Soho Theatre Announces Reopening Season with Theatre, Comedy and Cabaret Programme

THEATRE AND CABARET

Marking the first time theatre and cabaret return to Soho Theatre since the building closed its doors to the public on Monday 16 March 2020, the reopening season will feature captivating plays from established writers and promising playwrights, and exhilarating performances from exciting companies.

Wed 19 – Sat 22 May
7.30pm (+ 11pm Fri/Sat)

OHenry Productions and Stellar present
HERDING CATS

Meeting the demands of modern life is as impossible as herding cats for Justine, Michael and Saddo. To deal with work, Justine talks – a little too much – to her roommate Michael who earns a living by chatting with strangers like Saddo. But all three will soon find that in a cold, disconnected world, words may not be enough.
Starring Greg Germann, Jassa Ahluwalia and Sophie Melville, Herding Cats by Lucinda Coxon (The Danish Girl) is a chillingly funny play about a generation negotiating intimacy and independence in the 21st century. Directed by Anthony Banks (The Girl on the Train, West End), this groundbreaking revival of Coxon’s “brave, brutal” (Guardian) play uses the technical feats that adventurous theatre artists have discovered during the pandemic and combines them with the raw intimacy of in-person performance.

Thu 17 Jun – Sat 17 Jul
7.30pm

Soho Theatre presents
SHEDDING A SKIN

Sometimes you crack. Sometimes you didn’t mean to yell that. Sometimes you have to lay low until you’ve figured it out. And sometimes, sometimes you have to hibernate until you’ve healed. This is a new day.

Shedding a Skin is a story for our times. A play about finding kindness in unexpected places. A play about connecting with what our elders can teach us – new skin honouring old skin. A play about joy, healing and protest. And having a good belly laugh.
Written and performed by Amanda Wilkin, Shedding A Skin is the 2020 winner of Soho Theatre’s acclaimed Verity Bargate Award. Directed by Elayce Ismail.

Mon 26 Jul – Fri 6 Aug
7:30pm

HOTTER Project and Ellie Keel Productions present
FITTER

‘A rugby ball’s soft, a hockey stick’s hard, what does that make me?’
Boy, 12
Hello, we’re Ell and Mary.
We’re ex-girlfriends and bisexuals and we’re a bit bummed out by boys.
Three years ago we interviewed women and transpeople aged 11 to 97 for our five-star sell-out show HOTTER. We didn’t interview men. We just didn’t want to. Because men are trash, right?
Wrong. Well, sometimes wrong. We asked trans-men, cis-men, and masculine presenting people aged 8 to 82 about what makes them hard.
This is a show about what we learned: about strength, fitting in, feeling yourself, and arseholes. Through singing, dancing, and f*cking around in crap drag, Ell and Mary write a love letter to masculinity which they are forever tearing up and taping back together again.
Directed by Jessica Edwards with Mary Higgins and Ell Potter

Mon 26 Jul – Fri 6 Aug   
9.30pm

HOTTER Project and Ellie Keel Productions present
HOTTER

What is the sweatiest you’ve ever been? When was the hottest you’ve ever felt? How would you describe your orgasm?
Hello, we’re Ell and Mary. We’re best friends and ex-girlfriends and we’re bored of playing it cool.
So this is a show about what gets you hot. We asked women and transpeople aged 11 to 97 what makes them sweat, flush, rub and gush. OK, we didn’t ask the 11 year old exactly the same questions. We made a sweaty verbatim dance party out of their answers.

Mon 9 – Sat 14 Aug        
9.30pm

Hot Gay Theatre presents
HOT GAY TIME MACHINE

Fresh from their sold-out, five-star run at the Edinburgh Fringe and in London’s West End, join multi-award-winning duo, Zak Ghazi-Torbati & Toby Marlow (co-writer of SIX), as they take you on a time travelling adventure through their fabulous lives as fabulous gay men. From the writers of global sensation SIX the musical, comes this indulgent, flamboyant, hilarious, multi-award-winning, humble, cabaret-comedy extravaGAYnza.
Full to the brim with outrageous dances and “hilarious original musical numbers” (Stage), Hot Gay Time Machine covers all the most important moments of a gay man’s life, from coming out to your mum to navigating the naked politics of the school locker room.
P.S. This is the last time HGTM is ever being performed, so like don’t be a homophobe and come join us for a FINAL “hilarious trip that leaves you wanting more!” (Attitude).

