Tag: vault festival

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Someone of Significance – VAULT Festival

🎭 Someone of Significance
📍 VAULT Festival – Network Theatre
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⭐⭐

Written by Amalia Kontesi and directed by Sam Tannenbaum, Someone of Significance explores whether love is enough for two people with nothing in common. Will structural barriers and personal beliefs keep them apart or is their connection strong enough to remain together?

The story


We meet Brad and Rosie (Simon Bass and Funlola Olufunwa) colleagues who work for a multinational banking corporation. They hail from different backgrounds, hold opposing views, and are believed to have nothing in common. Despite this, they soon begin an affair (Brad is married!) and fall in love.

As time goes by, their careers take different paths. Rosie turns to politics, holding strong views opposing gentrification. Brad disagrees, believing the new development will bring in opportunities for the community. We witness Rosie’s rise to prominence as a leftwing politician, running for president and continuing advocacy for workers’ rights. Despite Rosie and Brad’s differences in beliefs, they still share their love for one another and continue their secret relationship, hidden away in hotel rooms.

My thoughts

The story intrigued me; I was at least hoping for some in-depth discussion on politics, but what we had was quite a concise overview. Kontesi’s script veered towards ‘rom-com’ territory, and the character’s discussions surrounding societal issues, politics, and structural barriers, were never fully fleshed out.

I did enjoy Rosie and Brad’s debate on the impact of gentrification as both raised interesting arguments. It’s also a timely topic as gentrification is affecting many cities across the world. The script would have gained strength by delving further into these issues, and tying them into the character’s professional and personal opinions, especially as they came from different backgrounds. 

It’s hinted that Brad didn’t ‘have’ to work for his career in contrast to Rosie. As the play was only 60 minutes, there wasn’t enough time to get to know the characters and explore this, so I was left making assumptions. Olunfunwa and Bass gave their best efforts, but the chemistry between the actors was lacking. This made it quite difficult to believe in Rosie and Brad’s relationship and ultimately connect with the story.

The second half of the performance was stronger and included some humorous moments. I enjoyed the staging of the characters in one scene as they stood side by side, showing the contrast between their new lives. The set design is minimal, with two rail wardrobes on either side of the stage. Our characters underwent numerous outfit changes, as political sound bites played in the background. This went on for too long and interrupted the show’s pacing. I also didn’t see the necessity of the costume changes, for they didn’t add to the narrative.

Someone of Significance is a work in progress. Kontesi clearly has great ideas to share, though the execution needs improvements. The themes are strong, the characters have potential – these could be linked cleverly with the current political climate in the USA. Hopefully, over time, there will be a refocus on making this an engaging political-romance drama.

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Clementine – VAULT Festival

🎭 Clementine
📍 VAULT Festival – Network Theatre
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As I walked into Network Theatre for ‘Clementine’, Lady Gaga’s banger, Judas, played – a strong sign that I was going to love this show!

The story

Written and performed by Rosalie Minnitt, ‘Clementine’ is a one-woman musical comedy about a young woman’s quest to find love. The time period of the show isn’t defined, but it takes place ‘in the past’ (The costumes were giving Bridgerton vibes!) 

We meet Lady Clementine (Minnitt), a single 26-year-old, desperate to find the love of her life. Lady Clementine fears if she isn’t married before her birthday, she will end up like her spinster Aunt Lauren. We learn all about Lady Clementine’s previous partners, including one who lost his head and the latest beau who has gone missing. We follow her on a hilarious, eccentric, musical journey to solve the mystery of her ill fortune with love. But perhaps she has been searching for it in all the wrong places


My thoughts

Described as ‘Gen Z’s ode to womanhood’, Minnitt has created a funny, feel-good show, packed with cultural references that fitted perfectly with the story. Enthusiastic direction from Tristan Robinson and Alison Middleton resulted in nonstop laughter during the performance. Lady Clementine pranced, paraded and even spouted water across the stage.

Minnitt maintained such high energy and portrayed various supporting characters including her unfortunate housekeeper, Jackie and the guardian angel flemish DJ. The show was certainly interactive, with willing members of the audience reading letters and even participating in onstage raves. Minnitt is a fantastic performer and a talented comedy writer. I loved how skillfully they bounced off the audience and held our attention for the entire show. Even in the moments when Lady Clementine was offstage, the video projections added the funniest context to the story. The constant puns paired with Minnett’s impeccable comic timing made this show a total delight.

Honor Halford-MacLeod incorporated several musical melodies during the show. We even got an interpretive dance to Beyonce’s Alien Superstar. And who doesn’t love a mid-show ballad? As the audience waved their flameless candles that were placed on the seats, Lady Clementine serenaded us with ‘Guide Me, Stars’ – a song I personally think should be on Spotify.


Amongst the hilarity, the show ends with an empowering high, leaving us happy for Lady Clementine and her newfound (self) love. The hour went by quickly and I was left grinning from what we just watched. Clementine is so much fun – it’s lively, it’s quirky and certainly empowering!

