Pros: Strictly Arts Theatre’s creative genius translates a heavy topic into a captivating performance. Cons: …not in this one. Police in the United States kill unarmed black people nearly twice per week. In 2015, only 13 of the 104 cases reported resulted in officers being charged with a crime and only 5 of them ended with a conviction – all below 5 years. Taking from these stifling figures, powerhouse Strictly Arts Theatre explores the unspoken link between mental health and ...

Engaging snapshot of the 21st century New York gay scene.

The hangover of colonialist and racist attitudes seen through the eyes of a Pakistani woman settled in the UK.

Pros: The topic is relevant for a diverse audience. Cons: The venue might have been better suited to the intimate nature of this play. Old age is a scary beast. Scary for those who approach it – as it carries uncertainty – and scary for those who watch it from a distance, because it’s hard to understand. So is Birdie (Su Pollard) scary, because nobody wants to get close to her. They prefer to observe her from a distance, like ...

Another supercharged and innately watchable production from physical theatre company Spies Like Us, this time tackling Büchner’s classic play.

Pros: A heartening celebration of sisterhood. Cons: Eating disorders are poorly understood conditions and I wish the play had delved  into it more. It is estimated that in the UK there are between 600,000 and 725,000 people affected by eating disorders, with anorexia having the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, further complicated by its tendency to become chronic. When Alexandra was diagnosed with anorexia, at the age of 19, her sister Kate was only a teenager, being exactly ...

A frisky bid for sexual emancipation.

A cinematic gangster adventure set in the 1920s engages the audience but lacks imagination.

The hard-hitting autobiographical confessions of a former model, shared with self-irony.

A compelling political piece devised by some of the finest emerging talents in Scottish theatre.