Fat-Git Theatre, adapted from the novella by Peter MortimerDirected by Josh Roche★★★ Pros: Dark, quirky comedy, well acted, smooth and simple design. Cons: Sometimes hard to follow. Thought provoking, but ultimately unrewarding. Our Verdict: An equally entertaining and unsettling piece inviting questions about the safety and dangers of solitude, but failing to create a completely connected story line. Courtesy of Fat-Git Theatre It’s not an uncommon trope in modern theatre to have actors, like scenery, preset onstage as the audience ...

The MatchmakersPaula Fleming YolkNatalie Cheary Directed by Ng Choon Ping★★★ Pros: Interesting new writing, not far off being very good; committed performances. Cons: Slightly more development needed by both the script and the acting in places, felt slightly like a first draft of something excellent. Our Verdict: An enjoyable showcase of two shows and two writers with real potential that isn’t fully realised on this occasion. Credit: Jon Cartwright This visit to the RADA Studios was a first for Everything ...

Presented by MayDay Theatre ★★ Pros: A funny, talented all-female cast with lots of great humour. Cons: A lot of it just didn’t make much sense and the show had very little depth given the subject matter. Our Verdict: Nice comedic performances from an undoubtedly talented cast, but ultimately let down by an undeserving script. Courtesy of Oxford House Theatre The 21st December 2012 is thought to be the final date on the 5,125-year-long Mayan calendar. There are currently hundreds ...

John Van DrutenDirected by Anthony Lau ★★★★★ Pros: Great writing, great acting, great direction, great music, great costumes, great set design (I could go on!). Cons: I know I have to write something here but I’m struggling to think of anything. The herbal cigarettes were a bit stinky, I guess. Our Verdict: A fantastic evening with stunning performances. Hilarious, devastating and thought-provoking. “I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking.” Credit: Nicolai Kornum I Am A ...

Tom StoppardDirected by Madeleine Loftin★★★★ Pros: Outstanding script, some cracking performances and strong production values. Cons: A couple of slip-ups here and there, but nothing that won’t get fixed as the run progresses. Our Verdict: Buy your tickets now, you won’t regret it! Courtesy of the Tabard Theatre As an ex-West Londoner, I always used to feel a certain sense of regret at never having ventured to the Tabard Theatre. Situated around the corner from Turnham Green station (and I ...

Enda WalshDirected by Anna Simpson ★★★  Pros: The tender moments were beautifully performed with the actors really matching each other on stage. Cons: The fast pace of the show and the quick delivery of lines in Irish accents made it difficult to understand what was going on in places. Our Verdict: The combination of quirky aspects and sensitive moments make this production very special, but while it hits the mark perfectly in certain places, some potentially excellent moments are lost. Credit: ...

Presented by Tree Folk Theatre★★★ Pros: Ethereal, old-worldy and cute as can be. Cons: The overall energy needs cranking up a notch or two and the story drags in places. Our Verdict: Far from perfect but full of gorgeous quirky details and some very nice storytelling. Courtesy of Tree Folk Theatre Sometime around the mid-1800s, a folklorist named Alexander Afanasyev set about collecting, recording and publishing an anthology of traditional Russian folktales and fairytales. Prior to this work, very little ...

Presented by Curious DirectiveDirected by Jack Lowe★★★ Pros: Brilliantly intelligent theatre delivered with tremendous style and magnificent production values. Cons: Slightly unclear and dry content which didn’t engage me throughout. Our Verdict: 5 stars for the performance and the physical elements of the show, 3 stars for the content which lets it down. A magnificent company nonetheless; we’re very excited to see more of them. Courtesy of Murdo Macleod for The Guardian There are two things I’d like to get ...

Presented by Head of a Woman★★★ Pros: Both acts present concepts that are easily identifiable. They delve deep into exploring how our society works without ostracising the audience through overly complicated notions. Cons: The concepts could have been pushed further; by adding extra dimensions they could have kept the agreeable timings whilst speeding the shows up. Overall: A heroic attempt to produce performances that encourage the audience to reconsider themselves and the society that has formed them. While all concepts ...

Lisa GiffordDirected by Paul Linghorn ★★★★  Pros: An interesting look at sexual politics with some really lovely acting thrown in. A decent Paul Daniels/Debbie McGee gag in there too. Cons: Some parts of the performance lacked clear choices; nothing too off-putting though. Our Verdict: A humorous and enjoyable evening though probably best not to bring your mum to this one! Courtesy of Capital City Theatre It is interesting to consider the images and occasionally the prejudices we conjure up when ...