Fringe: Sasha Nezbolin - Titclown - Burger and a Pint

Sasha Nezlobin: I’m Fine
Pleasance Dome, 10 • Fringe 2026  ★★★★

Much of comic Sasha Nezlobin's material comes from the fact that he was one of the top standups in Russia, then he made a pointed joke after Putin invaded Ukraine, and he had to flee the country to avoid prison. So much of this is culture-clash humour about relocating to Los Angeles with his wife and then 9-year-old daughter, then trying to relaunch his career. And it's been a struggle, having to perform in his second language and new cultural settings. Of course, this is also ripe material for comedy, and Sasha's delivery is ninja-like, as he secretly laces every sentence with a dryly hilarious punchline. It's so rapid-fire that it can be tricky to keep up with him. But the mix of brainy and silly gags is thoroughly entertaining.

Standing on a simple stage surrounded by cutout backlit flames, the sharpest jokes are grounded in topicality, with raid-fire throwaway references to Putin and the Trumps, ChatGPT and Grok, Russia, America and Britain. His offhanded style continually catches us by surprise, eliciting big laughs as he recounts his story. Much of the material connects to the generation gap between his Russian upbringing and his daughter's transformation into a LA teen who isn't thrilled to be living with an impoverished comedian with a "deportable accent". His account of how they left Russia is packed with riotously observant asides that sneak up on us. And his rendition of Eminem's Lose Yourself is blissfully ridiculous.

"I'm trying to be a good American," Sasha insists, "polite in public and racist at home." A long anecdote about a meeting with Kevin Spacey about possibly making a film together is twisty and surprising, with moments of absurdity and a playfully edgy inversion of homophobia. Parts this routine are improvised, and he also regularly crosses out gags in his notes when they don't work. So there's a real sense that we're watching him relearn a skill that once brought him fame, and might do again.

For more: SASHA NEZLOBIN  • 14.Aug.26

Titclown: Daddy’s Little Girl
Summerhall, Red Lecture Theatre • Fringe 2026 ★★★★

Almost impossible to describe, this unforgettable show is an unusual intersection of drama, clowning, standup and performance art. There are times when it feels like a theatre student's indulgent senior project, as it uses absurdity to explore astonishingly personal themes. But performer Jessica Aszkenasy, aka Titclown, has such a cheeky likeability that it's impossible not to be gripped by her offbeat storytelling. And the show is full of heart-stopping moments that point out some serious failings in society.

As we enter the lecture theatre at Summerhall, which still smells faintly of formaldehyde, there is a stuffed mannequin on a rocking chair with Jessica lying at his feet, both wearing oversized black suits. A voiceover chatters on in an entitled, self-absorbed way, while Jessica worms around on the floor. Then a title notes Chapter 1: Daddy, and she pops up, smirking as she charms the audience and displays a bulge in her trousers. What follows involves a couple of dildos and some nervy audience participation. The voiceover continues to reveal darker thoughts about toxic masculinity, and Jessica transforms into a woman in Chapter 2: Baby, with a burlesque costume change accompanied by words about relationship issues.

Her point is that men always require too much of her, when all she wants is to relax in safety with them. And in Chapter 3: Annihilation there are video clips of Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew, Donald and Ivanka Trump, Russell Brand and Johnny Depp, demonstrating how society is complicit, only questioning horrific behaviour after it's too late. Meanwhile, Jessica mixes up a batch of scrambled eggs and throws them at the screen. She also interacts with the mannequin in a variety of ways, affectionate and angry, plus an extended bit of crowd surfing. And there's a random bit involving the war in Yugoslavia. There's a lot to chew on in here. Ostensibly a show about hating men, she cleverly reveals much deeper, more complex feelings that will haunt us for a very long time.

