Presented by Bloomsbury Festival as part of the New Wave programme, a platform for emerging talent.

Tickets: £12 (£10)

Based on a true story, this new piece of gig theatre by Frankie Regalia is a distinctly female story of motherhood, survival and intergenerational cycles of abuse.

Chickie is a woman divided. She is torn between her desire for freedom and her responsibilities as a mother. She wants her husband’s undivided love, but must grapple with him pulling the family into the illegal drug trade of the hippie movement.

Set during the turbulent 60s and 70s, this one-woman show combines intimate storytelling, dark humour and live music to tell a truly incredible story.

“★★★★” The Reviews Hub
“a splendid integration of music and story” London Pub Theatres

Presented by Bloomsbury Festival as part of the New Wave programme, a platform for emerging talent.

Tickets: £12 (£10)

Presented by Bloomsbury Festival as part of the New Wave programme, a platform for emerging talent.

Tickets: £12 (£10)

Based on a true story, this new piece of gig theatre by Frankie Regalia is a distinctly female story of motherhood, survival and intergenerational cycles of abuse.

Chickie is a woman divided. She is torn between her desire for freedom and her responsibilities as a mother. She wants her husband’s undivided love, but must grapple with him pulling the family into the illegal drug trade of the hippie movement.

Set during the turbulent 60s and 70s, this one-woman show combines intimate storytelling, dark humour and live music to tell a truly incredible story.

“★★★★” The Reviews Hub
“a splendid integration of music and story” London Pub Theatres

Presented by Bloomsbury Festival as part of the New Wave programme, a platform for emerging talent.

Tickets: £12 (£10)

Artist Gwendolyn Kassenaar will create a huge painting in a beautiful live improvised performance together with contemporary dancer Petra Haller.

Breath as metaphor for the unshackling of societal and cultural suffocation will be the narrative of this painting. It will depict the universally human story of personal liberation, being true to yourself and daring to live it regardless of expectations and judgements of others. From trodden-down figure to full spiritual awakening.

This performance will be a bold and innovative portrayal of finding spirituality and finding oneself. Watch the dance while seeing the artwork unfold in front of your eyes in an unusual, energetic and fast creation.

Tickets: £12 (£10)

This event has a limited number of free bursary places available, aimed at families or individuals who otherwise may not be able to attend events in the festival. Please email admin@bloomsburyfestival.org.uk to apply.

Presented by Bloomsbury Festival as part of the New Wave programme, a platform for emerging talent.

Tickets: £12 (£10)

Based on a true story, this new piece of gig theatre by Frankie Regalia is a distinctly female story of motherhood, survival and intergenerational cycles of abuse.

Chickie is a woman divided. She is torn between her desire for freedom and her responsibilities as a mother. She wants her husband’s undivided love, but must grapple with him pulling the family into the illegal drug trade of the hippie movement.

Set during the turbulent 60s and 70s, this one-woman show combines intimate storytelling, dark humour and live music to tell a truly incredible story.

“★★★★” The Reviews Hub
“a splendid integration of music and story” London Pub Theatres

Presented by Bloomsbury Festival as part of the New Wave programme, a platform for emerging talent.

Tickets: £12 (£10)

Presented by Bloomsbury Festival as part of the New Wave programme, a platform for emerging talent.

Tickets: £12 (£10)

Based on a true story, this new piece of gig theatre by Frankie Regalia is a distinctly female story of motherhood, survival and intergenerational cycles of abuse.

Chickie is a woman divided. She is torn between her desire for freedom and her responsibilities as a mother. She wants her husband’s undivided love, but must grapple with him pulling the family into the illegal drug trade of the hippie movement.

Set during the turbulent 60s and 70s, this one-woman show combines intimate storytelling, dark humour and live music to tell a truly incredible story.

“★★★★” The Reviews Hub
“a splendid integration of music and story” London Pub Theatres

Presented by Bloomsbury Festival as part of the New Wave programme, a platform for emerging talent.

Tickets: £12 (£10)

A one-woman show by India Harrison Peppe about intervention; of cancel-culture and what it means to market yourself as a feminist. Exploring what it means to have ‘principled sex’ and asks what lengths we will go to project an ideal image of ourselves, even at the expense of our own truth.

It’s the middle of the night, and social-media influencer Eliza decides which posts to queue for her Instagram tomorrow. But, when she comes across a comment from a follower asking why she has a bruise on her neck, Eliza’s world is thrown into flux. As the hours creep closer to the morning, Eliza must make a huge decision, whether to sustain a lie or re-brand.

Presented by Bloomsbury Festival as part of the New Wave programme, a platform for emerging talent.

Tickets: £8 (£6)

A highly physical piece of theatre that presents a multi-layered journey into the biological and emotional life of five female identifying performers. They serve as mirrors for each other, used to face the pure essence of themselves in relation to the world they inhabit.

This performance is loosely inspired by the work of Sarah Kane: her last play ‘4:48 Psychosis’ is the starting point for a courageous and extreme exploration that will push the physical boundaries of these five performers, questioning their individualities and their role in today’s society. We in turn establish a primordial language that unites this international cast.

