Incognito Theatre Company, winners of the Les Enfants Terribles’ 2018 Greenwich Partnership Award, will be making their debut at VAULT Festival with Tobacco Road from 13^th to 17^th February.

Image courtesy of Tim Hall

Based in the murky underworld of 1920s south east London, in the shadow of the Great War, this unique gangster story explores the stories never told in history books with every character being based on a real person or people.  By shining a light on gang activity, this fast-paced production investigates how young people find themselves embroiled in gang culture while exploring the necessary violence of an implacable female gangster rising through a male-dominated society.

Five resourceful young men and women try to find fame and wealth even as staying alive poses problems in a cutthroat society of thugs and conmen. Incognito’s explosive physical choreography takes the audience on a fast-paced and thrilling journey from pickpocketing in murky back streets to fixed boxing matches in dark basements.

Every character is based on a real person or people. Elsie and Freda are inspired by the ruthless female gang, Alice Diamond and her followers. Tommy Carlisle is based on the bare-knuckle boxers of Lambeth, Alfie on the thousands of young men left deeply tormented by the effects of World War I, whilst the ambitious Felix is inspired by the bloodthirsty young men who were driven to succeed by their unerring determination.

Interrogating a strait-jacketed experience of gender, this thrilling production considers the complex and impossible standards of traditional masculinity while exploring the necessary violence of an implacable female gangster rising through a male-dominated society.

Tobacco Road is a magnified examination of the real people who forged a life for themselves in a world that had scorned them as disposable. By shining a light on gang activity, Tobacco Road investigates how young people continue to find themselves embroiled in gang culture and why it can sometimes feel as though there is no other option.

Performance Dates Wednesday 13th – Sunday 17th February 2019 Wednesday – Sunday, 6.15pm Saturday matinee, 3pm

Running time 60 minutes

Location VAULT Festival, Network Theatre, 246A Lower Road, London SE1 8SJ Box Office Tickets are available priced £15 from vaultfestival.com

Twitter @incognito107, #TobaccoRoad

Ages 14+, mild swearing and use of strobe lights

, 418 St John Street, London EC1V 4NJ Tuesday 8th January – Saturday 2nd February 2019

Liv Warden’s debut play at the Old Red Lion explores a different perspective of the Time’s Up movement. The provocative and timely Anomaly will star Natasha Cowley (Othello, Shakespeare’s Globe; Connections 2018, National Theatre; The Last Days of Anne Boleyn, The Tower of London) and making their professional theatre debuts Alice Handoll and Katherine Samuelson.  Post-Weinstein, Anomaly is a story that is ready to be told.

It’s 6am.  News has just broken that Phillip Preston, media mogul and film-industry powerhouse has been arrested for assaulting his wife.  His three daughters, who lead separate lives, are left with the fallout.  As they battle the world’s press, the board members of Preston International and each other, they soon find themselves not only fighting to save the Preston dynasty but to protect everything they know to be true. What happens when a family, under the most intense scrutiny of the public eye, is faced with unbearable pain?

In our Kardashian-soaked culture of sensationalism, victims’ testimonies are finally being taken seriously. This play is not about men like Harvey Weinstein. Anomaly is not about the perpetrator or the politics of he said / she said. It’s about the furore, the collateral destruction and the family stood by the right hand of the accused. It’s about children carrying the black spot of their parent’s name. Anomaly is a war cry for the women who have been left to pick up the pieces.

Alice Handoll (Polly)

Image courtesy of Alishia Love

Katherine Samuelson plays Penny

Image courtesy of Samuel Black

 Natasha Cowley plays Piper

Image courtesy of Ruth Crafer

Performance Dates  Tuesday 8th January – Saturday 2nd February 2019 Monday – Saturday, 7:30pm Saturday and Sunday, 3pm

Running time   75 minutes

Twitter @ORLTheatre, @WildChild_UK, @LiviaWarden, #Anomaly

Location Old Red Lion Theatre, 418 St John Street, London EC1V 4NJ

Box Office Tickets are available priced £17 (£15 concessions). Available from Old Red Lion Theatre Box Office and www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk or 0333 012 4963.