For more: TITCLOWN • 14.Aug.26

Burger and a Pint: Treats for the Soul
Pleasance Courtyard, Cellar • Fringe 2026  ★★★★★

Relentlessly hilarious, the standup duo James Trickey and Ted Milligan, aka Burger and a Pint, keep the audience laughing steadily through a set that that is largely made up of sharply well-performed sketches that ripple with absurd wit. These range from extended set pieces to blink-and-you-miss-it quick jabs. And the punchlines fly in from all sides.

They introduce themselves by subverting a standard standup set with some heckling, which morphs into a silly gag. Ted notes that he's bisexual, while James is half Asian, so together they make up one whole minority. They quickly slip in and out of their sketches, including a gruff police interrogation interrupted by the birthday party next door, an Indiana Jones style adventure with a nasty twist and bonkers riffs on Deal or No Deal and Mastermind. There's also the contractually required James Bond bit, and its elaborate choreography is so delightfully ridiculous that we never want it to end. 

Their humour often plays with cliches, inverting stereotypes to find new perspectives on familiar scenarios. Through all of this, their characterisations, accents and full-on physicality take us into scenes without the need for props. So even if a couple of sketches are more difficult to sustain (such as an extended Q&A with a dodgy puppeteer), their youthful energy and charm keep us thoroughly engaged. And it's also nice to see that they're not afraid to deliver very close-to-the-edge comedy along the way. This adds some pointed topicality that makes the show engaging on a level beneath the laughter.

For more: BURGER AND A PINT • 15.Aug.26

Fringe: Fempaths - Tom Neenan - Eric Lampaert

Fempaths: Transistor Radio Hour
Underbelly Bristo Square, Dexter • Fringe 2026 ★★★

There's a lot of great material in this quirky, important cabaret show, which mixes audio recordings and live performance in a variety of genres to explore the trans experience. Much of this is created using verbatim scripts, recasting people's words into songs by our host Fempath, aka Mari Moriarty, who sings and plays a keyboard, accompanied by Carolina on cello and Bevan on flute and sax. It's scrappy and tricky to follow, mainly due to the complex sound mix, but it's packed with seriously powerful moments.

Fempath wryly approaches a stage that is littered with camp iconography, including a giant plastic pink triangle pillow, a pair of drama masks and an oversized stuffed boom box (which she calls an old time radio). Her own voice comes through the speakers, narrating her story and describing the costumes and props before she dives into various songs, starting with one from the perspective of a child who says, "I knew I was trans before I ever heard the word gender." These kinds of honest expressions add a lovely sense of urgency amid the broader comical bits.

The uneven collection of songs range from the raucous anthem Throat Goat (props include a banana and a cucumber) to darkly moving pieces that use the words of victims of violence or Mari's grandfather speaking to his wife as she deals with dementia. These sit at odds with the wacky stage aesthetic, which is shiny and plasticky. But the profound moments are so beautiful that they continually take us aback. Yes, these are sharply political observations, rightfully angry that society is making vulnerable people feel like they don't belong. But as a defiant statement against transphobia, the show has real power, reminding us that everyone deserves to be here.

For more: FEMPATH • 13.Aug.26

Tom Neenan: Portrait of a Tom as a Young Neenan
Underbelly George Square, Bluebell • Fringe 2026 ★★★★

With a steady stream of goofy punchlines and clever wordplay, Tom Neenan tells an amusingly spiralling story about a specific period in his life when everything began to feel a bit overwhelming. So there are sharply pointed personal touches laced throughout this otherwise playfully silly show, remaining buoyant even while grappling with big issues like identity, legacy and mortality.

On a stage framed with, well, empty picture frames, Tom recounts being invited to a destination wedding in Seville, which of course brings a whole range of stresses. Meanwhile, he is commissioned to paint the portrait of an older man who wants the image to truly capture him. As he speaks, riffs are triggered on a variety of topics, starting with how monetising a hobby like painting can take the joy from it. He also diverts to discuss the intersection of Gaudi and Goya in Barcelona, an ambitious feature film he made as an overconfident teen, which sweet treats are better than others and his experience with not-so-helpful call to a suicide hotline. 

