In last week’s theatrical missive I didn’t have space to fill you in on playwright Ricky Beadle Blair’s latest addition to the oeuvre, Gutted, which is currently playing at the Theatre Royal Stratford. A long, sprawling work which comes in at just under three hours, this tale of physical and sexual abuse within the family is not for those of a nervous disposition. I’m no prude (ahem), and am all for pushing theatrical boundaries and smashing, some might argue, fisting through that ‘fourth wall,’ but even I was disturbed by the prolific use of the words ‘fuck’ and ‘cunt.’ Use them occasionally and their impact is massive, but when every other word is ‘fuck’ or ‘cunt’ that impact dissipates into the ether. So if you ever wondered what a feature-length X-rated episode of Eastenders with all the characters on crack cocaine would be like, here you have it.

A broken-backed play then, but one in which all the actors really stepped up to the plate and gave their all. There’s not a weak link in the cast, so for theatrical bravura it’s worth a visit, but if you’re expecting a host of intricately drawn characters then you’re in for a disappointment.

Gutted

For an evening of really powerful theatre you need to get yourself a ticket to one of the few remaining performances of Wozzeck at the English National Opera. Theatre director Carrie Cracknell (of the Young Vic) makes a hugely promising operatic debut with this grim soldier’s tale, but by updating it to the present day turns the work into a blistering vision of damaged soldiers returning from action in Afghanistan or Iraq. It works brilliantly, and the score, written by Alban Berg in the 1920s, comes across with pitiless force under the baton of music director Edward Gardener, aided and abetted by an orchestra at the peak of its powers. The cast is astonishingly assure with standout performances from Leigh Melrose in the title role, and America soprano Sara Jakubiak as his common law wife, Marie. It makes for an uncomfortable evening in the theatre, but it demands to be seen by anyone who believes in the unique power of theatre.

Wozzeck

Unique – that’s something all of these following performing artistes could be called. As part of this year’s Wonderground at the Southbank, there’s a veritable smorgasbord of queer vaudeville including the unmissable Ida Barr who will be calling the numbers, and shots, at Eyes Down – her bingo extravaganza. You can expect Artificial Hip Hop from this former musical hall performer as well as a good old knees-up! Tina C will also be delivering her unique take on Country and Western, whilst Bourgeois and Maurice make a one-off appearance on 31 May. And if you really want to take a walk on the dark side, The Tiger Lillies will take you on a musical landscape to places you never imagined existed.

Ida Barr