Rosalie Minnett is a comedy star in the making and I can’t wait for what they do next!

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Counter – VAULT Festival

🎭 Counter
📍 VAULT Festival
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⭐⭐⭐⭐

So, do lies hold a relationship together? 👀

Written and directed by Maggie N. Razavi, Counter follows the breakdown of a long-term relationship. With a minimal set, taking place at a bar counter, we are immersed in a couple’s relationship, whose inner thoughts question whether they should stay together or break up.

The story

The couple, played by Max Norman and Rivkah Bunker, have been together for a decade but haven’t communicated in three weeks. We soon learn the man had proposed to his partner, which caused her to run off, take a ‘break’ – and cease all communication with him. They exchange passive-aggressive small talk, but each character breaks the fourth wall to reveal true feelings about the situation. And each other. 

My thoughts

The duo put on strong performances; both convincingly deliver satirical monologues that had me switching sides on who I personally thought was in the wrong. Razavi’s script is engaging and authentic – I appreciated them highlighting real-life issues people in relationships face. He strives for marriage, kids, and a house before 30, while she wants to be free to travel the world. Their differences and lack of communication lead to controversial secrets. 

‘Her’ (Bunker) questions whether she really loves ‘Him’ (Norman). He may provide security, family, and stability, but she feels unseen. Sure, she’s committed some (okay, several!) wrongdoings, but we soon learn ‘Him’ isn’t innocent either. 

Our characters speak directly to audience members, asking for their opinions. “Am I in the wrong? Should I stay? What dating apps do people use?” I must commend Bunker for their improvisation skills and also their added humour in this intense play.

The concept in Counter is great, and I believe it could be elevated in terms of audience participation. Having an alternative ending depending on the response from the audience could be an interesting plot device. I also would prefer if there was more dialogue in their scenes together, rather than awkward silence. There could have been tender moments, with movement or speech, demonstrating that they are deeply in love, but their monologues suggesting otherwise. Having that contrast would certainly add to the humour.

I won’t spoil the ending but it certainly divided opinions and sparked a post-show debate between friends and me!  

Maggie N. Razavi has created a unique piece of theatre by including interactive elements, crafting compelling characters and initiating discussion both during and after the show. 

Although the show has finished its tour at the VAULT festival, I hope to see Counter back on stage soon!

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Ripe Tomato, After Peribañez – VAULT Festival

🎭 Ripe Tomato, After Peribañez
📍 The Cavern, VAULT Festival
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⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Jealousy is the price you pay for love.”

The story

Written by Siofra Dromgoole and GrĂĄinne Dromgoole, Ripe Tomato is a modern adaption of the 16th-century Spanish tragicomedy, Peribañez. The premise remains the same but has been reworked into a ‘Queer Epic’, with a focus on relevant issues in our society today. Taking place in South London, Cass and Peri are celebrating their nuptials with their best friends, when a man has an accident right outside the home, they have been squatting in. As Cass tends to this wounded stranger, it’s revealed the man is the landlord of the property. The landlord, Jeremy, takes an instant liking to Cass, and we see his crush turn into a manipulative series of events.

My thoughts

Directed by Avigail Tlalim, this is a stripped-back production, with minimal props, allowing us to focus entirely on the characters and their interactions. The friendship between Cass, Peri, Ines, and Ben (Gráinne Dromgoole, Yohanna Ephrem, Camila Segal and Charlie Collinson) is endearing to watch. Their dynamic isn’t perfect, and even with each of them going through a personal struggle, they still looked out for one another.

Gráinne Dromgoole’s Cass is calm, soft-hearted, and reliant on her wife, Peri, and her friends. Peri is assertive and immediately questions Jeremy’s motives as he buys gifts for Cass. This contemporary take touches on relevant topics affecting us today, such as the housing crisis. Ephrem is a passionate performer and showed a great range of emotions throughout the play. From her impassioned speech about the state of the housing system to a more vulnerable side when she speaks about her love for Cass. There were powerful performances all round.

Os Leanse was another standout as they convincingly played the selfish and obsessive Jeremy. We could feel the desperation and couldn’t help but laugh at his attempts to woo Cass. From reciting (the wrong) romantic Shakespeare lines, arranging household repairs to even questioning her sexuality! Overcome with jealousy, Jeremy ultimately abuses his power, which leads to come conniving actions. He’s supported by his witty assistant, Lujana (Olivia Mills) who also forms a connection with Ines.

One improvement would be the accompanying music; at times, it was playing louder than the dialogue, especially with the acoustics of the venue space.

Siofra Dromgoole and Gráinne Dromgoole have written a strong piece of theatre, that had us engrossed from start to finish. It’s a clever take on a literary classic, and representative of our society today. I’m excited to see where this production goes next!

You can catch Ripe Tomato, After Peribanez at The Vaults Festival on 18 and 19 February.
Visit here to get tickets!