Cleverly, Tom holds all of this together by using witty callbacks, recurring gags and hilarious impersonations of the people he encounters. He's a vivid storyteller, and everything is, well, framed by his need to get his own portrait taken as a passport photo, so he can travel to this dreaded wedding with its "luxurious linen" theme. His patter is riddled with hilarious asides ("A portrait is just a landscape with someone in the way") and off-handed remarks, delivered in a way that's thoroughly present with the audience. So his awkwardness actually becomes charming. And the serious notes he makes have a surprisingly deep impact.

For more: TOM NEENAN • 14.Aug.26

Eric Lampaert: Zero Minus One
Just the Tonic Caves, The Wee One • Fringe 2026 ★★★★

Appropriately, I'm not quite sure what I witnessed here. Eric Lampaert opened by saying he would not be putting on the play as usual, but instead would sit with the audience and talk us through his harrowing experience of losing all of his memories. He said that the play was created with a deliberate fourth wall, to divide an intimidating audience from the scary things inside him. But he realises that he needs to build bridges instead, and find a better way to tell this story. So was I watching the show itself, a deconstructed reinvention of it or a workshop? Whatever, it was absolutely riveting, hugely involving and often jaw-dropping in its implications.

A gifted physical actor, comic and clown, Eric is an unfiltered performer who darts between personas Robin Williams-style, delivering lacerating jokes and mind-boggling insight. Dressed in an un-hooked straitjacket, he walks the audience through the day he woke up in 2019 with no idea who he was, reverting to a childlike, feral creature. But his constant sideroads offer telling glimpses into the nature of this breakdown, from hypnotherapy sessions to sleep deprivation to rather a lot of weed. At the centre is the salient question of what you are if you lose your memory. And even if everyone and everything you ever knew hasn't vanished, how much does our memory inform our identity? And how much do we impact the places and people around us?

These deeper, darker ideas emerge as he recounts anecdotes that are funny, scary and honest, laced with his relentless search for meaning. Most impressive is how the show encourages us to remain tapped into our inner child. He clearly is! Watching even his most frightening impersonations completely take over his body is remarkable. In Eric's situation, memories began coming back right from the start, but it took a couple of years before he rediscovered himself. He says that there are no words to explain what happened and how he still feels, but the way he connects with us communicates far beyond words.

For more: ERIC LAMPAERT • 14.Aug.26

Critical Week: On the road again

I'm taking a break from the movies over the next few days, and I've travelled up to Edinburgh to watch some shows in the Fringe. Reviews are incoming - watch this space! But before I left London, I caught a few movies. Nimrods is a rambunctious cross-country road movie following three dopey teens for a rendezvous in Los Angeles with Green Day. It's too messy to be a classic, but will definitely find a cult following. And Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor dive fully into the chaos of The End of Oak Street, as their suburb is invaded by voracious dinosaurs. This is a pure guilty pleasure, worth seeing on a big screen laughing and screaming along with the crowd.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Tony • Nimrods
The End of Oak Street
Songs of Forgotten Trees
ALL REVIEWS >

Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield lead a strong British cast in the colourfully quirky fantasy The Magic Faraway Tree, based on the beloved Enid Blyton novel. A blast of sharp wit makes this a lot more fun than expected. Agniezka Holland's Franz is an impressively artful, fascinating but too-fractured biopic about legendary author Franz Kafka.  The queer Australian horror Leviticus has an unusually romantic undercurrent that evokes very deep emotions amid some terrifying grisliness. And Anuparna Roy's award-winning Indian drama Songs of Forgotten Trees is a beautifully observed story of two young women facing challenges in the big city. 

Finally, there were two more films that are premiering at the Edinburgh International Film Festival this week, including Queen at Sea, a powerfully involving British drama featuring devastating performances from Juliette Binoche and Tom Courtenay. And the entertaining documentary The Mad World of Harvey Kurtzman traces the life of the creator of Mad magazine. It's also a remarkable look at the emergence of comic books and mid-20th century pop culture.