Mon 16 – Sat 21 Aug   
7.30pm

Soho Theatre present the Nouveau Riche production
QUEENS OF SHEBA

Written by Jessica L. Hagan and devised by the company. Turned away from a nightclub for being “too black”, four women take to the stage with their own explosive true stories: the music and the misogyny, the dancing and the drinking, the women and, of course, the (white) men.
Loosely based on the DSTRKT nightspot incident of 2015, Queens of Sheba tells the hilarious, moving and uplifting stories of four passionate Black Women battling every-day misogynoir; where sexism meets racism.
Winner 2020 OFF WEST END AWARDS Best Performance Piece
Winner 2018 Edinburgh Untapped Award
Winner 2018 The Stage Edinburgh Festival Award

Mon 30 Aug – Sat 4 Sep 
9.30pm

Pecs Drag Kings present
PECS: THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN

Pecs Drag Kings are ready to dust off our crowns and serve our chosen family some much needed queer joy. It’s been a long year, so let us hold you tight in the safety of our metaphorical manly chests, with a night of exquisite, swoon worthy cabaret. Expect slick dances, sexy lip-syncs, and the royal treatment you deserve.
Pecs Drag Kings are an all-women & non-binary theatre and cabaret company who’ve been creating critically acclaimed shows for the LGBTQ+ community since 2013. Through our drag king cabarets and theatre shows, we explore gender identities, politics & sexuality, to create cultural space for queer women, trans* & non-binary folk. Our shows are sexy, raucous and highly entertaining, using songs, dances and comedy to celebrate inclusivity, queerness & community.

Tue 31 Aug, Thu 2 Sep  
7:30pm

Daisy Hale and Fran Bushe Present
AD LIBIDO

Join Fran’s quest for a “normal” sex life – featured in the Guardian’s Best Shows of Edinburgh Fringe 2018, written and performed by Fran Bushe.
Fran wants to fix sex. No matter how many wonder-cures she tries, how many trips to the doctor or offers of help from friends, she doesn’t feel like her fire’s been lit. Sometimes it hurts. Join Fran on this “relentlessly hilarious” (★★★★ Stage) quest, with songs, as she pursues a satisfying sex-life. Expect toe-tapping tunes, a magic penis and a visit to sex camp. Oh, and dolphins.

Wed 1, Fri 3 Sep    
7:30pm

Daisy Hale and Katie Greenall present
FATTY FAT FAT

Do you ever feel like your body takes up too much space in world that doesn’t want to make any room? Katie is fat. She’s pretty much always been fat, and probably will be fat forever more. Join her in the ‘Cha Cha Slide’, munch on some crisps, and have a listen to what it’s like to live in body that people can’t help but have an opinion on.
Fatty Fat Fat is a funny, frank and provocative solo show about living in a body the world tells you to hate. Leave your diet books at the door.
Winner of the Origins Award for Outstanding New Work at Vaults 2019

Sat 4 Sept    
3pm & 7:30pm

Willy Hudson Ltd presents
BOTTOM

Locked in his bathroom during a tragic third date, Willy Hudson asks: are you a top or a bottom? Bottom is about bums, Beyoncé and burnt fish fingers. Join Willy for a queer coming-of-age remix, as he questions if ‘bottom’ in the bedroom means ‘bottom’ in life – and whether Beyoncé can help put his love on top.

With a cracking soundtrack, Willy’s funny, honest and open-hearted storytelling yanks the lid off the queer experience. This is for anyone who hates making the first move. Anyone who thinks they are unlovable. Anyone that’s ever tried to be someone they’re not.

Following sell-out runs at Edinburgh Fringe, Soho Theatre and a national tour, Willy is bringing Bottom back to London. Developed with support from The Arts Council, Exeter Phoenix, Bristol Old Vic Ferment, Strike A Light and Bryony Kimmings. Written and performed by Willy Hudson. Directed by Rachel Lemon.

Mon 6 – Sat 11 Sept
7:30pm

Show And Tell in association with Soho Theatre present
SH!T THEATRE DRINK RUM WITH EXPATS

Following pre-pandemic, award-winning, sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Adelaide Fringe and Soho Theatre, the Sh!ts are back!
Celebrating their final year as Europeans, island-monkeys Becca and Louise got invited to the European Capital of Culture in Malta, having missed out on Hull last year. They went to drink rum with Brits abroad but found a lot more than they expected.
Lads on tour Sh!t Theatre want to talk about home, your home, what we are doing in your home, what you might be doing in our home and how cheap the beers are. From our small island in the sea to another small island in the sea, Sh!t Theatre found mystery and murder in the fight to be European.
Here it is: another excuse for the multi award-winning Sh!t Theatre to get drunk on stage.
2019 The Scotsman Fringe First Award winner.
2019 Holden Street Theatres Award winner.
2020 Banksa Best Theatre Overall, Adelaide Fringe, Award winner.
2020 Critics’ Circle Award, Adelaide Fringe, Award winner.
Co-commissioned by South Street. Original version commissioned by Charlie Cauchi for Valletta ECC.

