Pros: A bright script, with some sparkling one liners and an excellent cast, led by the redoubtable Maureen Lipman. Cons: Although it pays tribute to the strength and stoicism of women, the story doesn’t really pick up the equality issues to which it frequently alludes. Before watching My Mother Said I Never Should, ever the history buff, I was drawn to the programme notes and a timeline entitled ‘100 years of progress’. Major developments in women’s rights were listed, from the ...

There is real variety and some exciting talent on show in this tightly orchestrated evening.

This is your chance to win tickets to see The Buskers Opera at the Park Theatre. To enter simply tweet us with the answer to this question, by 5pm on 24.4.16 Question: Which traditional opera is The Buskers Opera based on? A) The Baker’s Opera B) The Butcher’s Opera C) The Beggar’s Opera   The Buskers Opera A new musical by Dougal Irvine 28 April – 4 June, Park Theatre www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/the-buskers-opera Expect a reckless abandon of political correctness and some top ...

A good production with plenty of wit, although the repetitiveness makes it lose some of its charm.

Sparky cast had to work hard to compensate for less than ideal setting, and unpolished script.

Ingenious and astonishing circus performances, threaded together with humour and a theme of fraternity.

This production does miss the mark of what fans would love to see, but the musical style does have a lot to offer the era. In the places this is fully realised, Gatsby provides glimpses of magic.

Pros: The set was absolutely mind-blowing. Cons: There was too much swearing in a script that otherwise flowed quite nicely. From the moment I entered the auditorium at the Arcola, I wished I could take a multi-sensorial picture of the mesmerising set into which I had been welcomed. Immersed in a cloud of incense-perfumed haze, a staircase led up to a red curtain, which was guarded on both sides by Chinese lanterns. Two golden doors and pillars with engraved logograms completed ...

This is one of Williams’ lesser produced works – you’ll probably need to be a fan of the writer, or of the theatrical epoch that the work typifies, to enjoy it.

Pros: Far from Fiction explores interesting themes and ideas, and contains some touching moments. Cons: At times the script drags, feeling underdeveloped and poorly edited, and this limits the power of the production. As I’ve mentioned before on this site, I have a personal and professional interest in mental health and its depiction on stage, so you would think Far from Fiction would be right up my street. This new play is an exploration of self-harm, in several of its ...