The stage is set: just a solitary chair. But where is our performer? A latecomer shuffles in, hesitates, exits and then returns. It is, of course, our performer - Antonio Anzilotti De Nitto, demonstrating considerable clowning skill before he’s even reached the stage. This is Radici (Roots), a solo production that brings to life a trio of characters, each marginalised under the Third Reich. The first character is a homosexual, who has embraced Berlin’s thriving queer culture

The Alchemist Bar in Prague can get unbearably hot during a heatwave — and this might contribute to the slow opening fifteen or so minutes of Beatrice Schiaffino's English-language debut, but once she gets into its rhythm The High Priestess - Johanna is a memorable, intoxicating hour that brilliantly draws on the Pope Joan myth and recontextualises it with imagination this Prague Fringe. Schiaffino's production draws on the second card of the Major Arcana, La Papesse — which

Starting with the ‘Wall Street Crash’ of 1929, the Great Depression hit everybody in the USA and its contagion spread across the globe, echoing Metternich’s observation that “when France sneezes, Europe catches cold”. Its social and economic consequences were devastating, leaving an indelible mark on the American psyche. The era has inspired countless works of literature, including The Grapes of Wrath and To Kill a Mockingbird. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice And Men is another, an

The Kaddish is an Aramaic hymn to God, whose name is derived from ‘sanctuary’, usually associated with mourning. kaddish (how to be a sanctuary) is a solo performance which draws on this heritage, while simultaneously examining some aspects of geopolitics. The stage has a large white frame as its backdrop and two separate areas are rapidly established downstage, from which two different narratives are intertwined by Sam Sherman. Stage right, Sherman speaks as his own grandfat

A man wanders through the aisle at Metro Comedy Club, acknowledging various audience members and welcoming them. But this is the 25th Prague Fringe festival and of course there is more to this than meets the eye: Arthur Vinegar (Euan Fraser) is only wearing underpants and a grubby vest. Over the course of the next 50 minutes or so, Vinegar proceeds to clown and entertain, all loosely themed around his desire to be a “good boy”. An audience member is nominally designated to be

“What are the chances?” – a phrase usually bandied around carelessly and thoughtlessly. But, just occasionally, someone will take it upon themselves to dig a little deeper into probabilities. Enter Smita Russell, with her production ODDS ARE. Russell is seated at a table, with a clutch of notes and a book; we immediately have the sense of a woman searching for answers. She describes how she has always been drawn to science, or in her words “nerdy” – indeed, her future husband

Don Quixote is widely regarded as a masterpiece of European literature. Its influence is wide and words such as “quixotic” and “lothario” have entered the modern lexicon, while the phrase “tilting at windmills” remains a familiar expression. Countless adaptations have appeared over the years and at the 25th international Prague Fringe, Skottes Musikteater presents its own distinctive interpretation. A brief plot summary: Alonso Quixano begins to lose his grip on reality after

An assortment of boxing items awaits us at the Divadlo Inpirace, part of the 25th international Prague Fringe: this is Boxeur. Stefano Pietro Detassis interweaves the stories of two boxers from the first half of the twentieth century. Europe was ravaged by two World Wars and it is especially the rise of fascism that provides the backdrop to Pequod Compagnia’s production. We meet the poverty-stricken Eugenio “Smit” Lorenzoni, brought up in northern Italy during Mussolini’s asc

Reality and fiction blur in Sherlock Holmes The Death and Life. The game is afoot! The production opens with a Strand Magazine shareholders’ meeting and there are furrowed brows. Their sales had enjoyed a 65% increase after they had serialised the Sherlock Holmes stories. However, Arthur Conan Doyle has informed them that he intends to dispense with the celebrated detective. Just why is he killing the golden goose? We cut to Conan Doyle. He has grown weary of the character, n

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