Review – No Entry, King’s Head, Islington

It’s a little known fact (possibly because it’s not true) that Andrew hails from a showbusiness family. Phil is rather skeptical about the claim (possibly because it’s not true).

So Andrew was delighted to vindicate himself on Saturday himself by witnessing the fringe debut of his god-daughter’s sister.

The occasion was No Entry and the King’s Head in Islington, a new play produced, directed, starring and written by Madonna Barbra Streisand one Claudine Biggs, currently studying for her A Levels at Camden School for Girls.

It’s a proper play with swearing and everything and – at 50 minutes – admirably succinct.

The play revolves around a group of teenage friends in North London “where teenagers are on the cusp of the real world”. In addition to swearing it has teenage relationships, drinking, smoking, domestic violence and an accident with a wallpaper stripper masquerading as a carpet cleaning machine.

Andrew’s principal response was relief that he wasn’t a teenager any more. He doesn’t remember his post-prepubescent days on the Malvern Hills being quite so edgy but then they grow up so fast these days, don’t they?

Anyway, the fact that co-creatives Nemide-May Basri and Claudine Biggs have got this thing on for a four day run at the King’s Head Theatre (under the wing of creative director Stephanie Sinclaire who bestowed them with an £600 grant) is an object lesson for whiny would-be playwrights who like to carp about how difficult it is to get new writing staged in London. The lesson is: pull your socks up and get on with it.

Andrew was delighted, of course, to be able to hob-nob with Mathilda Wright-Sutherland after the show and present her with some outrageously expensive (this is Islington, don’t forget) flowers almost without mentioning the price.

He was also deeply, deeply proud of his god-daughter Delilah Wright-Sutherland whose ample collection of shoes were featured on the stage (but criminally uncredited in the programme).