Theatre in London: The socially conscious shows addressing the issues of today

Some people go to the theatre for an escape or a bit of entertainment at the end of a hard week - that’s as good a reason as any.

But theatre also holds the responsibility to educate, progress and reflect the society we live in. Whether it’s homelessness, sexual consent or the refugee crisis, playwrights, actors and directors have always used their platforms to bring these issues to light in myriad ways.

Anna Deveare Smith, whose solo show makes its London debut in June, says that, as audiences, we all bring something to the shows we see and with that that comes a responsibility to react.

If your goal in consuming theatre is to widen your horizons, then here are a few shows coming up that bring issues that concern us all to the fore.

[BLANK] at the National Theatre

Nearly 40 years ago, Clean Break was set up by two women prisoners to share the hidden stories of women behind bars through the medium of theatre. With variations on the theme of women and crime, the company is still the only one of its kind. [BLANK] by Alice Birch explores the lives of adults and children affected by the UK’s criminal justice system, in a series of 60 vignettes. The performing groups presents as many of the scenes as they want to create their own narrative, making every performance different from the last.

June 26-30, National Theatre Connections Festival, nationaltheatre.org.uk

The Jungle, Playhouse Theatre

First produced for the Young Vic with Good Chance theatre, the play shines a light on the residents of the Calais Jungle. It tells stories of the camp’s creation, the lives and communities that existed there and its eventual destruction. In the Playhouse’s production, audiences can choose to sit on the cliffs of Dover or at the tables of the camp’s Afghan Cafe - either way, you’ll have a transformative experience and be reminded that, while the camp may have gone, the people have not.

June 16 - November 3, Playhouse Theatre, youngvic.org

Conquest, Bunker Theatre

As revelations of sexual misconduct and coercion continue to surface, the notion of consent has never been so talked about as it is now. And it’s about time. The debut play from PearShaped looks at period-shaming, feminism and the many ills of patriarchal society, but with an injection of humour. When Alice goes to the pharmacy looking for the morning after pill, she meets Jo, who introduces her to the world of radical female activism.

May 29 - June 9, Bunker Theatre, bunkertheatre.com

An Adventure, Bush Theatre

Following on from his huge success with BAFTA award-winning drama Murdered by My Father, Vinay Patel takes us on a journey spanning seven decades and three continents. An Adventure is inspired by the experiences of his immigrant grandparents leaving post-Partition India to reach 1970s London, via Mau Mau Kenya. Starting in 1954, we follow Jyoti and her suitor Rasik and hear about the people who arrived with hope in the UK and made it the country it is today.

September 6 - October 20, Bush Theatre, bushtheatre.co.uk

Sticky, Southwark Playhouse

Sticky is about the stalemate that exists in the way we teach young people about sex. It looks at the failings of our sex education system, which leads young people to turn to pornography to educate themselves, but shames them for doing so. As public shaming becomes the norm in society, Sticky questions how young people can be themselves when they have a constant fear of being shunned.

June 22 - July 14, Southwark Playhouse, southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Notes From The Field, Royal Court Theatre

Returning to the UK for her first appearance in London in more than 25 years, Anna Deavere Smith delivers her latest award-winning one woman play. She interviewed more than 250 students, parents, teachers and staff from across the spectrum of America’s “poverty to prison pipeline”, exposing an ingrained system that pushes young people of colour straight from school to jail. It played to critical acclaim off-Broadway in 2016, and she has been praised for her work by President Barack Obama.

June 13 - June 23, Royal Court Theatre, royalcourttheatre.com

Cardboard Citizens

Cardboard Citizens is the only professional theatre company in the UK working with people who have experience of homelessness, or are at risk of being homeless. Cathy, their 21st century adaptation of Ken Loach’s Cathy Come Home, reached critical acclaim at Edinburgh Fringe and the Soho Theatre. Off the back of this success, they have launched the Citizens Do movement to help end homelessness and raise awareness. Since March, they have been collecting audience ideas that range from de-stigmatising the issue to offering spare rooms to people without a home, and sending people specific actions that they can take each week. You can find out more about it and how to be involved here.

And keep a lookout for their future productions on their website, cardboardcitizens.org.uk