COMEDY

After a very brief return to live performances back in December 2020, Soho Theatre is proud to announce the return of live comedy on its stages from 17 May, with some new and revisiting work from Soho staples.

Mon 17 May and Tue 1 – Thu 3 June
7pm

Little Wander in association with Ebdon Management
JEN BRISTER: UNDER PRIVILEGE

Brister has it all: a wife, kids, a house and a job she loves (sometimes) so what the hell is she moaning about? Join Jen as she takes an irreverent look at the often controversial subject of ‘privilege’. Who has it? Who doesn’t? And why does no one like to admit they have any?

Wed 19 May and 5, 9, 16, 24 June
7pm

PBJ Management presents
KAI SAMRA: UNDERLCASS

Returning with his debut hour, join award-winning stand-up comedian Kai Samra as he hilariously dissects life as a young, working class, British Asian in the 21st Century. From police stop and searches, to a complete lack of options at fancy dress parties. He reflects on personal stories of homelessness, the gentrification of the arts and the rise of right-wing politics in his home town until an interview with the former EDL leader Tommy Robinson changes his views on everything.

Thu 20, Fri 21 May
7pm

Blue Book Artist Management presents
RICH WILSON: DEATH BECOMES HIM

We’re very sorry to announce that stand up veteran, father, bus driver, gay sauna worker and beloved ‘Pudding’, Rich Wilson has died; but that’s only the beginning. Join “a very very funny man”  (said Frank Skinner) in purgatory, where Rich will dissect his earthly behaviour to find out if he deserves to go to Heaven or Hell.
Rich Wilson’s “tour de force”  (Leicester Mercury) performances have earned him a win for Best International Guest at the 2016 New Zealand Comedy Awards, followed by a sell-out run in 2017 which saw him nominated for the same award again. Rich is also the host of wildly popular podcast, Insane In The Men Brain. A podcast in which Rich talks to funny and interesting people about their experiences with men’s mental health. Previous guests have included; Scroobius Pip, Rob Beckett, Phil Ellis, Jen Brister, Dane Baptiste, Richard Thomas (Jerry Springer The Opera) and Simon Evans.

Sat 22 May
7pm

Individual Artist Management presents
HEIDI REGAN: NO WORRIES

In this warm up for her Radio 4 stand up series, Heidi tries to ignore the many worries she has by, as always, making very stupid jokes. After a sell out Edinburgh debut used shark films to tell her life story, then a follow up show used time travel tropes to reflect on relationships, Heidi now looks at her hopes and fears for the future in the only way she knows how… with meta, rambling jokes that forget their original point.

Sat 22 May
9pm

Individual Artist Management presents
OLGA KOCH: RADIO 4 WARMUP – OK COMPUTER

Olga Koch sees the world differently. Not only because she’s multicultural, having lived and worked in three different countries. Not just because she’s bilingual, having grown up in Russia. And not just because she’s an Edinburgh award-nominated comedian. Olga sees the world differently because she is also a computer scientist, for Olga, the world often breaks down into binary logic and sprawling decision trees. It’s logical, it’s efficient, it’s cold.
But Olga knows all too well that the world isn’t logical, and in 2021 things are becoming downright incoherent. So with help from her A.I. friend Algo, Olga sets out to explore an illogical world and try to make sense of it.
Building on the success of her brilliant Radio 4 stand-up special Fight, in this series Olga explores the complex areas of Nationality, Health, Beauty, and Privacy, sharing stories from her own life, blended with the unique and fascinating worldview of a person who’s grown up in a technological age

Mon 24 – Wed 26 May
9:30pm

Individual Artist Management presents
JAMALI MADDIX (Work In Progress)

As seen on Taskmaster (Channel 4) and Frankie Boyle’s New World Order (BBC2) Jamali Maddix is back working up a new show after his last tour got cut short by the pandemic.  Expect a lot of crowd work and fresh ideas as he works out new routines and jokes for the first time this year.

