LIVE… Off West End

Bunker Girls Waterloo East Theatre London

Victoria Johnston (left) and Suzanne Kendall (right) both shine in Bunker Girls

often it seems the bigger the production, the bigger the ticket price, and so the bigger the expectation and anticipation. With so much hanging in the balance, West End shows may be excused for being risk-averse and putting on re-runs, or indeed anything that is sure to catch the tourist traffic and put bums on seats with yet another musical about the life of a vintage star. The problem is that these shows tend to be devoid of any depth in the script or characters and are emotionally saccharine.

And so it seems to follow that the bigger the production, the bigger the disappointment – artistically at least. Of course that’s not always the case and admittedly over the last twelve months I have seen several ‘top’ shows and have been fortunate enough to enjoy some great nights that have more than compensated for outrageous ticket prices. A couple of good seats can easily cost £75 each, which, when added to a pre-theatre bite to eat and some travel costs, adds up to more than a couple of days in Paris.

Away from the ‘top’ venues, particularly on the south side of the river, you can find many exceptional innovative teams experimenting with classic texts or running with new, young writers making bold plays in London’s equivalent of ‘Off-Broadway’.

Catering to the tourist traveller a little less and instead to the local Londoner looking for something new, Lambeth and Southwark offers an eclectic mix of theatre, comedy, music and art. Still, there are some big players in this area, none bigger than the National Theatre, Tate Modern, Royal Festival Hall, Shakespeare’s Globe and the Old Vic.

There are others too, however, tucked away in archways and backstreets. Take the Waterloo East Theatre on Brad Street near Waterloo station, currently running a new play by Reggie Adams called ‘An Interview with Gaddafi’ (3rd to 29th June) as well as ‘Whistleblower: the Story of Edward Snowden’ by Richard Roques (7th July to 3rd August).

Edgy, new, and politically risque ideas, writing and performance. Do you really need to go and see yet another version of an old favourite drama again with show-biz royalty basking in adulation, when there are things like this to see? Don’t overlook the ticket price too, most nights seats start from £17 each, though look out for special nights in each production they do called ‘Pay what you can night’, which speaks for itself.

These kinds of theatres are small and intimate with ticket prices to match, making an evening out no more expensive than spending a couple of hours in the pub with friends, rather than the cost of a short holiday.

Or have a look at Network Theatre, Lower Road (under Waterloo Station) playing ‘Looking for Normal’ by Jane Anderson and directed by Rebecca Mason this month (June), which promises to be another edgy drama, this time about the effects of one man’s sexual identity crisis on his family. Network Theatre celebrates it’s 75th Anniversary later this year, tracing its origins back to the Southern Railway Dramatic Society, whose first production was ‘A Damsel in Distress’ by Ian Hay and PG Wodehouse all that time ago. To commemorate this, you can expect to see the clock wound back this autumn and this play revisited for old times sake.

Network Theatre is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2014

Probably one of the most successful ‘Off West End’ theatres is the Menier Chocolate Factory, that not only boasts a fine restaurant and bar as part of the whole evening’s entertainment but also two recent Olivier Awards this year; Best Musical Revival and Best Sound Design for ‘Merrily We Roll Along’. Admittedly the ticket prices are creeping up by this stage, to the dizzying heights of £29.50, but when you think that for an extra £8 you can get the ‘Meal Deal’, it still is a great all in price for a night out.

If you enjoy theatre and not just star-gazing then you will enjoy this experience just as much – it is an adventure into the creative scene that puts you closer to the action, often within arms reach of the cast and rubbing shoulders with the writers and directors at the interval.

It may not be as glamourous as the West End experience but it is certainly every bit as entertaining and thought provoking, like a great night out with very interesting friends.

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