John Webster Directed by Owen Horsley ★★★ Pros: Interesting staging and style, with engaging character portrayal and genuinely eye-opening moments. Cons: A sense that it was a bit rushed and the cast a bit inexperienced in dealing with this kind of piece. Our Verdict: A visually arresting and memorable production that’s a great way into this classic play. Courtesy of Eyestrings Theatre Company Ah Malfi: sun, sea, sand. Crazy boat trips. Shaving-foamed bananas. Drunk kids lying blissfully in their own ...

William Shakespeare Directed by Pamela Schermann ★★★★★ Pros: A fantastic adaptation of Shakespeare with a very poignant modern twist and a wonderful cast! Cons: There are a lot of physical limitations to the venue, including a lack of toilets. Our Verdict: A very interesting take on how something written so long ago still has devastating impact when considered in today’s society. Credit: Robert Piwko Pamela Schermann’s The Taming of The Shrew presents an interesting idea. Take the classic Shakespeare play ...

by Ann Henning JocelynDirected by Alex Dmitriev ★★★★  Pros: Play offers an insight into a little-known time in poet Ted Hughes’ life. Cons: Would have been nice to have a longer show! Our Verdict: A one-act play that packs an emotional punch. Courtesy of Jermyn Street Theatre Doonreagan takes place a few years after the death of Sylvia Plath – the famous American poet who committed suicide in the 60’s. Her husband, fellow poet Ted Hughes, has moved his children ...

by Oscar WildePresented by The Alchemic Order★★★ Pros: The combination of promenade theatre and “Dorian Gray’s private home” gives this piece something quite special. Cons: Conversations felt slow, the pauses between lines sometimes dragged. However this might have been because of last-minute-casting. Our Verdict: A different evening that will transport into the debauched upper echelons of Victorian society, albeit it is a little rough around the edges. Courtesy of Sebastian Lister and The Alchemic Order What do you do when ...

by Louise BrealeyDirected by Paul Hart★★★★ Pros: Everything about this piece is good – the writing, the acting, the setting, the lighting – it all works. Sophia Crawford’s performance is a highlight. Cons: Although atmospheric, church acoustics make voices echo so some dialogue is hard to catch. Our Verdict: This is wonderful theatre. It builds slowly, but provides a thoughtful look into an often-debated subject in history that still has relevance and shock value in today’s society. Courtesy of National Youth Theatre Given ...

by Ayndrilla SingharayDirected by Lucy Allan★★★★ Pros: Intense plot and acting filled with emotion and surprises, with an overwhelming ending. Cons: The slight over-acting made the scenes look too staged at times. Our Verdict: A gripping and haunting story about love and family, fantastic script and setting. I highly recommend it! Courtesy of Rosemary Branch Theatre Unsung is writer Ayndrilla Singharay’s reinterpretation of a short story by Rabindranath Tagore called Punishment. The original piece is set in a little village ...

Howard ColyerDirected by Sarah Marr and Scott Le Crass★★★★ Pros: Produced perfectly, performed fantastically, written engagingly. Cons: I did not really understand the point of the final play, Nothing Else Ever. Our Verdict: An enjoyable evening where I inhaled the riveting performances. Judging by the quality of these shows, Ballast Theatre is a company to watch out for. Courtesy of Brockley Jack Studio Theatre Although entitled Never Have I Seen Mount Fuji, this show was actually made up of three ...

Joe White Directed by Josh Roche ★★★★ Pros: A beautiful piece of theatre. Thoughtful and creatively presented. Cons: Not enough Shubham Saraf! Our Verdict: One of the most interesting and original new plays at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2013 – now in London. Courtesy of Fat Git Theatre Specie is the latest offering from Fat Git Theatre, a company that aims to challenge contemporary perceptions of ugliness. The show is a meaningful contribution to the debate, full of verve and ...

Go and see this if you like the utterly bizarre. It wonderfully meanders round a residential area and makes it magical, but I found that there was too little narrative for me to make sense of it.

Part of the Camden Fringe 2013 Created by Plumpkin Theatre Company ★★★ Pros: A different kind of theatrical experience that combines mime and clowning to create a fresh new plot. Cons: Some of the scenes dragged a bit at times. Our Verdict: An unusual and enjoyable evening. Courtesy of Camden Fringe In Two Heads Are Better Than One, performers Anna Haskell-Thomas and Verity Hicks lead us into a story where spoken language is made redundant. Through theatrical clowning the troupe portray what happens when two different ...