Ages 14+

It’s one of my personal end of year treats to pick out some Independent Authors whose books I have enjoyed – to the hilt.

This year it’s a fabulous clutch that can easily be wrapped (do we really have to use plain brown paper because the other can’t be recycled? But being good, I have two HUGE rolls) and given to relatives, and friends, and they’ll thank you for it.

Entertaining Angels by Anne L Harvey is a collection of short stories of everyday angels. We’ve all met them – those good ‘uns who inspire us by their understated actions, actions that can change lives, or make us do better. This will do the same. Uplifting, absorbing, well written. Atta girl, Anne. Perfect for a Christmas stocking or for any time of year.

Entertaining Angels by Anne L Harvey: ebook 99p and pb £2.99  www.tinyurl.com/y6w6a5ss

The Martyr’s Scorn – a Harry Somers novel by Pamela Gordon Hoad.

The sub title is: Physician and Investigator Harry Somers struggles to secure his future. The story?

To avoid imprisonment in 1450 Harry Somers accepts the protection of the Church and a challenging commission in Winchester. The acquaintances he makes there lead him to investigate distasteful allegations. What’s more he has to make a choice which will have consequences for his future. Long standing enemies menace him, former supporters loyalty is uncertain. I’m not telling you more. Why spoil a good novel.

Written in the first person the author clearly loves this period, and invests in the characters, always a good sign. The dialogue leads one straight into how I imagine that period of time to sound. Lots happening, the pages keep turning. Absolutely give it a go.

The Martyr’s Scorn by Pamela Gordon Hoad pb £8.99 (prime) and kindle

Wonders will never cease by Judi Moore, winner of the Words for the Wounded Georgina Hawtry-Woore Fiction Award with the fabulous and unputdownable Little Mouse

This author’s writing is extraordinarily good, her breadth of vision remarkable as she draws us fluently into Fergus’s world. The understated dry humour runs beneath, sharp as a lemon in a dry gin (and tonic) with as much fizz. Love it, love it.

So what’s it about. Fergus Girvan, a Classicist at Ariel University, world weary, perhaps cynical, (what’s more he has piles and shouldn’t sit on plastic seats – ouch) What’s more he has a right to be cynical, as there’s a bloke who not only snaffles his work, but is intent on doing the same with Fergus’s daughter. How very dare he? But is Fergus as hard done by as we think? Is he perhaps as Machiavellian as his opponent? I’ve no intention of telling you but there’s a lot more going on that at first we think.

Ah, Judi Moore, God bless your talent. Enjoy this everyone – keep it for yourself, eh?

Wonders will never cease by Judi Moore available pb @ £7.99 and kindle.

And yet two offerings from the Words for the Wounded Young Adult Georgina Hawtrey Woore Award with The Kelpie’s Eyes.

Walls of Words by Oliver Eade

This is a collection of short stories inspired by Eade’s travels and connections across the world, and fascinating it is too. The structure is sound, the change of rhythm and dialogue keeps us totally in tune with the area in which he is writing. A book to take on a journey, one you can tuck away when you reach your station, and then start another story further along in your travels. Great stuff, Oliver Eade. I took it with me to London, and on and off tubes, and heaven knows what. It was a good companion. Bravo.

Walls of Words by Oliver Eade. RRP £10.99

And finally a lovely touch.

Stories for Children from Olivia Ruiz Eade and Oliver Eade. A family production, skipping a generation – Gramps and beloved grand-daughter. Ages 7 – 77. The mix gives a vibrancy and immediacy to the writing and subject matter. Olivia’s artwork is a joy. (apparently she takes after her great grandfather; Edward Eade – he’d be proud of you,  Olivia)

Lovely, lovely gift for an oldie, or a youngie, and those in between.

