Find out what shows to check out at this year’s Vault Festival, the capital’s very own fringe arts festival running from 23 January – 17 March.

The Vault Festival returns to Waterloo

Vault Festival is returning to Waterloo this January for two months of entertainment. London’s very own fringe festival is back in the atmospheric Victorian tunnels below Waterloo mainline station. Over eight weeks, over 2,000 artists will perform in over 400 shows. Londoners will be entertained by theatre, comedy, cabaret, immersive experiences, late night parties and more. Now in its seventh year, Vault Festival runs from 23 January to 17 March 2019. As well as giving a platform to rising new talents from the arts world, proceeds from ticket sales go to Help Refugees and Child.org’s Team Mum campaign.

Here’s Metro Girl’s recommendations of shows to check out at the Vault Festival 2019:

• Fool Britannia

Pay a visit to Britain’s worst school! Masters of the absurd Dan Lees and Neil Frost take you back to your school days with an hour of side-splitting comedy. Taunt the supply teacher, bunk off PE and get caught smoking behind the bike shed.

23 – 26 January. Brick Hall @ The Vaults. Tickets: £12. For more information and tickets, click here.

Yours Sincerely
© elafris photography

• Yours Sincerely

A queer coming-of-age comedy exploring the complications of communicating in the 21st century. After accidentally stealing 300 2nd class stamps, Will Jackson decides to revive letter writing as he puts pen to paper and gets in touch with old friends and ex-boyfriends. Based on actual correspondence, Will tells the story through the letters and lip-sync cabaret. The show was originally produced by the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in November 2018 for their Foundry Artist festival.

30 January – 3 February. Cage @ The Vaults. Tickets: £12. For more information and tickets, click here.

• Salaam

A thought-provoking new play by Sara Aniqah Malik explores what it means to be a Muslim in London today. Telling the story through two Muslim women using live music and performance, Salaam explores mental health issues and racial abuse.

30 January – 3 February. Cavern @ The Vaults. Tickets: £15. For more information and tickets, click here.

• Infinity

Go on a universal quest to find hope in a galaxy of loneliness. A lone astronaut is on a one-way mission the edge of the universe. This Dublin Fringe play is presented by Nessa Matthews with Eoghan Carrick.

6 – 10 February. Network Theatre. Tickets: £12. For more information and tickets, click here.

Len Blanco
© Helen White

• Len Blanco : Firings Blancs

Theatremaker and songwriter Helen White performs as drag king Len Blanco. Following last year’s debut at the Edinburgh Fringe, Firing Blancs is bringing musicality, humour and subversively gendered performances to Vault Fest. Recovering former boy band member Len from M4 has risen from the ashes as Len Blanco. The voice of his generation, he’s talented, sexy, vegan and ‘woke’.

7 February – 1 March. Brick Hall @ The Vaults. Tickets: £12. For more information and tickets, click here.

• Carnival of Crows

Step into the Victorian underworld of carnival sideshows with a one-woman show. Go on a journey of horror and suspense as secrets are unearthed. The Laudanum Sisters and head showman Edward B Friday present a mix of puppetry, poetry, macabre cabaret and comedy.

13 – 17 February. Cavern @ The Vaults. Tickets: £15. For more information and tickets, click here.

• Mortified London – Valentine’s Day special

Relive your teenage angst and share your embarrassing writing from your formative years. Following the hit podcast and Netflix serial, experience Mortified live. A special late-night lonely-hearts edition of Mortified Live is coming to the Vaults for Valentine’s weekend. Cringe hard as people read out their teenage diaries, poetry, novels and other writings that somehow didn’t get burned.

15 February. Crescent @ The Vaults. Tickets: £12. For more information and tickets, click here. 

The world’s weirdest chat show with How To Date A Magical Creature

• How To Date A Magical Creature

Join the audience of the wackiest chat show you’ve ever seen! Host with the most Toby Vanilla quizzes your favourite magical creatures and fantastic beasts in no-holds-barred interviews. Chosen by the audience, the cast will take on their favourite characters in a hilarious improv show. Previous guests include Santa and his twin brother Satan, a Mer-Wolf, the Grim Reaper and the Lucky Charms Leprechaun.

23 – 24 February. Studio @ The Vaults. Tickets: £10. For more information and tickets, click here.

Exploring porn and the patriarchy with WOOD

• WOOD

1983. San Fernando Valley. John Rolando is the glittering porn star of the moment. But when he fails to get it up, his life – and the play – begins to unravel. This new play about porn and patriarchy is premiering at Vault festival.

27 February – 3 March. Brick Hall @ The Vaults. Tickets: £15. For more information and tickets, click here.

• LATES

– 2 February : King For A Night drag king show.

– 9 February : The Silent Disco Show.

– 16 February : Eat Your Heart Out Valentine’s extravaganza.

– 23 February : Brainchild Takeover: Red Moon Safari.

– 2 March : BRAZILIAN WAX XXL (mystic-disco-soul-seance-carnival-carnage).

– 9 March : The South London Soul Train VAULT Festival Special.

– 17 March : Ruckus St Patrick’s Day Party.

• Vault Festival 2019 takes place from 23 January – 17 March 2019. The Vaults, 10 Leake Street, Waterloo, SE1 7NN. Nearest station: Waterloo and Lambeth North. Other venues include Network Theatre, Travelling Through…, The Horse & Stables and Unit 9. For booking, visit the Vault Festival website.

For a guide to what’s on in London in March, click here.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin