Features Published 24 June 2016

What to See at Incoming Festival

Incoming Festival 2016 opens tonight. Here's our guide on what to see - from the young companies performing at the fest.
Eleanor Turney

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Tell us (briefly!) about your show. What can audiences expect?

Flew the Coop is a comedy romance with mops. It’s inspired by the true story of Horace Greasley who escaped a prisoner of war camp over 200 times to see his girl, Rosa Rauchbach. Lost Watch

Our show is about a young woman whose body begins doing strange things – she has seizures, trembling numbness, all problems that point to a serious neurological condition. But the doctors can’t find anything wrong with her brain. Still Ill delves into the surprisingly common, little understood world of Functional Neurological Disorder, and audience can expect to feel WEIRD about their body by the time they leave the room, and the very strange things it’s capable of doing. Kandinsky
Three idiots best attempt at a 1970’s/80’s police action parody film live onstage. This comedy blockbuster performed on a shoestring budget boasts an action packed hour of physical comedy, cinematic style and uncompromising facial hair. The Pretend Men

Ross & Rachel is James Fritz’s exploration of the myths of modern love. It’s playful, post-modern and heart-breaking all at once, with an incredible solo performance at its centre. MOTOR

Cartography is about uncertainty. It follows our protagonist, Sarah, as she decides whether to grab life by the balls, or do what she has always planned. We use original song, wonky wooden ladders and the trusty overhead projector to bring Sarah’s world, and rather odd family, to life. Flickbook Theatre

Cornermen is a high-octane ride through the career of boxer Sid Sparks. From gyms with leaking ceilings to Wembley Stadium, we chart the journey of this young fighter and his team of cornermen. Smoke and Oakum

Snakes & Giants is a show about layering, about the slow building of time and the quick shifts that happen in our lives. It’s about the strata of rocks and the break downs of relationships. It’s a story and a ravelling and unravelling of images. It’s a step forward for us. We’re excited. And there’s some good soul music. Flanagan Collective

Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons is about a world in which the government have imposed a limit on the number of words people can say aloud per day. It’s a two-hander about how we express ourselves both personally and politically, and about censorship, and activism, and love. Walrus Theatre

Garden is about questioning the 9 to 5 routine and becoming disillusioned with the rat race. It’s about trying to revive life when it’s flatlining. It’s about escapism and building a garden inside your high rise flat. It touches on issues of mental health and the impact of corporate culture on our health. It’s a funny, poignant, subversive and personal show with quite a lot of soil chucked around. How Small How Far

Rite of Passage is an explosion of physical theatre, one hundred shoe boxes and three boys who really have no clue on how to be a “man”. It’s a beautiful mix of humour and poignancy as the show unboxes masculinity in a world where the biggest killer of men under the age of 45 is suicide. Theatre KinAesthetic

In Cosmic Fear, Brad thinks the sky is falling on his head. That the Last Day is getting closer and closer. Both Brad and Angelina have risked their fortunes on a movie, which if successful, they hope can save Hollywood. It could even save the world. Expect mega-meta hell, wigs, partial nudity and an unhealthy dose of despair. Empty Deck

Letters to Windsor House is a work-in-progress detective show for Generation Rent. Expect semi-illegal banter and bad trumpet playing. Sh!t Theatre

'Cosmic Fear or the Day Brad Pitt Got Paranoia' by Empty Deck. Photo: Aenne Pallasca

‘Cosmic Fear or the Day Brad Pitt Got Paranoia’ by Empty Deck. Photo: Aenne Pallasca

Why did you want to be a part of Incoming Festival?