Coming up this next week, after I get back to London, I'll be watching Hugh Jackman in The Death of Robin Hood, Andrew Scott in Pressure, the comedy Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass, the Bolivian drama The Condor Daughter and the documentary Super Nature.

Screen: August TV Roundup

There's been a lot to watch this summer, squeezing episodes of TV series in between the movies and stage shows. It's been a nice combination of serious stuff along with less demanding entertainment. I'll start here with new shows, specifically the one that was the most unexpected fun...

Ride or Die
Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer are having so much fun that it's impossible not to enjoy this freewheeling action comedy. As Debbie comes to grips with the fact that her best friend Judith is an assassin, they find themselves on the run across Europe, chased by the Albanian mob and various ruthless killers. Bill Nighy and Ed Skrein have notably strong supporting roles. And while the tone is resolutely jaunty, the show never shies away from the gruesome violence. So the story takes some very, very dark turns along the way, as it delves into Judith's shady past on its way to a showdown with an angry ex-colleague (Sylvia Hoeks). All of this is finely produced, shot in gorgeous locations with impressive action choreography that's genuinely intense. (Prime)

Tip Toe
Alan Cumming and David Morrissey star in this pointed drama from Russell T Davies, which we know from the start is heading to an unspeakable crime. They play long-time neighbours caught in a tense tug-of-war relating to friends and family. The title refers to how queer people must again lie low as society slides into right-wing bigotry. So it's very hotly charged, with riveting conversations and terrifying confrontations. Even if the writing isn't very subtle, the performances are. Cumming and Morrissey find fascinating complexities, as do members of the strong supporting ensemble. Jackson Connor gives a breakout turn as Morrissey's 16-year-old son. The themes are urgently important, but the story's so grim that it's not easy to watch. Or forget. (C4)

Widow’s Bay
This nutty series throws every creepy seafaring tale at a small community living on an island off the coast of New England. Despite growing up here, Mayor Tom (Matthew Rhys) somehow doesn't know any of this folklore and is thoroughly sceptical. Then everything starts happening to him at once. Everything is rather bonkers, with an offbeat pace and a surrounding cast of colourfully amusing characters. There's also a wide range of horrific nastiness on display, including a particularly grim episode set in the early 18th century. And with its haunted town premise, the show sometimes feels like a goofier variation on Stranger Things. So even if the various plot strands seem rather contrived, we wouldn't mind coming back for more. (Apple)

Spider-Noir
While you can choose to watch this in shimmering black and white or saturated colours, the main joy of this Spider-Man variant series is Nicolas Cage's woozy performance as Ben Reilly, a middle-aged private eye in a cartoonish 1930s New York. He's also secretly the Spider. He's such a broken mess that it's impossible to take our eyes off him, especially with Ben's earthy emotional chaos and a relentless charisma honed from watching vintage James Cagney movies. The back-story, revealed in extensive flashbacks, is far more engaging than the plot of this series. Likeable side roles include Lamorne Morris' snappy journalist, Karen Rodriguez as Ben's sassy secretary, Li Jun Li as the femme fatale and Brendan Gleeson's ruthless mobster. (Prime)

Not Suitable for Work
Created by Mindy Kaling, this New York comedy features two 20-something women living across the hall from three 20-something men, Friends-style, as they kickstart their careers. It may not feel terribly realistic, with money issues treated as a bit of a joke and career opportunities coming along right on cue, but the actors are terrific as they spiral around each other and pursue work in banking, journalism, acting and styling. Ella Hunt, Avantika, Will Angus, Jack Martin and Nicholas Duvernay have so much charisma and chemistry that we happily become involved in their amusing personal dramas. And the cast includes the terrific Jay Ellis, Constance Wu, Greg Germann and a hugely enjoyable Victor Garber, plus lots of starry cameos. (Hulu) 

