The fifth Bitesize Festival is running at Riverside Studios in London from 27 July to 30 August. True to its name, the festival offers audiences the chance to sample a wide variety of “bite-sized” performances, encouraging visitors to move freely between short productions across multiple art forms while discovering exciting new creative voices.
As Riverside Studios celebrates its 50th anniversary, this year’s festival places the spotlight firmly on the next generation of theatre-makers and artists, connecting the venue’s rich artistic legacy with its future.
Riverside Studios occupies the site of a former Victorian iron foundry. It first opened as a film studio in 1933, later becoming a BBC television studio before being transformed into an arts centre in 1976. Over the decades, it has evolved into a multidisciplinary arts venue, presenting theatre, dance, music, visual arts, film and comedy. Reopened in 2019 following a major redevelopment, Riverside Studios now houses performance spaces, cinemas, galleries, cafés with views of the River Thames, creating a vibrant cultural hub that naturally draws both residents and visitors.
This year, Riverside Studios marks its 50th anniversary by presenting Bitesize Festival 50—the festival’s fifth anniversary and seventh edition. The largest edition to date features more than fifty performances and events across five weeks, alongside a three-day short film festival celebrating emerging artists from a wide range of disciplines.
On 1 August, seven performances took place across the venue. Intimate hour-long productions alternated between Studio 3 and the River Room, while Alice in Wonderland was staged in Studio 1. Meanwhile, the venue’s cinemas were screening Spider-Man and The Odyssey.
Seeing theatre, film and visual art unfolding simultaneously within the same building perfectly illustrated Riverside Studios’ long-standing vision of a truly multidisciplinary arts platform.
PalesTEENian
PalesTEENian (Joe Haddad) is a witty and engaging solo show about growing up Palestinian in South London and pursuing a career as a stand-up comedian. Haddad effortlessly shifts between family members and relatives, creating a lively cast of characters that keeps the audience laughing throughout. Beneath the humour, however, lies a thoughtful exploration of politics, race, identity and the generational divide.
Am I Losing My Mind or Just My Figure? (Sam Holland-Bunyan & Genevieve Labuschagne) is a tender solo performance that captures the emotional journey of an unexpected pregnancy. Honest yet compassionate, it explores the physical and psychological changes of womanhood with warmth, while illustrations and projected visuals add a gentle, lyrical quality to the storytelling.
In Ray (Molly May Gorman), the life of a late great-uncle is gradually reconstructed through the memories of the four people who knew him best. Drawing on verbatim theatre, the production quietly reflects on memory, family and loss, leaving a lingering emotional resonance.
As the evening performances began, the atmosphere across the venue noticeably shifted. The theatres became busier, and audiences responded with even greater enthusiasm.
Meat Me in Shoreditch
Meat Me in Shoreditch (Valery Reva) offers an uncompromising portrait of a woman consumed by calorie counting, weight loss and the relentless pursuit of self-reinvention. Its fast-paced, rhythmic storytelling keeps the audience engaged, blending sharp humour with an unexpected conclusion.
Big Dog (Izzy Radford) immediately grabs attention with its striking hot-pink carpet and matching set. Satirising influencer culture, workplace ambition and relationships built on exploitation and self-interest, the production amplifies its social commentary through exaggerated performances and bold visual design. It is a work bursting with the confidence and energy of an emerging playwright.
A Fable (Jessica Ji and Yu Song) reimagines familiar stories through inventive puppet theatre. Even before the performance begins, a dog puppet roams the auditorium, playfully interacting with audience members. Though small in scale, the puppets are beautifully crafted and strikingly distinctive, allowing the performers to create a surprising variety of worlds within the intimate performance space.
Although the productions presented at this year’s festival often begin with deeply personal experiences, they rarely remain there. Stories rooted in the body, family, identity and relationships gradually expand into broader questions about society, community and who we are. Not every production achieves the same level of polish, but that is hardly the point. The true value of Bitesize Festival lies not in revisiting established successes, but in encountering voices still taking shape, ideas making their first appearance on stage, and artists whose greatest work may still lie ahead. There is a rare excitement in witnessing creative potential at such close range.
Alongside the performance programme, Bitesize Exhibition forms another key strand of Bitesize Festival 50. Open since 6 July, the group exhibition features more than forty works spanning painting, photography, installation and mixed media. Fifteen emerging and established artists present a diverse range of artistic perspectives and experimental approaches. On 8 August, a special exhibition event will bring together live installation art, music performances and opportunities to meet the participating artists, creating a platform for creative exchange and conversation.
The festival continues with a one-day music festival on 15 August, followed by the Bitesize Short Film Festival from 21–23 August. Featuring emerging filmmakers from the UK and beyond, the three-day event presents a diverse programme of short films across multiple genres, highlighting innovative storytelling, visual experimentation and fresh cinematic voices. It offers audiences a chance to discover the next generation of independent filmmakers. The five-week celebration concludes on 30 August with an awards ceremony honouring the artists, productions and creative achievements that have defined this year’s festival.
Bitesize Festival 50 brings together theatre, film, music and visual art, offering a unique opportunity to experience how a new generation of British artists is finding its creative voice. It is a chance to discover emerging talent and witness the promise of what lies ahead.
Bitesize Festival 50 runs at Riverside Studios until 30 August. Book tickets.
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