Tag Archives: Camden People’s Theatre

2026

“Pretty Ugly” at Camden People’s Theatre

Theo Chen’s heartfelt solo cabaret talks us through his young life and search for romance alongside a love of musical theatre. Exploring questions surrounding the nature of beauty, with a raw honesty about feelings of inadequacy, Chen brings plenty of thought to his enjoyable performances of well-known songs. Pretty Ugly is sincere, funny, sentimental and very entertaining.

This is a quick tour through Chen’s school days in Singapore, and his time in Canada and Cambridge, all the while highlighting how songs have helped him through difficult times. It’s a bit of a rush, and director Lim Shien Hian might slow things down. With so many facts, the central question of what attraction means and might be worth gets a little lost. But if the show has a flaw, it’s that I could listen to more. While Chen is under no obligation to educate the audience, a bit more background on Singapore might help, perhaps alongside some exploration of how notions of beauty differ across cultures.

Chen and his musical director and accompanist, George Jackson, do a good job of weaving famous numbers into his story. The singing reveals a performer with a clear knowledge of his ability and a love for the songs that is winning. I think I disagree with Chen about Sondheim’s ‘The Ladies Who Lunch’, although the rendition is strong. But the use of ‘Another Hundred People’, which acts as a refrain to stories about dating and cruising, is quite brilliant.

A word of warning is needed for those who, like me, are opposed to audience participation. To be clear, Chen is very good at this: engaging and never threatening. A bit of a singalong is bearable (anyone can mumble). But getting the whole audience onto the stage is quite a task. If Chen wants an accolade, joining a slow dance on stage is a first for me. And I’ve been in more theatres than he’s seen YouTube clips of Company (and that’s a lot).

I can forgive the (dreaded) A.P. because Chen is gentle with it. And the key to his successful show, possibly, is that he recognises how that gentleness is a strength. Chen’s personality is so strong that criticism comes close to becoming just praise for the performer. He is humble, but smart, studied, yet casual. His communication with the audience makes you feel as if you’re spending time with a friend. And, yes, that’s a beautiful thing.

Until 16 October 2026

www.cptheatre.co.uk

Photo by *SCAPE

2013

“Oxbow Lakes” at The Old Print Works, Parr Street

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Theatre happens in all kinds of places nowadays, so a disused Print Works as a venue is voguish rather than outlandish. But walking through a massive council estate on the wrong side of Hoxton at night made your theatre critic feel distinctly intrepid. Thankfully, the Dirty Market theatre company has transformed an old factory into a playground to host its new show, Oxbow Lakes, in association with the Camden People’s Theatre. A work devised by the company, using the perspective of a child, it’s a charming, dreamlike jaunt through some wild scenarios.

A young child’s fears, reflecting the anxieties of his parents, Jack and Jill (Georgina Sowerby and Jon Lee), with plenty of transformations set in a deep, dark wood create a rich backdrop for imaginations to wander through. Puppetry, fabric sets, jumble sale costumes and fairy-tale characters, ably performed by Francesca Dale, Arti Natharni and Benedict Hopper (who has the evening’s funniest scene when he takes on the roles of both Queen Bittersweet and Prince Lemonzest) combine to create a simple, storytelling world that it’s a pleasure to dip into.

There’s also a good deal of music, composed and performed by the show’s narrator Oscar Gibbs. It’s easy to see the appeal of the songs’ lo-fi approach and poetic lyrics. And there’s an element of mystery, as bodies pile up around the eponymous lake, with a nod to Twin Peaks, and a Sarah Lundish detective (pictured above) who raises a smile. It may not quite hold together, and the inspiration – that some people find their children to be little devils – doesn’t have much drive – but it’s all monstrously good fun.

www.dirtymarket.co.uk

Until 28 September 2013

Photo by Jemima Yong

Written 6 September 2013 for The London Magazine