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed
A comical sensibility sits at odds with this violent thriller about a single mum entangled with a trail of dead bodies. The title is a tease because the first victim is a camboy, and while there are intriguing ideas in here about the messiness of divorcing couples and lingering desire, none of that is dealt with meaningfully. Still, it's played to the hilt, so Tatiana Maslany's central character Paula is such an idiot she's impossible to like, impulsively making everything worse with each decision and reaction. But then, if anyone in this show behaved like a real person, the murderous monster (a terrifyingly chilly Murray Bartlett) would be caught in episode 2. It's almost worth watching just for him, and the fabulous Dolly De Leon as a no-nonsense detective. (Apple) 

T H E   S A G A   C O N T I N U E S

Sugar: series 2
After pulling the rug out with a that season-finale twist, this noir mystery could only deepen. And these episodes are even more assured and focussed, produced with a cinematic liquidity that's pure heaven on-screen. Driving the coolest car on television, Colin Farrell gives a staggeringly smart, understated turn as the otherworldly John Sugar, a philanthropic private eye whose current case involves a boxer (Jin Ha), his wayward brother (Raymond Lee) and a deeply corrupt cop (Tony Dalton). But John's playing a longer game, working with old pal Tom (Shea Whigham), flirting with Charlotte (Laura Donnelly) and hiring an assistant (Sasha Calle). The stories unfold with a gorgeous attention to detail, constantly surprising us with lovely emotional resonance. (Apple) 

The Vampire Lestat: series 3
Previously titled Interview With the Vampire, this season finds a new musical vibe as it follows swaggering rock-god Lestat (Sam Reid) and his band on tour, dredging up stories from his past as he's interviewed for a backstage doc by journalist Dan (Eric Bogosian). Meanwhile, Louis (Jacob Anderson) is taunting Lestat, whose mother (Jennifer Ehle) arrives to spice things up. There's also a waitress who looks eerily like the late Claudia (Delainey Hayles). More outrageously over the top than before, and featuring several terrific original songs, this year's storyline is packed with enormous twists and astonishingly grisly violence, although the rowdy sexuality feels more strait-laced, so to speak. Still, the writing digs deeply into the characters, and the cast is well up for the challenge. (BBC)

Fake Profile
[Perfil Falso]:
series 3
Subtitled Killer Honeymoon, this Colombian potboiler kicks off its third season with the usual mix of sexy encounters, mysterious new characters and of course murder. The writing is even more absurd than before, largely because of the convolutions needed to keep things going. And the show's eye leans further into leery misogyny, featuring glistening tough guys and girl-on-girl action. It's also a guilty-pleasure, combining uber-sleek visuals with the trashiest plotting imaginable. Poor Camila (Carolina Miranda) is still at the centre, with her dubious boyfriend Miguel (Rodolfo Salas) and evil nemesis Angela (Manuela Gonzalez), somehow in the thick of the action even though police know that she's the mastermind behind all of this chaos. (Netflix) 

H A I L   A N D   F A R E W E L L

The Bear: series 5
The first nine episodes of this season are set over a single night, returning this series to its earlier style of storytelling, piling a range of outrageous situations onto a group of already frazzled characters, then watching them rise to the challenges. It's breathtaking to watch, because it's so superbly written and directed, and performed to perfection by this deservedly award-hoovering ensemble cast. The ninth episode is one of the very best in this show's extraordinary run, which is saying something, as everything comes to a head. Oddly, this leaves the final episode feeling a little disappointing, as it works overtime to wrap up each dangling plot thread in a way that isn't strictly necessary. And the final scenes are focussed on the wrong characters. (Hulu) 

Heartstopper Forever
Essentially a condensed version of the show's fourth season, there's a nicely cinematic quality to this film, which wraps up the series about teens grappling with issues around sexuality and identity. They're young adults now (led by the terrific Kit Connor and Joe Locke), so the film must strike a balance between childhood and more grown-up thoughts and feelings. And while the script tends to steer things in rather cute directions, there are darker and, yes, sexier things going on that make the story resonate strongly
(Netflix) ... FULL REVIEW >

