Craig Donaghy, Ziella Bryars, Jack Fiehn and Daniel Frankenburg Directed by Sophie Davies, Ziella Bryars, Nikita Strange and James Veitch ★★★★ Pros: Clever, short, sharp scripts performed by a solid cast. Leaves you wanting more.  Cons: A little unpolished at times.  Our Verdict: Short, sharp bursts of good quality theatre. Perfect for a mid-week theatre trip. Courtesy of The Love Bites Plays As a regular theatre goer, I am used to seeing shows of all lengths, from the twenty-minute one ...

Howard Korder Directed by Sebastien Blanc ★★ Pros: The team work hard at the frequent scene changes and utilise the small space to maximum effect. It’s an interesting script, worthy of revival and there are some humorous moments. Cons: The actors struggle with the American accents and there is no sense of a real understanding of the characters and the 1980s setting. The use of several lit cigarettes in the confined theatre space is oppressive and uncomfortable. Our Verdict: This ...

Lisa Gifford Directed by Paul Linghorn ★★★ Pros: An interesting script with some very funny moments and a top performance from Lisa Gifford. Cons: Some of the actors appeared to be playing for laughs every now and again, which got irritating. Our Verdict: This show isn’t ground-breaking but it is lots of fun with enough plot twists to keep you engaged till the end. Courtesy of Capital City Entertainment This is not my first time seeing Lisa Gifford’s sassy, modern play about ...

Gillian Pencavel (based on 1001 Arabian Nights)Directed by Alice Sillett★★★★ Pros: Impressively passionate and physical with excellent use of masks and puppets. Fun and moving at the same time. Cons: The use of several characters per actor without clear signposting is confusing at times. Our Verdict: A very enjoyable play, with brilliant dance, physical theatre, voice, puppets and masks. Courtesy of Tree Folk Theatre The story may have been told endless times and performed in all shapes and forms in theatres all ...

Written and Directed by Matthew Randle ★★★ Pros: A funny and intriguing storyline with plenty of belly laughs. Some quirky ideas and very decent performances that will keep you happy and satisfied. Good teamwork on stage. Cons: Very simple props and staging and some rushed transitions make it feel a tad bare. Our Verdict: A very enjoyable night out with some good laughs and a satirical take on modern reality-TV obsessed society. Courtesy of OffWestEnd.Com Ever wondered what would happen ...

Written and Performed by Louise Mothersole and Rebecca Biscuit (AKA Booise) ★★★ Pros: Fun, fast paced, topical and true. Uses slapstick to wonderful and meaningful effect. Cons: No clear message. Mainly focussed on the frustration of navigating the current benefits system rather than on seeking a job as the title suggests, even though it’s punalicious. Our Verdict: A really fun piece of theatre to watch as it uses the truth and personal experience to give an insight into the world of government ...

Kaye ConwayDirected by Jennifer Tang★★ Pros: Some very dynamic performances and a handful of genuinely funny moments. Cons: The humour and drama of the piece failed to sync well together, so it felt segmented and was rather slow at points. Our Verdict: Blow Out! features some genuinely talented and enjoyable performers, but it is not a very cohesive or consistently entertaining production. Courtesy of FizzBang! Productions When the first thing that happens to you upon entering a theatre is an ...

Written and directed by Jessie Cave★★★★ Pros: A solid hour of fun, quirky humour, spiced with some educational tidbits and some always-satisfying Fifty Shades of Grey jokes. Cons: A few sketches dragged, and some humour may be unapproachable for audience members who wouldn’t consider themselves well read.Our Verdict: A dynamic and original production, and well-worth the small ticket fee. Suitable for bookworms as well as audiences just looking for a laugh. Courtesy of the Etcetera Theatre Jessie Cave may be ...

Anthony Bull★★★ Pros: A strong cast perform interesting monologues about modern life. Cons: Some parts of the play left me feeling a bit confused. Our Verdict: An enjoyable evening with some very impressive acting. Courtesy of Etcetera Theatre The Random Acts of Strangers is a series of monologues taken from seemingly unrelated modern-day nameless characters. The story begins with ‘Stranger 1’ – a beautiful, middle-class black girl who describes the difficulties she faces in her romantic relationship. She tells us ...

Gloria WilliamsDirected by Ellie Joseph★★★★ Pros: Consuming, innovative, and lyrical writing delivered by a strong, passionate, and talented performer. Cons: The central conflict wavers toward being cliché; noise from the pub downstairs proved distracting throughout. Our Verdict: A great one-woman show, certainly worth your time and (small amounts) of money! Courtesy of the Etcetera Theatre I should start by saying that I’ve never seen a one-actor production that I enjoyed as much as Freedom Tongues’ Monday at the Etcetera Theatre ...