September 2022

34
Wanstead Village Directory
Luvvie Wanstead
With this month’s Wanstead Fringe offering three separate theatre
productions, Fiona Gordon explains why Wanstead should be proud to
be turning ‘luvvie’
Wanstead has come over all
‘luvvie’ of late. We first smelt the
greasepaint and heard the roar of
the crowd back in April with the launch of
Wanstead’s very own professional theatre
company, and now not one, not two, but
three theatre productions will be coming to
Wanstead this month as part of the annual
Wanstead Fringe.
There is something for everyone. Black
comedy, drama, farce, tragedy – all waiting
to capture an audience in a venue on or just
off the High Street. What a delight to have
quality theatre on our doorstep! What makes
it even more delightful is that all three theatre
companies have their roots in our village.
Wanstead resident, Marissa Landy, brings her
self-penned show fresh from the (slightly)
cooler climes of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
A Non-Emergency is a contemporary comedy
based on Marissa’s real-life experiences of
working in the ambulance service. Upstairs at
The Bull, join a couple of crewmates and the
patients they meet on a day at work. It should
have you in stitches of the right kind!
Born and bred Wanstead stalwart, Jon
Fentiman, known by all for his epic comedy
nights, both at the Fringe and throughout
the year, brings his directional debut to his
old comprehensive school, Wanstead High.
DNA by Dennis Kelly is a modern-day black
comedy with a dark heart. Centred around a
group of adolescents, this explosive play calls
into question society’s response to cruelty,
bullying, peer pressure and pack mentality.
Are these behaviours societal and learned or
are they inherent in us all?
And finally, after a sell-out debut of Bazaar
& Rummage in April, Wanstead Theatre Co
A scene from Wanstead Theatre Co’s
production of Bazaar & Rummage
are back with their second show. TWO by
Jim Cartwright (The Rise and Fall of Little
Voice, Road) is a tale of love, laughs and loss in
your friendly local. Come meet the landlady
and the landlord of this busy boozer and
let them introduce you to the regulars. The
production is, once again, site-specific. Set in a
pub, and so, performed in The Bull.
It is a testament to our Wanstead community
that so many local theatre practitioners want
to be part of the ninth Wanstead Fringe. Yes,
we are an arty lot who love to be entertained,
but we also love to get involved. From the
support of businesses, schools and churches
willingly providing venues or financial support
or creating window displays, to individuals
offering their time and talents to promote
the shows or to residents sourcing or loaning
a much-needed prop or set piece, we are
shaping up into a proper theatre community.
Theatre for the community with the help
of the community – now that is something
worth seeing!
For more information and to book
tickets for all Wanstead Fringe events,
visit wansteadfringe.org
To advertise, call 020 8819 6645 or visit wnstd.com