Part of The Camden Fringe 2013Written and directed by Steve Jordan★★★ Pros: An entertaining premise with a few good laughs. Cons: Lacking originality and consistent humour. Our verdict: A well-acted production, but light years from the wow factor. Courtesy of Manmoth Productions Sci-fi is like Marmite: you either you love it or hate it. I’m not a big fan, but I’m willing to give anything a try (except WAG! The Musical, of course). Strolling up to the Tristan Bates Theatre ...

Hayley GogginDirected by Justyna Ziarek and Kaitlin Argeaux★★★ Pros: The dancing is exceptional – powerful, moving and, at times, breath taking. The acting is also very good with The Space as a wonderful backdrop to the piece. Cons: The ending didn’t resolve the piece enough, and there seemed to be a few organisational issues, which led to the production getting off to a late start.Our Verdict: This is a show with a strong message and exceptional choreography. Courtesy of The Space The Dagger ...

Part of the Camden Fringe 2013 Pete Dillon-Trenchard ★★★★ Pros: Laugh-out loud funny with both niche and more accessible humour. Pete Dillon-Trenchard handles his audience beautifully. Cons: One can get a little lost if you’re not a geek of a certain brand, but as the show says, let the geek references wash over you – you’ll still laugh at most things. Our Verdict: Whether you’ve sat through a Star Wars Marathon ten times or whether you haven’t read a comic ...

Part of the Camden Fringe 2013Written and performed by Rosie Wilby★★★★ Pros: Rosie’s very natural, relaxed and inclusive style of stand up and intelligent, piquant material provides continuous laughs throughout. Lots of variety in the approach keeps the pace and the interest up. Cons: I’m not sure who was seated in the front row to my left, but I felt the show was almost exclusively for them. It would have been nice to see Rosie spread her eye contact around ...

William ShakespeareDirected and choreographed by Simon Jay★★ Pros: Delightful dance numbers, the gender swapping makes for a radical retelling of a classic, all proceeds to Terrence Higgins Trust. Cons: Some shaky performances and, I thought, a flawed premise. Our Verdict: Queer Macbeth has its heart in the right place and its proceeds go to a good cause. Unfortunately, uneven acting and the inherent problems involved in injecting comedy into a dark tragedy created a muddled production. Courtesy of Stagepunk Theatre ...

Jonathan HollowayDirected by Jessica EdwardsPresented by Red Shift – Flipping the Bird★★★★ Pros: This is a dark and exciting twist on a classic tale. Excellent writing supported by neat yet dynamic staging, and strong performances from the cast give this production high quality impact for the £10 ticket price. Cons: There are some awkward moments with a couple of props and I felt that Dr Jekyll could have been a little stronger with more contrast. It has a 12+ rating but ...

Dan GordonDirected by Philip Crawford★★★★ Pros: Clever staging and well-crafted writing. Cons: A bit formulaic in parts. Our Verdict: A thoroughly slick production with a superbly versatile cast. Courtesy of www.happenstancetheatre.co.uk I remember my very first job: working as a waiter in a pub. Everything was going fine until I was sacked for changing the name of the Soup of the Day: Mahogany-Steamed Trout Cheeks in a Balsamico-Nettle Reservoir sounded far more appealing than Pea and Ham. Unbelievably my bosses ...

Why Can’t We Live Together Steve WatersDirected by Paul Bourne Somniloquy Craig Baxter, in collaboration with Richard HornerDirected by Paul Bourne How To BeginHisham Matar, in collaboration with Devorah BaumDirected by Patrick Morris   ★★★★ Pros: New writing performed with intelligence and heart. Cons: You could argue the sets were basic, but they were fit for purpose and the writing wasn’t reliant on an ornate backdrop. Our Verdict: A set of new plays and monologues that are worth making the effort to ...

Emma MinihanDirected by Jonathan Woodhouse and Rachael Owens★★★ Pros: Well written and funny. It will have you smiling throughout and not just because it’s free. Cons: The vehicle for linking the sketches is a bit odd and not very effective. Some stories are stronger than others. Our Verdict: A fun hour that will have you wondering about the sanity of city living. Courtesy of ayoungertheatre.com This little venue is tucked away in the basement of the Africa Centre on King ...

Devised and performed by Michael Pinchbeck, Nicki Hobday and Ollie Smith★★★★ Pros: A fascinating concept, nicely performed with lovely music. Cons: This is an abstract piece, very in keeping with BAC’s ethos, but unless you are a fan of contemporary art and theatre, this may not be for you. Our Verdict: A clever, touching and often funny piece. Enjoyable and well worth a look. Courtesy of Julian Hughes and Michael Pinchbeck What is a performer? What does it mean to ...