Mon 24 – Wed 26 and Fri 28 – Sat 29 May
7:30pm

Phil McIntyre Live Ltd presents
ROB NEWMAN’S PHILOSOPHY SHOW

This all-new show, multi award-winning stand-up comic Rob Newman weaves together Nietzsche’s sunglasses, James Bond in Toxteth, electric spiders and singing Neanderthals into a hilarious tour-de-force that offers new hopes for a changing world. Rob Newman’s Philosophy Show coincides with the release of his BBC Radio 4 series.

Mon 24 – Wed 26 May, & Mon 21 June
7pm

Chambers Management presents
SINDHU VEE: SANDHOG (Work in progress)

A rare chance to see Sindhu Vee perform her critically-acclaimed 2018 show Sandhog in preparation for a recording.
Expect “outspoken, frank and funny stand-up” (Evening Standard) from this Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer nominee. As seen on Live At The Apollo, QI, Have I Got News For You, Would I Lie To You? and Sex Education and heard on Radio 4’s Things My Mother Never Told Me (…About Lockdown) and The Guilty Feminist Podcast.

Mon 24 – Thu 27 May, & Mon 21 June
9pm

Chambers Management presents
CATHERINE BOHART: IMMACULATE (Work in progress)

A rare opportunity to see Catherine Bohart perform her critically-acclaimed 2018 show Immaculate in preparation for a recording.
As seen and heard on Mock The Week, The Mash Report, Roast Battle, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, The Stand-Up Sketch Show, Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier and The Guilty Feminist podcast.

Thu 27 May
7:30pm

PBJ Management presents
TIM KEY: CRIMBO BIMBO

Owing to the circumstances Key’s show on Dec 19 had to be canned and rearranged and so, unfortunately, we are where we are. Dig out your Christmas jumpers and spend an afternoon drinking yourself festive. Meanwhile Key will gather up his mulled wine and Christmas poems and piece together what tinsel he has left, and his trusty producer will plod around London looking for some knackered tree to shove on stage with him. An hour of this, the atmosphere will be what it will be.

Thu 27 – Sat 29 May and Tue 1 – Sat 5 June
9:30pm

LUISA OMIELAN: HOW’S THIS WORK AGAIN?!

Hello you, it’s been ages! I don’t know about you, I have forgotten how to talk, let alone be social. So let’s do this together shall we? A warm up run of shows to get me ready for my tour, I wanna hear all about your lockdown and I wanna tell you all about mine.

Fri 28 – Sat 29 May
9pm

Show & Tell presents
MAE MARTIN (Work In Progress)

The award-winning stand-up and BAFTA-nominated star of C4’s Feel Good, Mae Martin, is back at their favourite venue for two nights of work-in-progress shows. Mae will be getting back on stage with an hour of new material, ahead of their highly anticipated tour, which takes place later this year.

Mon 7 – Sat 12 June
7:30pm

Phil McIntyre Live Ltd presents
MARK THOMAS: 50 THINGS ABOUT US

Mark uses his trademark style of storytelling, stand-up, subversion and really, really, well researched material to try and find out how the hell we ended up in the middle of this shit show.
50 Things About Us is a show about songs, gongs, loot, tradition, wigs, nicking, statues, art and identity. A sort of funny national edition of Who Do You Think You Are?
Mark says, “Look, I have been doing this for 34 years. I have gone from stand-up to theatre and half way back again. It’s another slightly odd show, a sort of sweary, History Channel with laughs and creative mischief. If you’ve seen my shows before, this one is going to be a show in the vein of 100 Acts of Minor Dissent.”

Mon 7, Tue 8, Mon 14, Tue 15 and Tue 22 June
7pm

Ebdon Management presents
JESSICA FOSTEKEW: HENCH VERSION 2.0 – THE RE-REMEMBERING

Hench Version 2.0 – The re-remembering…(code for new bits tucked in, here and there). Absolute powershed and regular host of The Guilty Feminist, Jessica Fostekew explores her big strong strength. Have you ever watched a feminist try and take ‘hench’ as a compliment? It’s like watching a snake eat but funny.
Hench was nominated for the Dave’s Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Show, Best Show at the Leicester Comedy Festival and it won best show in the 2020 Chortle Awards, Jess also taking best break-through act. You’ve seen Jess on BBC’s Live at the Apollo, QI and Richard Osman’s House of Games, in BBC sitcoms Motherland and Cuckoo and BAFTA Award-winning drama Three Girls. She’s also in Michael Winterbottom’s feature film, Greed.