Created and directed by Lecoq & RADA graduate Tommaso Giacomin through a collaborative process with the cast, 4:48 DIGESTION presents an extreme and absurd world where the boundaries between reality and the performers’ imagination are broken down. This process reveals an unflinchingly honest world where their connections are based solely on one true certainty: the blood that pumps through their veins.

Created & directed by TOMMASO GIACOMIN with:

Anita Pomario

Araminta Wraith

Claudia Gambino

Grace church

Miriam Elwell-Sutton

You keep playin’ where you shouldn’t be playin’
And you keep thinkin’ that you’ll never get burnt (ha)
I just found me a brand-new box of matches, yeah
And what he knows you ain’t had time to learn.

Tickets: £12 (£10)

A one-woman show by India Harrison Peppe about intervention; of cancel-culture and what it means to market yourself as a feminist. Exploring what it means to have ‘principled sex’ and asks what lengths we will go to project an ideal image of ourselves, even at the expense of our own truth.

It’s the middle of the night, and social-media influencer Eliza decides which posts to queue for her Instagram tomorrow. But, when she comes across a comment from a follower asking why she has a bruise on her neck, Eliza’s world is thrown into flux. As the hours creep closer to the morning, Eliza must make a huge decision, whether to sustain a lie or re-brand.

Presented by Bloomsbury Festival as part of the New Wave programme, a platform for emerging talent.

Tickets: £8 (£6)

A highly physical piece of theatre that presents a multi-layered journey into the biological and emotional life of five female identifying performers. They serve as mirrors for each other, used to face the pure essence of themselves in relation to the world they inhabit.

This performance is loosely inspired by the work of Sarah Kane: her last play ‘4:48 Psychosis’ is the starting point for a courageous and extreme exploration that will push the physical boundaries of these five performers, questioning their individualities and their role in today’s society. We in turn establish a primordial language that unites this international cast.

Created and directed by Lecoq & RADA graduate Tommaso Giacomin through a collaborative process with the cast, 4:48 DIGESTION presents an extreme and absurd world where the boundaries between reality and the performers’ imagination are broken down. This process reveals an unflinchingly honest world where their connections are based solely on one true certainty: the blood that pumps through their veins.

Created & directed by TOMMASO GIACOMIN with:

Anita Pomario

Araminta Wraith

Claudia Gambino

Grace church

Miriam Elwell-Sutton

You keep playin’ where you shouldn’t be playin’
And you keep thinkin’ that you’ll never get burnt (ha)
I just found me a brand-new box of matches, yeah
And what he knows you ain’t had time to learn.

Tickets: £12 (£10)

This new audio play was selected for development as part of the Bloomsbury Festival 2021 New Wave Theatre Writing programme. This live preview will be followed by and audio broadcast on Bloomsbury Radio at 7pm.

Umbrella explores the lived experience of Gran, who is experiencing dementia, and the people around her.

“A person who time-shifted may seem to be experiencing a different reality to you. … The person may feel like they are living in the past, because they’re using older memories to fill in the gaps to make sense of the present.” Time-Shifting and Dementia | Alzheimer’s Society

Presented by Bloomsbury Festival as part of the New Wave programme, a platform for emerging talent.

Tickets: FREE – but pre-booking is advised
(Suggested charity donation of £5 at performance)

A one-woman show by India Harrison Peppe about intervention; of cancel-culture and what it means to market yourself as a feminist. Exploring what it means to have ‘principled sex’ and asks what lengths we will go to project an ideal image of ourselves, even at the expense of our own truth.

It’s the middle of the night, and social-media influencer Eliza decides which posts to queue for her Instagram tomorrow. But, when she comes across a comment from a follower asking why she has a bruise on her neck, Eliza’s world is thrown into flux. As the hours creep closer to the morning, Eliza must make a huge decision, whether to sustain a lie or re-brand.

Presented by Bloomsbury Festival as part of the New Wave programme, a platform for emerging talent.

Tickets: £8 (£6)

“So far, we have managed to cut our plastic waste by over 2% thanks to the introduction of bamboo cutlery and compostable plates; I think that’s something we can all be really proud of.”

Following a sold-out performance at The White Bear Theatre, Finlay Stroud (Selling Like Hot Takes, Edinburgh Festival 2019) and Hugh Tappin (Is This It?, The White Bear Theatre 2021) present a new comedy about the corporate world and the climate crisis. Set against the backdrop of impending global catastrophe, Brighter, Bolder, Better finds us in a meeting of the committee of the same name – the corporate world’s last line of defence against environmental disaster. Join Nicholas, Jess, Ash & Rupert as they try to solve the world’s problems, one catchy slogan at a time.

Cast:
Nicholas – Hugh Tappin
Ash – Bethany Denham
Jess – Laura Pujos
Rupert – Fred Weinand

Directed by Finlay Stroud

Tickets: £8 (£6)

A one-woman show by India Harrison Peppe about intervention; of cancel-culture and what it means to market yourself as a feminist. Exploring what it means to have ‘principled sex’ and asks what lengths we will go to project an ideal image of ourselves, even at the expense of our own truth.

