Sherman theatre, Cardiff
Hannah McPake’s high-wire drama pokes fun at tech bro machismo, reality TV and Musk-style Martian escapes – think A Christmas Carol in space

This show takes local history as its starting point, that of a 19th-century balloonist’s assistant who performed a parachute stunt in the skies above Cardiff. It throws in a current-day tech billionaire, the space race, a time-travelling hot-air balloon, and – for good measure? – a lifesize seagull that speaks.

Surprisingly, given the complications of writer-director Hannah McPake’s high-wire drama, it lifts off, swirling through the clouds on its air-bound set, crackling with humour and effervescent imagination along with a keen sense of unwritten history, to become a complete blast.

Exclusive: London theatre’s new artistic director working with David Tennant and Caryl Churchill as he wrestles with Britain’s decline – and with smart glasses

A spate of highly political plays will feature in one of north London’s most storied theatres next season, as its new artistic director says the world “is falling apart”.

An exploration of Britain’s decline featuring David Tennant and a searing series of new plays by Caryl Churchill are planned for Dominic Cooke’s first season at the Almeida theatre.