Mon 14 – Thu 17 & Tue 22 June
9pm

Individual Artist Management presents
JORDAN BROOKES: I’VE GOT NOTHING 2.0

No tricks. No gimmicks. No plan. Just an hour in my company as we reach the end. Things will be over soon. We’re nearly there everyone! Great work. But before we go, I’m making one last attempt to find connection in the here and now, to snuffle out any remaining joy in this rapidly crumbling world, before it’s too late. Brookes returns a year on with the show that won him the Edinburgh Comedy Award, with some new bits and some old bits thrown in.
Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner 2019
Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee 2017
Chortle Comedian’s Comedian Award winner 2018

Thu 10 – Sat 12 and Fri 18, Sat 19 June
9pm

Curtis Brown presents
STAND UP WITH JANINE HAROUNI (PLEASE REMAIN SEATED)

Janine’s father is a lifelong New Yorker and son of Middle-Eastern immigrants. He’s also an avid Donald Trump supporter. Attempting to reconcile those things makes for one tense Sunday dinner. Catch multi award-winning newcomer Janine Harouni in her debut show about standing up for what you believe in, even if you have to do it really nicely.
Winner: Laughing Horse New Act of the Year 2018 and 1/3 of award-winning sketch trio Muriel. Seen/heard on Comedy Central, Comic Relief, BBC Three, and BBC Radio Four.

Thu 17 – Fri 18 June, 7pm and Thu 24 – Fri 26 June,
9pm

PBJ Management presents
NINA CONTI: IN YOUR FACE (WARM UP)

She’s won a British Comedy Award, stormed Live at the Apollo, Russell Howard’s Good News, Sunday Night at the Palladium, and made a BAFTA nominated film – all without moving her lips. This year, Nina Conti will create a new show each night by plucking inspiration from the audience. Strap into the mask as Nina gets in your face. With the help of Monkey and a bag of tricks, truly anything can happen in this unmissable improvised adventure of hilarious witchery.

Fri 25, Sat 26 Jun
7pm

Ebdon Management presents
DESIREE BURCH: UNF*CKABLE

At the intersection of sex, race and capitalism, sits a black woman who can’t be f*cked.
A raw and raucous hour from a virtuoso storyteller, Desiree Burch lays out a roadmap for escaping the cycle of silence and self-loathing that comes from always being taken for a ride. From dealing with sex in the workplace, to adventures in sex work, Desiree investigates the drives women have to stop sex from becoming work.
Unf*ckable celebrates the transformation that happens when you get in the driving seat, stop getting f*cked and start getting f*£%$@!cked.

Tue 13, Wed 14 Jul
7pm
SUSAN MURRAY: HOW NOT TO DIE IN A PLANE CRASH

Fasten your seat belts for a darkly hilarious and deliciously bumpy ride. How Not to Die in a Plane Crash is the antidote to boring, life-affirming, feel-good motivational comedy. Come and listen to Susan’s sweet dark soul as she makes you laugh and cry at the same time with her useful death defying survival tips, all wrapped up in fantastic jokes. Come and have a listen if you think you’re brave enough.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Augustin Wecxsteen / Communications Officer / augustin@sohotheatre.com

Kelly Fogarty / Co- Audience & Communications Director / kelly@sohotheatre.com

SOHO THEATRE is London’s most vibrant producer for new theatre, comedy and cabaret. We pursue creative excellence, harnessing an artistic spirit that is based in our new writing roots, the radical ethos of the fringe and the traditions of punk culture and queer performance. We champion voices that challenge from outside of the mainstream, and sometimes from within it too. We value entertainment, accessibility and enjoy a good show. We are a registered charity and social enterprise and our audiences are diverse in age, background and outlook.

Ordinarily our work plays to live audiences of 250,000 audiences a year in our Dean Street venue, at the Edinburgh Fringe and beyond. Since our temporary closure due to Covid-19 we have re-launched our online platform Soho Theatre On Demand, which hosted the phenomenally successful live recording of Fleabag and recently released the critically acclaimed Typical. We’ve partnered with Amazon Prime Video (UK) for a three-series deal, bringing existing and new comedy shows to the platform (2020-21). We are also working towards the opening of an exciting second venue, a “local theatre with a national profile” in Walthamstow, currently slated to open in 2022.

Soho Theatre’s board is chaired by Dame Heather Rabbatts DBE and the company is led by Executive Director Mark Godfrey and Creative Director David Luff. sohotheatre.com | sohotheatreondemand.com | @sohotheatre