Review: CroydonBites

Peace of MIND & Good Wolf People, JigsawGlue - Anita Wandsworth, Dino Desica, Mitra Djalili 

In ‘The North Croydon Community Centre FUNdraiser and memorial Service,’ Peace of MIND & Good Wolf People cleverly set the short play’s fundraiser and memorial service for nonagenarian Mr. Pimmer’s colourful life in the theatre itself. There are quippy, tight interactions (not an easy feat for a cast of twelve) which drive the pace of the show and rich embodiment of the centre’s eccentric community members. There is depth to the play’s absurd setting – everyone's a saint when they're dead, but someone’s got to pay for what is left behind. As the fundraiser/memorial service continues, the characters experience flashbacks of their memories with Mr. Pimmer. The characters are likeable, familiar and convey an impressive range in these flashbacks, from heartfelt nostalgia, to fiery retorts and plainspoken humour. Of course, the ending is as absurd as it is satisfying: £3 million appears out of nowhere from Mr. Pimmer’s accounts, announced by his daughter. All’s well that ends well, one can suppose. 

If CroydonBites is a lab for experimentation, then 'Sex and Other Stories' by JigsawGlue (Anita Wadsworth) is an exemplar of bringing the creature to life – equal parts fresh, shocking and hilarious. The set is simple: a photo, remote and a jug of water on a white tablecloth, set before a projector screen.  ‘69’ by Self Esteem plays – a deliberately lewd song, scoring the unfulfilled fantasies that Wadsworth walks us through. Wadsworth’s stage presence and humour are utterly commanding. Interrupting each lush fantasy (vivid, descriptive writing which centres the female gaze) are comedic musings on sex and ADHD, statistics and the Bible. Through these clever comedic devices, Wadsworth plays with taboo and social commentary. There are honest musings on the struggles of re-connecting with one’s sexuality and the loneliness of the digital era. However, 'Sex and Other Stories' never feels like a finger-wagging indictment of contemporary times; instead, Wadsworth delivers a one-of-a-kind, cheeky and cathartic release. 

Performing artist Dino Desica toes the thin line between satire and mimicry in ‘Four Rehearsals On/One Stage.’ Dressed in a white shirt, with a white sheet as backdrop and a ring light downstage, Desica opens by going through the routine of a self-tape on his phone. He transitions into other everyday routines of a performing artist: voice lessons, more self tapes, life modelling, table reads. In one text, he explores teenage sexual awakening, the most direct commentary on the piece’s themes of toxic masculinity and fragility. Perhaps the intermittent pauses and quiet directions to the technical crew are intentional blurrings of reality. ‘Four Rehearsals On/One Stage’ ends with Desica singing Nina Simone’s ‘Sinnerman’ live on stage – leaving the audience with a lingering impression of the artist, like an ashed-out afterimage, a mirage.  

Is peer support enough if the problem is irresolvable? ‘Wife Support’ by Mitra Djalili probes this through friends Mina and Sadie’s decision to create a safe space for wives. The two meet in a coffeeshop to seethe over their husbands’ crimes – scrunching up shopping bags, bogeys on the coffee table, generally existing – which escalates when an eavesdropper introduces a ‘Blueprint for Getting Away With It,’ ‘It’ being mariticide. Although this setup for the first meeting of Wife Support is somewhat drawn out, there are funny moments throughout (including with a voodoo doll) The actors gamely engage with the balance between rage and relatability, perhaps with a little too much restraint. The piece ends in the middle of an exercise which has wives roleplay as each others’ husbands. We are left wondering whether peer empathy is sufficient for these wives (or for us) – perhaps more ‘Wife Support’ would reveal the answer. 

'CroydonBites' was performed on 11 October at The Front Room as part of Croydonites Festival of New Theatre 2025.