It’s the middle of the night, and social-media influencer Eliza decides which posts to queue for her Instagram tomorrow. But, when she comes across a comment from a follower asking why she has a bruise on her neck, Eliza’s world is thrown into flux. As the hours creep closer to the morning, Eliza must make a huge decision, whether to sustain a lie or re-brand.

Presented by Bloomsbury Festival as part of the New Wave programme, a platform for emerging talent.

Tickets: £8 (£6)

“So far, we have managed to cut our plastic waste by over 2% thanks to the introduction of bamboo cutlery and compostable plates; I think that’s something we can all be really proud of.”

Following a sold-out performance at The White Bear Theatre, Finlay Stroud (Selling Like Hot Takes, Edinburgh Festival 2019) and Hugh Tappin (Is This It?, The White Bear Theatre 2021) present a new comedy about the corporate world and the climate crisis. Set against the backdrop of impending global catastrophe, Brighter, Bolder, Better finds us in a meeting of the committee of the same name – the corporate world’s last line of defence against environmental disaster. Join Nicholas, Jess, Ash & Rupert as they try to solve the world’s problems, one catchy slogan at a time.

Cast:
Nicholas – Hugh Tappin
Ash – Bethany Denham
Jess – Laura Pujos
Rupert – Fred Weinand

Directed by Finlay Stroud

Tickets: £8 (£6)

Join us for the amazing story of how three healthcare scientists foil the Gunpowder Plot, with the help of 9 year old Princess Elizabeth, a malfunctioning MALDI-TOF machine and the weird and wonderful mysteries of Microbiology, Haematology, Biochemistry, Immunology, hand-washing, and time travel!

In London, 2022, scientists Lily, Rosa, and Frank are shocked to see a secret message – ‘HELPE’ – on a machine in their hospital laboratory and a strange map of Bloomsbury…

The message is from 1605. Princess Elizabeth has discovered plot to blow up her father the King, and Parliament. Guy Fawkes is in the Tower, and the race is on to find the Gunpowder Gang. Elizabeth, Lily, Rosa, Frank, Sir Jasper and the Tower Guard have one night to solve the dangerous riddle.

And they need your help.

Free activity packs. Please wear fancy dress – royalty, scientists, plotters – if you like.

By playwright Nicola Baldwin and Dr Elaine Cloutman-Green, Lead Healthcare Scientist at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Supported by HSEWG, GOSH School, The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) and the Society for Applied Microbiology (SfAM).

Tickets: FREE – But pre-booking is essential

‘So, this is my first ever blog post. Bear with me as I don’t really know what I’m doing. I’m what is known as a Clinical Scientist, and I work in Infection Control.’

Thus began the first blog by Dr Elaine Cloutman-Green, Lead Healthcare Scientist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, in December 2015. Five years later her occasional postings – ‘Girlymicro’ (‘scientist changing the world one swab at a time’) – became a weekly ritual.

Each blog written in a snatched hour during the pandemic, Girlymicro became a mental space populated with personal reflection, favourite microbes, special guests, puppet shows, and meditation on illness, family, and loss, but always with Elaine’s trademark humanity, humour, and curiosity about life.

This stage adaptation by Nicola Baldwin transforms Girlymicro into a welcoming Healthcare Science Afternoon Tea. Join Elaine, actors, and Healthcare Scientists to hear about the HCS job, about women in science, exploring the limits of what overstretched teams and individuals can achieve, saving lives through science, insight, community… and cake.

The Girlymicro Performance and Afternoon Tea is part of The Nosocomial Project’s Bloomsbury Festival takeover of Dr William’s Library.

This performance includes references to sickness and death and is suitable for ages 12+.

Tickets: FREE – but pre-booking is essential

In September 1928, Alexander Fleming returned to his laboratory from holiday. Before leaving, he had inoculated staphylococci on culture plates and left them on his bench. On return, one was contaminated with a fungus and the colonies of staphylococci surrounding it had been destroyed: by the antibiotic effect of penicillin.

Join us for a theatrical conversation between Healthcare Scientists, AMR researchers, actors and patients on the looming health crisis of antimicrobial resistance which Fleming predicted in his Nobel Prize acceptance. A journey of drama, personal stories and cutting-edge science. With: Nidhi Kapil, Dr Steven Kemp, Tara Kearney, Nicola Sanderson, Helen Sheals, Rebecca Simon, Sam Watkin, Jonny Wright, Özge Yetiş, Peter Clements.

Texts: Mrs X by Nicola Baldwin; Nobel Prize speech 1945, Dr Alexander Fleming; Lucky Jen by Nicola Sanderson; Me And Her by Rebecca Simon; Klebsiella by Peter Clements; Precision AMR 3-minute Theses: Nidhi Kapil, Halan Mohamed, Dr Steven Kemp, Sam Watkin, Özge Yetiş, Dr Elaine Cloutman-Green, Anthony de Souza, Dr Jennifer Rohn. Created in collaboration with UCL Precision AMR. With thanks to UCL, Great Ormond Street Hospital, SfAM, HIS, RCPath.

Please note this performance contains themes of illness and infection. Suitable for ages 14+.

Tickets: FREE – but pre-booking is essential