Great stuff, you two. Fabulous cover.

Stories for Children – Olivia Ruiz Eade and Oliver Eade.  pb £10.99 (prime)

image credit: Max Webster

Chivaree Circus and Upstage Creative present CRASH Winterville, Clapham Common, London 28th, 29th November and 12th, 13th, 19th 20th, 22nd December 2018

“I woke to find myself in a dark wood, Where the right road was wholly lost and gone.”  – Dante

CRASH is a tale of love, danger and mystery, featuring heart-stopping acrobatics, astounding aerial dance and eerie balletic pieces to a lyrical electronic soundtrack.  Inspired by the 19th century French ballet La Sylphide, CRASH is a retelling of this European folktale through impressionist, mixed media pop-conceptual circus.

This new show in the round comes from the award-winning team that brought Becoming Shades to VAULTS earlier this year.  Audiences will be taken on a journey through a compelling emotional landscape of circus, dance and beautiful atmospheric soundscapes.

Image credit: Max Webster

Setting the pace in the London circus scene this is a show that demonstrates Chivaree will not rest on their laurels and will continue to push boundaries in circus (London Theatre 1).

CRASH is a shadow blinking at twilight, the hint of a love that was never meant to be, where shadows breathe and dance amongst the trees.  When a mysterious woodland creature appears to a man on the morning of his wedding day, he can’t resist following her.  Their love is immortal for true love conquers all.  Or does it?  When the forest comes alive, who is to say what is real and what is not?  Who can you really trust in the moonlight?  Who is the hunter and who is the prey?

This promises to be a spectacular combination of high impact circus, dramatic aesthetics and powerful visual narratives. Their last production was a sell-out and Frost Magazine is willing to bet this will be too.

CRASH: Performance Dates  28th, 29th November and 12th, 13th, 19th 20th, 22nd December 2018     Variable times

Running time   1 hour

Twitter    @Chivaree_Circus

Box Office Tickets are available priced from £20 (plus booking fee).  Book online at https://winterville.co.uk/attraction/chivaree-circus/

The Frost Magazine team were talking about Christmas presents – rather desperately it must be said –  and ways to ring the changes. Someone mentioned personalised gifts. ‘But so expensive,’ said I. Then we came across PersonalisedgiftsShop.co.uk

‘Let’s give it a try,’ came the cry. (Have I produced a bit of a rhyme there?)

So we did. And here is the result. A personalised gin flask – mine. For ‘Him Indoors’ to give me, though he doesn’t yet know it.

It was simplicity itself to order from this 100% UK owned and family run concern, and the ‘personalised’ turn-around is immediate. This fabulous stainless steel flask with my own message on my own present arrived in about 36 hours, (they say between 24 – 48 hours)

The word GIN sits in the centre of the flask with the personalisation set around it.  In my case, Marg’s GIN and tonic. Don’t touch, which rather shows that I am not a sharing person – in some respects.

A fabulous product that I will be thrilled and surprised to unwrap on Christmas Day and Him Indoors will bestow it with pleasure, as it only cost him £14.00 plus £2.99 for the funnel. (What’s the point of a gin flask if the gin splashes on the way in. Such a waste and would lead to me licking the table – not a good look) I will of course, have bought myself, from him, a bottle of gin.

For a family the Prosecco Hamper would be a good idea at £29.99. What’s not to like. The personalised prosecco hamper includes a 20 cl miniature bottle of prosecco and a personalised prosecco glass to sip from. The hamper includes other goodies, including a Prosecco Made Me Do It bottle stopper and a bag of prosecco gummies. There’s a card for a personalised message.

This company, offers over 14000 gifts, all of which can be personalised ranging from gifts for a one year old to – well my age – let’s just put grumpy granny. And their are gifts for all occasions: birthday, wedding, anniversary … and next day delivery is available for last minute presents. They have been awarded the feefo gold award for the last three years for a plethora of great reviews.

