The evenings may be dark and gloomy, but sparks of creativity are starting to ignite in the arches beneath Waterloo station. Since 2012, these graffiti-covered tunnels have been home to Vault Festival, a London-based fringe event that gives a platform to emerging theatre-makers and comedians. For two months at the start of every year, this space is divided into small theatre venues, where innovative artists can test out material or give preview performances of new work. Here, performers can hone their craft over a shorter, less expensive run before taking their work onwards, often to the Edinburgh Fringe or nationwide tours.
That is, until a worrying halt in proceedings over the last few years. In March 2020, the festival was forced to grind to a halt early as concerns about the coronavirus became real. The following two years, with new variant worries and a still-fragile theatre industry, the festival was cancelled. Vault co-founder Mat Burtcher told me in summer 2020 that it had been “the only sensible choice”, but it also felt like a worrying prophecy for the fringe theatre scene. As the Bunker Theatre in Southwark was closed due to redevelopment and the price of getting to the Edinburgh Fringe soared, artists questioned whether small-scale theatre was viable anymore.
But now, it’s January 2023 and the Vault Festival is back, with 500 shows spread out over two months of fun at the festival base near Waterloo. This is the place to see the stars of tomorrow before they, with a bit of luck, take over the world. Liz Kingsman, currently one of the biggest stars in comedy, is one recent example of the power of Vault Festival. Her five-star laden One Woman Show, now the toast of the West End, began life here.
Below, you can find my biggest picks from this year’s festival – from drag to drama…
Liv Ello: Swarm
If you saw Frankie Thompson’s genius lip sync extravaganza Catts at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer, you’ll know that Liv Ello, who directed the show, is one to watch. Ello uses similarly wacky multimedia storytelling for their own show, Swarm, in which they appear dressed as a fly. The title invokes the word once used by David Cameron to describe migrants coming to the UK, in order to explore our parasitical politics and the hate campaign against immigration.
7-10 February, 8pm, The Cage
You Are Going To Die
Back in 2017, Adam Scott-Rowley got completely naked on stage at the Bunker Theatre (RIP) and earned rave reviews. This year, he’s stripping off again for You Are Going to Die, a tense meditation on the impending end of the world. If it sounds a tad nihilistic, don’t worry – Scott Rowley promises it’s “f***ing funny” too.
14-19 March, times vary, The Cage
Gun To Your Head
This electric two-hander, written by emerging playwright Simon Jaggers, follows teenage runaways Dakota (Shakira Riddell Morales) and Bede (Abdul Jalloh) as they hide out in an abandoned quarry and dream of a better life. Jaggers has been mentored by hefty theatre names such as Simon Stephens and David Eldridge, so we’re expecting great things.
14-18 February, times vary, The Cavern
Pecs: Icons
Pecs are a drag king collective, consisting of female and non-binary theatre artists, and this year they’re bringing their late-night cabaret show to the Vaults. Expect impressive performances nodding to queer history, stars from across the London drag scene and expert DJs guaranteed to get everyone dancing. Come along and get your pecs out for the lads…
Joe Leather in ‘Wasteman’
25 February, 10.30pm, The Flair Ground Lates
Mat Ewins: Tech Experiments
By now, integrating video elements into live comedy shows can feel like an overdone shtick… unless you’re Mat Ewins. The king of video comedy manages to make this format feel fresh, with shows that are full of interactive games and wacky visual gags, as well as tightly scripted and stuffed with jokes. After his five-star run at the Fringe this summer with his show Danger Money, you can expect more, well, experimentation from his new show, Tech Experiments.
1-3 March, 8.15pm, The Spacement at The Glitch
The king of video comedy
The poster for ‘Maud’
