Maggots
Farah Najib’s new play follows a group of lonely tenants living in a building in which a suspicious stench is starting to intrude into everyone’s private lives. Jess Barton directs a cast of Sam Baker Jones, Safiyya Ingar, and Marcia Lecky.
Having moved from its notoriously tiny Shepherd's Bush Green venue in 2012, the Bush Theatre is still fulfilling its role as one of London's smallest major theatres in its new home in the old Shepherd's Bush Library. Until recently, the venue was run by Madani Younis, who presided over a diverse line-up of plays by writers including Vinay Patel and Arinzé Kene, as successor to his comedy-focussed predecessor Josie Rourke. The theatre's new artistic director is Lynette Linton, a playwright and director who was at the helm of a hit production of Lynn Nottage's 'Sweat'.
Bush Theatre boasts two performance spaces: an 144-seater main house, which can play in traverse, thrust and end-on configurations, and a smaller studio. The shows on offer are generally new plays, with the odd revival of a forgotten late twentieth-century drama. The theatre also continues on its search for and support of new writing with the Bush Green initiative, which allows unsolicited playscript submissions.
Ticket prices are in the £15-£20 mark and there are usually concessions and offers on shows, including the three for two season offer. Locals and students also get discounts.
The cosy, welcoming bar and cafe, with its floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with play texts, reminds a little of the original library and the cafe serves up some nice light bites and has free wifi. In summer, theatregoers can soak up some rays in the Bush's usually-packed outdoor seating area.