We did Incoming last year and had a ball. Also it’s on the Victoria line. We bloody love the Victoria line. Obviously we’ll Uber it but it’s nice to know the Victoria line is there. Sh!t Theatre

Just look at the line-up! It’s a real pleasure to be part of something with so many other young companies making such exciting work. Festivals like this make us all stronger by association; by building a community. Walrus Theatre

Incoming Festival is one of the most vital festivals of new work around. It celebrates the quality and diversity of new theatre makers, so we were very excited to be among the programme. It’s a massive opportunity for us to show Cartography in London and share a stage with some of the most exciting emerging artists in our industry. Flickbook Theatre

We wanted to be a part of a big, creative, supportive ’emerging theatre’ family, and to test our new show before we go to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year. We had a blast when here in 2015, selling out, and winning great reviews and an award nomination, so we’re thrilled to be back! Hopefully this time bigger and bolder. Empty Deck

It’s a fantastic platform for showcasing emerging theatre, getting your work out there and fuelling your project. There isn’t really another festival which I can think of that has this level of support for its artists. Theatre KinAesthetic

When we attended the festival last year as punters we said to ourselves ‘this is something we’d love to be a part of’. The ethos, concept and execution of the festival is right up our road…plus there are table tennis tables outside the New Diorama. The Pretend Men

Incoming Festival is a real treat and is a rare haven to share work in London without a huge financial risk. It’s wonderful to be in a festival with such excellent artists and makers. Also, the New Diorama is a superb venue doing a lot to support artists and their work. And Jake and Eleanor are also excellent. So a whole host of superb excellence. That’s why! Flanagan Collective

Incoming really feels like a showcase of the most exciting alternative theatre being made by emerging companies in the UK, so to be part of that programme is amazing. It is run by fantastic organisations who are doing amazing work in supporting young theatre makers: A Younger Theatre and New Diorama. How Small How Far

It’s a chance to be part of a super exciting line up of shows that I’ve heard about before but never had the chance to see. And it’s genuinely a great offer for audiences – great theatre for a GREAT price. It was also another chance for the show to be seen in London. We are currently on a mini-tour of the show with a week at Battersea Arts Centre, but it’s increasingly difficult to present work in different contexts for different audiences, and Incoming is a great platform to see how a different kind of audience react to the play. MOTOR

Incoming represents a collection of some of the most exciting theatre makers in the UK. That’s a party we really fancied being at. Smoke and Oakum

Incoming Festival is cool. It’s like a gathering of all the top quality coolness in theatre right now. And being part of it makes us cool, right? Right??? Lost Watch

'Flew the Coop' by Lost Watch Theatre

‘Flew the Coop’ by Lost Watch Theatre

Which other show in the festival are you most excited about seeing?

Without a doubt, Flew The Coop by Lost Watch. All their previous work has been excellent and we can’t wait to see what they come up with this time. Smoke and Oakum.

Last Edinburgh Fringe, Lost Watch were my flyering buddies and we have chatted a bit about the style of their new show, Flew the Coop, and it sounds right up my street. I had a sneak preview of the script before development, so I cannot wait to see it on its feet. How Small How Far

We’re on the same night as Bucket Club, so we’re really looking forward to seeing their show Fossils. And Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons sounds excellent – but I think that is already sold out! Flanagan Collective

We are definitely big fans of everything Soundbox Collective do, so it is going to have to be The Karen. Get your dancing shoes on and get down there! Theatre KinAesthetic

We’re excited about Eurohouse by Antler and Fellswoop Theatre. Empty Deck

Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons by Walrus Theatre. This was up in Edinburgh when we first premiered Ross & Rachel last year and I missed it. I like work that is playful and messes with conventions and forms, and this sounds right up my street! MOTOR

We’re looking forward to seeing Lemons x 5 as missed it last year in Edinburgh. Eurohouse looks brilliant and we also want to see Bucket Club who were fellow Escalator East comrades before the programme was sadly put to rest. Sh!t Theatre

We can’t wait for TANK by Breach. They’re an extraordinary company of theatre brains, and what better subject matter to bring those brains to bear on than injecting dolphins with LSD? Walrus Theatre

Sh!t Theatre’s Letters to Windsor House. We like funny women. Lost Watch

It’s tricky. Not being local, we are only able to make it for a couple of days. Luckily, our spare day falls on Saturday 25th, when the brilliant Bucket Club and Flanagan Collective are performing. To say we’re excited is an understatement. Flickbook Theatre

Incoming Festival runs 24th June to 3rd July at New Diorama, and all tickets are £5.

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Eleanor Turney

Eleanor Turney is a freelance writer and editor. @eleanorturney

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