency of online buying. He is aware of the cost of this sy

Actors As Messengers. We were supposed to be done with this, weren’t we? Children fleeing conflict and persecution in war-torn Europe should belong to the annals of history, it being some 85 years since the Kindertransport saved over 10,000 children. But here we are again - this time it is Ukrainian citizens fleeing their homes for a future that is far from certain, or indeed, not always welcoming. Once Upon a Time in Ukraine  takes personal testimonies of Ukrainian refugees

Nigel Miles-Thomas is no stranger to the Prague Fringe. In fact, it’s fair to say that he has had a prolific and varied career on television and stage. His tale,  Once Upon A Time In Hollywoodland , might just be the most dramatic though. And it’s all true… Miles-Thomas recounts his deeply personal tale at the intimate Café Míšenská. We learn of a deprived childhood in a north London suburb. His father, a major in the Indian army, abandons the family when he is six years old.

Letters have power. Often they’re just junk mail of course, or bills to be ignored, to be paid even, if that is your volition. Then there are happier communications – invitations to weddings, greetings cards and, for those of a certain era, love letters. But then there are those that change your life irrevocably. This is Joe Rawling’s deeply personal story. Spoiler alerts : 1. he has contracted cancer, but survives; 2. this production is funny. Joe is informed, chillingly, di

Who's the most famous Czech of all time ? Dvořák, Smetana, Navratilova, Kafka, Havel? But the greatest – it surely must be Jára Cimrman. You’ve never heard of the polymath? He invented the lightbulb, yoghurt and when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, he found he had three missed calls from Cimrman… He was also a renowned actor and sought to pass his wisdom along, developing his ten acting commandments, including such gems as “on stage you generally have a differen

When  the time comes to become a parent, you just know…right ? Especially the woman – the maternal instinct is reputedly strong. But what if you aren’t so sure ? Alice No , by La Petite Mort Teatro, is staged at The Museum of Alchemists at the 23rd Prague Fringe; such a lovely venue. The stage is small, no - intimate, immediately instilling the sense that the narrator is about to reveal herself to us. We soon learn that our protagonist, Alice, (Sofia Pauly) has just undergone

According to  Guinness World Records , Sherlock Holmes is the most portrayed human literary character in film and television history. Many of his exploits were written about in The Strand magazine by his investigative companion and flat-mate Dr John Watson. Such was Holmes’ widespread public appeal, that when Arthur Conan Doyle killed the character off at Reichenbach Falls, some 20,000 subscriptions were cancelled. Indeed, the cult of Holmes seems to have, at least partially,

Staying  true to yourself and your beliefs in a complex world can be tricky. Standing up against governments, especially those which embrace totalitarianism, can be positively dangerous. Ants And Other Strong Things  is presented at the Rubin Theatre as part of Prague Fringe in its 23rd year, its black box studio setting consisting of little more than a series of drinks crates and coat stand. The backdrop screen tells us that the events unfolding are in the future, the year 2