Catherine Love: My top theatre picks for June

Time to look ahead again at some of work appearing on our stages in the next month, both in London and around the country. If June’s theatre is defined by anything, it is – much like the rest of the summer – festivals. Mayfest and the Brighton Festival might be winding up, but there are plenty more events approaching fast.

Dominating June’s theatregoing calendar is the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT), briefly bringing exciting and surprising theatre from around the globe to the capital. While it’s worth browsing the whole programme, the most intriguing productions include Dmitry Krymov‘s visually audacious Opus No 7, Lundahl & Seitl’s multi-sensory journey through the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition, and Young Jean Lee‘s daring satirical play The Shipment. There is also a festival within a festival at Battersea Arts Centre, as After a War considers the impact of the First World War from numerous international perspectives, and a series of events asking how we make change in today’s world.

Away from London, more festivals are kicking off all over the country. Pulse in Ipswich has been going from strength to strength, and I’m a little sad not to be returning again this year. For those of you who can make it, the ten day festival offers work at all stages of development, from a day of embryonic scratches to finished and critically acclaimed shows such as Bryony Kimmings' Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model. Look out for work by Greg Wohead, Selina Thompson, Made in China, Search Party, Greyscale and Brian Lobel, as well as the New Wolsey Theatre’s own talented Young Associates.

If you like your festivals short and intense, The Junction in Cambridge is offering a test of theatregoers’ endurance with a 24-hour burst of performances. Night Watch is serving up non-stop theatre between noon on 14 June and the same time the following day – as well as food and nap space for flagging audiences. Among the shows appearing in this theatre marathon is work from Action Hero, Christopher Brett Bailey, Jo Bannon, Figs in Wigs, Deborah Pearson, Sleepwalk Collective and GETINTHEBACKOFTHEVAN; a promising line-up.

In Stratford-upon-Avon, the RSC is sparking a new dialogue around its Roaring Girls season with the Midsummer Mischief festival of new plays. Responding to the provocation "well-behaved women seldom make history", Timberlake Wertenbaker, Alice Birch, E.V. Crowe and Abi Zakarian have all written short plays which will be performed in a temporary studio space in the Courtyard Theatre. While you’re there, you can also catch The Roaring Girl and Arden of Faversham in the Roaring Girls repertoire, which will be joined by Maria Aberg‘s production of The White Devil at the end of July.

Away from festival fever, there is plenty still on offer on London’s fringe. Incognito is worth checking out at the Bush, as by all accounts is Johnny Got His Gun at Southwark Playhouse. As for openings, Rachel De-lahay brings her latest play Circles to the Tricycle Theatre, while I’m looking forward to Mugs Arrows at the Old Red Lion, as well as hoping to catch as much as possible of Ovalhouse’s summer season.

The Gate remains one of the most exciting studio theatres in the capital and its latest offering, the UK premiere of German play Idomeneus directed by Ellen McDougal, looks set to continue a brilliant run of form. Somewhere else enjoying fantastic form in recent months is the Almeida Theatre, where I can’t wait to see Mr Burns, Anne Washburn‘s "post-electric play". It sounds a bit bonkers, but utterly fascinating. Also sure to be fascinating is Tim Crouch‘s new play Adler & Gibb, which opens at the Royal Court next month.

As for the theatre on offer elsewhere, Alan Bennett fans can delight in a whole season of the playwright’s work at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, including new productions of Enjoy and Untold Stories, while the Lyric Hammersmith’s Secret Theatre company make a trip to Newcastle for a pre-Edinburgh stint at Northern Stage. Finally, the Manchester Royal Exchange continues a strong main house season with two very different treatments of conflict: Bruntwood Prize-winning new play Britannia Waves the Rules and The Last Days of Troy, Simon Armitage‘s retelling of The Iliad.