Last night marked my first encounter with a truly panlingual theatrical experience, and what a vibrant, eclectic evening it was. I attended the launch party for the Voila! Europe Theatre Festival, a three-week celebration of multilingual performance and emerging talent. Hosted at The Cockpit and supported by City of Westminster College, the festival has grown steadily over the past few years into a major cultural event on London’s theatre calendar.
Voila! is a unique platform that champions early-stage performers and experimental artists, many of whom are preparing their work for the wider UK fringe circuit. With over 300 applications to participate this year, the festival has curated a programme featuring 470 artists performing in 70 different languages. That linguistic diversity is not just a statistic—it’s the heartbeat of the festival. Voila! is designed to reflect London’s rich multicultural tapestry, and it does so with flair, humour, and emotional depth.
Over the next three weeks, audiences will have the chance to experience 110 different shows, each offering a distinct perspective, style, and voice. The festival’s commitment to linguistic fluidity means that many performances blend languages, cultures, and genres in innovative ways. It’s a celebration not just of theatre, but of identity, storytelling, and the power of communication across borders.
At the launch event, I was treated to a lively preview of five shows, each offering a tantalising glimpse into the full performances to come. The atmosphere was buzzing, performers directors and organisers mingled with guests, sharing insights into their creative processes. All were keen to promote their shows around London in the plan to take it to one of the many fringe events that happen in the UK. Keep following Reviewer Number 9 as I will be reviewing one of the full Voila shows next weekend.
The extracts from the five shows I watched are:
1. ‘Copla’ a Spanish cabaret by HisPanic celebrating Spain’s cultural and political background. This performance is emotional and provokes a range of feelings designed to really touch the audience. ‘Copla’ is a virtually unknown Spanish music sound, traditionally reserved to sing about ladies of the night, sailors and gay scenarios. It was performed tonight in a really amusing and talented cabaret show using English and Spanish. There will be two shows: 21st and 22nd November at Theatro Technis in Camden, at 5pm and 9pm. This is the last year that ‘Copla’ will be performed at the Voila Festival.
2. ‘When I was Backpacking Across Western Europe’ by Yoyo Chan. A solo performance incorporating a range of performance skills wrapped up in a cabaret. It covers the experiences of an Asian woman who chose to travel alone. If you are interested in this show the full performance will have more stories and more languages. It is amusing, but tells the story of travelling as a single woman and how you are treated. 16th -18th November at 7.30pm at Baron’s Court Theatre, Hammersmith.
3. ‘Off Beat’ by Daniel Popescu. A multilingual show, combining Hip Hop and Queer theatre through the eyes of an immigrant. It was a physical performance and at times was quite menacing. Am I Moldovan or Portuguese? That was the question. Daniel is performing on the 10th ,11th and 12th at Etcetera Theatre, Camden, at 5pm.
4. ‘XQUENDA’ by Teatro Glam&Roll. This is a Mexican story of silencing women who dare to speak out. In the performance we see a mother looking for her lost daughter. But this could also be anyone’s daughter or sister and no one bothers to help. It is a common theme in Mexico, missing women and no one interested in searching. The performance will be Friday 7th November at The Cockpit at 7pm.
5. ‘Naran Ja’ by Logica Picnic. Not strictly the real world but a fantasy experience between humans and creatures not of this world. It is physical comedy with little dialogue, but a good use of props and lighting. It will be performed at the Playground Theatre, Kensington, on the 13th and 14th November at 8.30pm.
If these five don’t hit the spot there are another 105 shows to pick from. Reasonable prices to be inclusive and a great way to take part in this London festival. I highly recommend an evening of young talent, so go onto the website (see below) and pick something that interests you or challenges your perceptions of language, immigration, queer issues or just a fun night.
Voila! runs for three weeks in various venues across London.
For more information visit Voila theatre festival – Produced by The Cockpit
Reviewer - Penny Curran
On - 3rd November 2025
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