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GENERAL SECRETARY Heads To VAULT Festival in February 2023

Performances run  7 - 9 February 2023.

GENERAL SECRETARY Heads To VAULT Festival in February 2023

After a sell-out preview at Soho Theatre and a successful comedy debut at Edinburgh Fringe 2022, Thick 'n' Fast's General Secretary returns in 2023 with a revamped performance at VAULT Festival. Previously named one of the "Best Duos at the Fringe'' by the Scotsman, the pair explore what would happen if the planet took the unexpected decision to put them in charge of everything. First staged when the country was still on its first prime minister of the year, the production about unqualified people taking on the mantle of power has been updated following its Fringe run.

General Secretary tackles the desire for power through a female lens. Cassie and Georgie are just two insignificant individuals until they are landed with taking over the world. What should they tackle first? Just stopping oil? Dick-swinging dictators? And how will they avoid the pitfalls that have confronted so many leaders before them? Will they end up with egg on their faces and blood on their hands? After all, absolute power corrupts absolutely, right?

Thick 'n' Fast are also bringing a work in progress show to the festival, There's No Place Like Chrome; a brand-new comedy about the final, digital frontier: the Metaverse. What the hell is it? Join two people who don't know their NFTs from their DMT to find out.

Cassie Symes and Georgina Thomas said "We're very excited to be bringing General Secretary to VAULT Festival this year after multiple cancellations. After the political circus of the past few months, we hope the show will bring a bit of light relief! We're also looking forward to getting our teeth into something new. Our WIP will be a fun exploration of the cryptic world of technology and how virtual reality might collide with our own realities in the coming years."

Thick 'n' Fast were selected as Artists in Residence at Applecart Arts in 2021. They have since written and produced two award-nominated short films; Succulents and The Beautiful Game, which were shortlisted for the Funny Women Awards 2021 and 2022 and a Finalist at the Austin Micro Comedy Festival 2022. Thick 'n' Fast's debut show Not Quite sold out the Soho Theatre as part of Soho Rising and saw them named one of The Scotsman's 'Best Duos at the Edinburgh Fringe' in 2019. They trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and have toured to Pleasance, Edinburgh; Soho Theatre and Battersea Arts Centre with Max & Ivan's show, Commitment.



Review: THE DEAD CITY (DIE TOTE STADT), London Coliseum Photo
Annilese Miskimmon directs an arresting new production of Korngold's cult operatic meditation on melancholy

Review: MARJORIE PRIME, Menier Chocolate Factory Photo
Jordan Harrison’s 2015 Pulitzer Prize finalist is a reflection on mortality that doesn’t dare to go into the depths of the matter. It ends up being rather stagnant philosophically and anthropologically, but Dominic Dromgoole’s latest production is a delicate take. Running at 85 minutes on paper but around 70 in reality, the piece’s greatly sophisticated performances and sleek look save it from its redundant nature.

Review: WASTED, Lyric Hammersmith Photo
Running at around 50 minutes, it’s snappy and positively Gen-Z in pace and subject. Fernandes crafts a script that wanders from deliciously colloquial to slightly expository, but remains solid throughout. Mundane conversations about parties and cleaning rotas act as the foundation for the pair’s bond, which is bound to be tested and tried once Jacob’s actions are revealed. At its core, it’s a story of friendship and loyalty camouflaged as a crime drama exploring the stigmatisation of sexual violence.

Photos: First Look At English National Operas THE DEAD CITY (DIE TOTE STADT) Photo
See production images for the English National Opera's The Dead City (Die tote Stadt), running 25 March - 8 April 2023.


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