Good Omens 3
Michael Sheen and David Tennant are back as an angel and demon who rather like each other, with the third season playing out in the form of an overstuffed 90-minute movie. The wacky antics continue, with the theft of the Book of Life throwing heaven, hell and earth into chaos. And then Jesus (Bilal Hasna) goes missing just before the second coming. As before, the goofiness contains rather a lot of existential intrigue, questioning the nature of good and evil, as well as humanity's need for supernatural explanations of earthly realities. There's a lot going on, not all threads are tightly tied, and quite a few details needed to be more fleshed out, as it were. But it's always great to see Sheen and Tennant having fun, and Derek Jacobi and Toby Jones too. (Prime)

I N   P R O G R E S S

I'm halfway through the 4th season of Ted Lasso (Apple) and Ryan Murphy and Bret Easton Ellis' The Shards (Hulu). Obviously these are very different shows, but Ted Lasso's smart brand of comedy continues to be utterly winning as he returns to England to coach Richmond's rising-star women's team. The ensemble cast is on peak form. And Murphy's uber-lurid approach feels a bit timid here, even as The Shards remains an entertaining slasher horror romp through an early 1980s drugs-and-sex-filled high school. I'm patiently awaiting for the press to be given the remaining episodes; full comments will be in the next roundup.

ALSO WATCHING: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 4, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Sterling Point

GUILTY PLEASURES: The Traitors Canada, Race Across the World, Pop Culture Jeopardy, Funny AF

COMING SOON: Lanterns, Brothers, The Celebrity Traitors 2, Mobland 2, Chad Powers 2, The Gentlemen 2, Leanne 2, Adults 2

Previous roundup: JUNE 2026 > 

Critical Week: What's cooking

It's been another busy week at the movies, even as the cinemas take another breath between blockbusters. There's still plenty to see. I thoroughly enjoyed Tony, which stars the excellent Dominic Sessa as a young Anthony Bourdain, and features strong roles for Antonio Banderas, Emilia Jones and Leo Woodall. By contrast, Broken Lizard's Super Troopers 3 carries on the random silliness as a knucklehead group of Vermont cops play pranks on each other in the run-up to a Bollywood style wedding. A perfect distraction from real life.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Tony • Late Fame
Teenage Sex & Death at Camp Miasma
ALL REVIEWS >

There were also a few star-driven movies. Glenn Close is radiant as a Finnish grandma in The Summer Book, an enjoyable but rather glowy memoir-style drama. Vicky Krieps is terrific in the French drama Love Me Tender, a far too long but powerfully involving story that centres around queerness and child custody. And the superb George MacKay gives an astonishingly full-bodied turn in the collage-style Scottish drama Mission (premieres next weekend at Edinburgh International Film Festival).

There was also the low-budget indie romcom Do Us Part, featuring a messy love triangle that emerges amusingly at a wedding. And from India, Our Share of Sand is a gorgeously observed drama about a young girl discovering truths about her family and culture (premieres at Venice Film Festival next month). I also attended a live performance of Matthew Bourne's thrillingly sexy The Car Man, a dance loosely based on Bizet's Carmen.

Coming up this next week, I'll be watching Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor in The End of Oak Street, Juliette Binoche in Queen at Sea, Claire Foy in The Magic Faraway Tree, the horror romance Leviticus and the award-winning Indian drama Songs of Forgotten Trees. I'll also be heading up to the Edinburgh Fringe for a few days.

