Exeunt recommends...

From student activism to speed awareness courses: the shows revving up this April. Plus: news, reviews, and a spotlight on Sophie Melville

Hamzeh Al Hussien in Penguin, on tour. Photo: Chris Bishop

Anoushka Warden: Apex Predator – Hampstead Theatre, London

When I pick plays to see I do it on only two things (and in this order): 1. Who wrote it? 2. Does the title do something to me? In this case: 1. John Donnelly – loved loved loved The Pass at the Royal Court. 2. Apex Predator – yes it does. I also had a third immediate, ‘see it, see it’ reaction: it stars Sophie Melville. I’d watch her eat peas (non pea-eating acting includes Cowbois and Iphigenia In Splott). I never read about what a play is before I see it if I can help it, so if you need to know, check out the Hampstead’s website. But here’s my summary – John Donnelly (!!), Apex Predator (!!), Sophie Melville (!!) 22 March to 26 April


Laura Horton: Close Enough – Exeter Phoenix, and touring

Close Enough premiered in the Lab at Theatre Royal Plymouth in 2023, and Cristina Varga’s debut show is now touring for the first time. A beautiful and hilarious solo performance with original music that challenges stereotypes about immigration, based on Varga’s experience of moving to the UK from Romania three months before Brexit. Exeter Phoenix, 28 March, then touring South West till 21 June