We don’t often gush, in fact, never so I won’t this time. But from the evidence, I do feel PersonalisedGiftsShop.co.uk is a thoroughly excellent concern, and I just love that it is British and family run.

Personalised Prosecco Hamper – £29.99

Personalised Round Pink Hip Flask – £14

PersonalisedgiftsShop.co.uk

Michael Rowan hopes to say goodbye to socks and ties and hello to Gingle Bells when he discovers the true spirit of Christmas

As Julie Andrews never sang, ‘Christmas and Gin are two of my favourite things.’ so, Pickering’s Gin Baubles should be the perfect gift to find under or indeed hanging from, the branches of my Christmas Tree. (hint to my wife).

I do find that Christmas can be a bit hit and miss on the present front, so should these gin filled baubles be on my naughty or nice list?

In fairness these would make a very welcome gift in the box of 6 (hint to my wife) or even as singles or pairs in my, I mean, anyone’s Christmas stocking.

Gin fans across the country can now deck their Christmas trees with these tasty baubles, marking the start of the festive season with a fun twist – mixing up the traditions of gold, red and tinsel with a burst of gin-filled fun.

Available in a rainbow of colours, the gin-filled baubles come in pink, blue, purple, yellow, red and green with a rose gold screw lid and a silk red ribbon, sure to add a splash of Christmas joy to trees and households across the land.

Pickering’s Gin Baubles are sold in a gift pack containing six differently coloured plastic baubles, each containing 50ml of Pickering’s Gin (RRP: £30.00). (hint to my wife)

Pickering’s Gin is based on an original Bombay recipe dating from 1947. The marvellously mixed gin is spectacularly smooth, refreshing and flavoursome and is handcrafted at Summerhall Distillery – the first exclusive gin distillery to be established in Edinburgh for over 150 years.

So far so good, but how does the gin taste? As a seasoned gin drinker, I can happily report that it is perfect for the Christmas Season (hint to my wife). Fresh, light with bold flavours of citrus and juniper giving way to intense warming spice of cardamom, coriander seed and clove.

Try it with Ice, tonic and a slice of pink grapefruit.

Should my wife be reading this and succumb to my subtle hints, I promise to help take the tree down, starting with the baubles of course.

These baubles are sure to sell out fast so I strongly suggest that you pick yours up from Pickering’s, Selfridges, Sainsbury’s (Scotland only), John Lewis, 31dover.com, GettingPersonal.com and over 200+ retailers across the country.

Pickering’s Gin Baubles are sold in a gift pack containing six differently coloured plastic baubles, each containing 50ml of Pickering’s Gin (RRP: £30.00). (hint to my wife)

Images courtesy of Michael Rowan

at Southwark Playhouse, London

“It is fun fun fun – and then some!“

Based on the works of Dr Seuss, but concentrating on Horton Hears A Who!, this show is a foot-stomping, hand-clapping, laugh-out-loud delight.

From the very beginning, the Cat In The Hat appears and cheekily pulls us into the Seuss-iverse. Marc Pickering plays the Cat with grace and confidence, a feline brimming with fun (and just a dash of naughtiness) although he could push the clowning a little further – flex his comedy muscles and be a tad more dangerous. I felt as though he is holding back from stealing the show.

Marc Pickering

That honour goes to Scott Paige. He plays Horton with humour, honesty and a purity that melts the heart. Amy Perry, playing Gertrude, breaks the heart with her yearning love for Horton and her stunning rendition of All For You.

Scott Paige and Amy Perry

There are some amazing set-pieces in the show which is crammed full of songs, music, comedy and, of course, dancing. The group numbers are performed in such volume and choreography like the show is in a huge West End venue – it all comes together best when James Tobias’ direction calms down and realises that the space is surprisingly intimate and that less is more.

