Martin ForemanDirected by Emma King-Farlow★★★ Pros: The performers paint a powerful picture of longing, loneliness and regret that reaches deep within. Cons: Sometimes your mind wanders off because of the monologue-based structure of the play. Our Verdict: A production which has matured and improved since we last saw it. Courtesy of Lauren Wright Californian Lives is comprised of three different stories, each focused on the account of a nameless American character. Set in 1990s California, through a combination of monologues, ...

Jean-Paul SartreDirected by Felix Schaaf and Tom van der Klugt★★★ Pros: A very clever premise, and a surprisingly humorous take on Hell! Cons: Do not see this while there’s football on in the pub. Just. Don’t. Our verdict: Lively, well acted and interesting! Courtesy of White Bear Theatre The idea behind the play is a clever and modern take on Hell. Three souls arrive in the Inferno only to find the fires are not present – instead they are in ...

Judy Upton, Melanie Hunter, Camilla Whitehill and Wendy Thomson Directed by Tessa Shrubsall and Charlie Ely ★★★ Pros: An eclectic mix of light-hearted and serious insights into life in England with some laugh-out-loud moments. Cons: The four ten-minute plays didn’t manage to go beyond being rather cursory glances into what could have been interesting topics.  Our Verdict: A thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a night with friends and be introduced to some emerging young playwrights. Courtesy of Grey and Green ...

Carrie Byrne & Cat RosarioDirected by Natasha Markou★★ Pros: An honest portrayal of life with the refreshing reminder that the good guy doesn’t always win. Cons: The narrative lacked real punch. Our Verdict: This is a live performance with a cinematic feel and structure. It would perhaps translate better on screen to articulate subtle themes and ideas more clearly. Courtesy of The Bussey Building The world of internet dating opens up a field of great material for the screen and stage ...

Riccardo Bentsik  Music by Luca Tieppo  Directed by Iskandar R. Sharazuddin ★★★★ Pros: Mr Wyrd’s performance and dialogues. Truly enjoyable. Cons: The lyrics of the songs add a level of abstraction to the story that may perhaps complicate it. Our Verdict: A powerful production filled with emotion, music and magic. Credit: Tanushree Mathur Suggestions of Love, an Opera in one act, tells the story of two people – merely known as he and she – and the otherworldly forces that bring ...

Radha S Menon, Chloe Mashiter, Liam Tweddle, Mike Carter and Deschaney TateDirected by Nick Myles, Hannah Quigley, Blythe Stewart, Gavin Dent and Tom Lake★★★ Pros: Endearing, heartwarming and incredibly culturally revealing. Cons: Some staging issues meant that a lot of the audience couldn’t see anything. Our Verdict: A very intriguing night of short plays which revealed themes of loneliness, dissatisfaction and longing – but managed never to be melancholy. Courtesy of Riff Raff Productions Lost Soles is a collection of ...

Performed by the people of London★★★★ Pros: An informative introduction and an emotive conclusion winds this show up into a tight and smart piece. Cons: There are four “routes” of which you only get given one. This means you miss out on three times the stories you see. Our Verdict: A Festival which focuses on the complex and diverse people that make up London. A personal theatre trip that will make you appreciate those humans who you interact with but ...

Written, directed and music by GQ and JQ Developed with Rick Boynton ★★★★ Pros: Fun, invigorating storytelling. Quite simply, ya gotta go! Cons: May be difficult for those who are cynical about adapting Shakespeare.  Our Verdict: Kick that cynicism out the door. Shakespeare would want you to. Credit: Michael  Brosilow Those theatre snobs who deem it sacrilege to stray from good ol’ Will’s classic text would do well to remember that Shakespeare based his famous tragedy on the Italian writer ...

Nikki SchreiberDirected by Dan Barnard & Rachel Briscoe★★★★ Pros: A quirky play within a play that offers lots of laughs, gags and good humour, as well as a serious and meaningful contemplation of the causes and consequences of the economic collapse. Cons: Despite being told in allegorical form and presenting several perspectives, the message and tone of the production did feel overtly didactic at times. Verdict: Cheese offers a unique experience in more ways than one. A sharp dissection of ...

James SaundersDirected by Matthew Parker★★★★ Pros: The tone of the mid twentieth century was conveyed and performed beautifully. Cons: The show moved too quickly in the beginning, making it a bit hard to follow. Our Verdict: The trinkets of anguish in Zoe’s life are bought together fantastically by DogOrange theatre company, examining the true pitfalls of heartbreak. The audience is taken back to a recent but long-forgotten past. Courtesy of Brockley Jack Studio Theatre I always look forward to shows at the intimate ...