Dance: Feel the heat

New Adventures
The Car Man
director-choreographer Matthew Bourne
with Will Bozier, Ashley Shaw, Harry Ondrak-Wright, Anna-Maria De Freitas, Danny Reubens, Eleanor McGrath, Harrison Dowzell, Karishma Young, Jarrod McWilliams, Tanisha Addicott, Cameron Flynn, Rae Miller, Xavier Andriambolanoro-Sotiya, Serena McCall, Nicholas Shikkis, Jamie Duncan-Campbell, Tim Hodges
music Terry Davies featuring Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite (after Georges Bizet’s Carmen)
conductor Benjamin Pope • sets/costumes Lez Brotherston
lighting Chris Davey • sound Paul Groothuis
Sadler's Wells, London • 28.Jul-29.Aug.26 ★★★★★

This show premiered in 2000 and has been revived several times since, but this is the first time I've seen Matthew Bourne's notoriously sexy spin on Bizet's Carmen. Intriguingly, he largely only adapts the opera's tone, and the intensity of its plot, while spinning a new story that has its roots in American noir cinema. It also, of course, has the intriguing whiff of a queer twist in the tale. The result is thrilling theatre, a dazzling dance that needs no dialog or subtitles to keep us gripped to the feverish story.

It's set in the 1960s in a small Midwestern town called Harmony, as the hunky drifter Luca (Will Bozier) catches everyone's attention on arrival. He takes a job in a mechanic shop owned by Dino (Danny Reubens), whose feisty wife Lana (Ashley Shaw) immediately starts flirting with him. But Luca also has an eye on young Angelo (Henry Ondrak-Wright), who is bullied by the other guys. And Lana's sister Rita (Anna-Maria De Freitas) is also drawn to Angelo.

The soapy plot swirls around how Lana and Angelo are both smitten by Luca, leading to explosions of violence and a miscarriage of justice over the course of nine months. This is revealed through Bourne's expressive choreography, which plays cleverly on emotions that can't be contained. So the movement is exhilarating and sometimes menacing, a pungent tangle of passion, jealousy, innocence, yearning and revenge. 

Members of the large ensemble throw their bodies into the fray, with fully extended movement that often takes the breath away, creating a range of relationships around the edges while the five central figures jostle around each other. So the atmosphere is properly steamy, from the opening after-work shower sequence to a languishing summer evening during which these hot, young people can't be bothered to control their desires. This rowdy camaraderie is thoroughly entertaining, with sparky banter expressed through physicality rather than words.

The complex set helps to create an entire world, from the garage to a diner, nightclub and prison block. Solos and duets are simply gorgeous, evoking layered emotions with achingly cool visual flourishes. Among the show-stopping set pieces, there's a witty, telling pantomime and a very messy drag race. The tone veers expertly from lusty to playful to darkly grisly. And the darker second half charges headlong into a conclusion that's as grim as we expect it to be, creating a cautionary tale about not letting the libido completely control our lives. As if.

For information, SADLER'S WELLS > 

photos by Johan Persson • 31.Jul.26

Critical Week: When a plan comes together

It's another big blockbuster weekend at the movies, so I had to look around for other movies coming out this week that I could review. One of these was the rather lightweight heist thriller The Gentleman Thief, starring John Travolta and Rebecca De Mornay. It's an easy watch, twisty and not terribly tricky. But the big movie this week features three stars of current box-office champ The Odyssey: yes, Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jon Bernthal lead the charge in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which might be the best Marvel movie yet. It's a thoroughly engaging mix of humour, thrills and resonant emotion.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Ish • Mustache
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Wham! 10 Days in China
ALL REVIEWS >

I also caught up with the animated adventure Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie, which is aimed at very young children but keeps a smile on grown-up faces too. The megahit French comedy Just an Illusion, is a very lively coming-of-age story starring Louis Garrel and Camille Cottin as bickering, messy parents. Mustache is a superbly written and directed coming-of-age story set in Northern California, with an excellent cast. The Canadian romantic comedy Middle Life is charming and a bit awkward. The dazzlingly original animated memoir Bouchra is a true original, with a lot to say about culture and identity. And I also managed to catch up with the latest big-screen version of Masters of the Universe, which is far more fun than it should be.

Coming up this next week, I'll be watching Dominic Sessa in Tony, Glenn Close in The Summer Book, Vicky Krieps in Love Me Tender, George MacKay in Mission, the comedy Super Troopers 3 and the romcom Do Us Part. I also have a live performance of Matthew Bourne's The Car Man.