This is a Theatre for Young Audiences Version, but does not hold back. The cast of twelve and live band give everything amidst a brilliant set and imaginative costumes. It is fun fun fun – and then some!

Photographer              Adam Trigg

Producer                     Immersion Theatre

Director                       James Tobias

Choreography             Chris Whittaker

Music & Book             Stephen Flaherty

Lyrics & Book             Lynn Ahrens

Co-Conceived by        Eric Idle

Musical Director          James Doughty

Set Designers             Justin Williams & Jonny Rust

Costume                     Rachel Cartlidge

Venue             Southwark Playhouse, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD

Tube               Elephant & Castle (Bakerloo and Northern Lines)

Performances Until Saturday 29th December 2018

Times              7.30pm Tuesday to Saturday

3pm Saturday and Sunday Matinees

Extra shows in Christmas week – check website for details

Tickets            £25 (concessions £20)

Box Office            www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk and 020 7407 0234

Running Time 75 minutes (no interval)

Twitter             @swkplay, @Immersion_Thtr, @SeussicalLondon

Look no further – fabulous inexpensive gifts for the youngsters in your life. This pushchair and accessories will be loved by my certain someone, the one it is destined for – shhhh.

But this isn’t all that Play Like Mum offer: there is offer an extensive range of Silver Cross doll’s prams, pushchairs and accessories available for under £50.

The quality is what is expected from one of the world’s leading nursery brands, and Play Like Mum exclusively offers a number of the most popular models from the Silver Cross nursery range, carefully designed to imitate the grown-up versions.

I remember years ago the pram my mum had for my younger sister. Very plush it was too, and these are as substantial, and detailed as that was.

The popular Pop pushchair is available in three different colourways – Vintage Pink, Vintage Blue and Eton Grey – and is perfect for children aged 18 months to three years.  With a fixed handle height of 61cm, the Pop is priced at £29.99.

Or if you child wants to take two dolls for a walk, why not give them the gift of the Pop Twin, suitable for ages 18 months – three years and priced at £39.99?

Similarly, the Pop Max and Pop Twin Max are the larger versions of the Pop and Pop Twin and have innovative fully adjustable handles from 76-82cm – perfect for children aged from 4-9 years. Priced at £39.99 and £49.99, both come in Vintage Pink and Vintage Blue with the Pop Twin Max also available in Eton Grey.

Upgrade your pushchair with the Pop or Pop Twin Accessory Pack, priced at £22.99 or £23.99 respectively which includes a raincover, shoulder bag and cosytoe. 

Or the Ultimate Accessory Set that is designed for the best-selling Pioneer 5-in-1 pram which includes a sun parasol, raincover, shoulder bag and a litle cot mattress. The Luxury Tote Bag is also available in Vintage Pink, Vintage Blue or Eton Grey for £19.99 and is the perfect accompaniment to any of the Play Like Mum prams or puschairs.

Priced at £39.99, the Simplicity 4 in 1 High Chair is a multi-use product that can either be used as a high chair with tray table, or converted into a fantastic car seat compatible with the Pioneer and Sleepover prams. Simplicity is available in Vintage Pink, Vintage Blue and Eton Grey.

Susie the interactive doll is priced at £44.99 and is the perfect passenger for a Play Like Mum pushchair or pram. Susie can tell you when she wants to go for a walk, and will cry if you take her away from her pram. Suitable for children aged three and over, she can also recognise her own pram and giggles, cries, sleeps and feeds.

Frost Magazine is thrilled with these products, so much so that as we said at the beginning, a pushchair and accessories are destined for a very special little someone.

Play Like Mum is the exclusive licensee for a number of the most popular models from the Silver Cross nursery range, carefully designed to imitate the grown-up versions.

Play Like Mum’s full range of prams, pushchairs and accessories are available to buy online at www.playlikemum.com.

Milly Adams’ latest series is The Waterway Girls pub by Arrow.