A play full of pathos, rage and loss; riveting to watch. If you want something both cerebral and dramatic with some polemic thrown in too, go and see it.

A highly entertaining way to spend a Monday evening after a day at work, but the unrelenting flow of comedy was a bit much.

William ShakespeareDirected by Andrew Shepherd ★★★ Pros: A mostly appropriate concept and some excellent performances in a brand-new venue make for a lovely evening. Cons: Whilst nothing was bad about this production, it wasn’t particularly notable, either. Some of the comedy did not come across very well. Our Verdict: Whilst it was a Christmassy, well-crafted performance, there was no laugh-out-loud comedy. Overall, it was a safe production. Credit: Louisa Lewis Park 90 is an intimate thrust space in London’s newest ...

Cherise CrossDirected by Amy Draper★★★★ Pros: During this psychological thriller, one is never bored or frustrated at not having all the information to hand. Cons: If you like everything spelt out for you, you might find the mystery more irksome than intriguing. Our Verdict: An intelligent and thought-provoking production that takes a potentially cerebral subject matter and gives it a soul. Courtesy of 8fold theatre company The Door is the type of the play for which going into detail would ...

Sally Llewellyn Directed by Kirrie Wratten  ★★  Pros: The set, lighting and audio enhance the performance. The program is full of interesting reading, adding a lot of context to the show. There is a good amount of on-stage action, so the audience sees what is happening. Cons: The story is very simple, especially given the subject matter. The dialogue felt contrived, and the delivery is a bit melodramatic. Our Verdict: Conceptually this story is interesting. Unfortunately, it does not translate to ...

Gary Henderson Directed by Jemma Gross ★★★★ Pros: Stand out performances and well-written dialogue that really hits home. Cons: I would have liked a little more detail on the story of their family, but it’s a really minor quibble considering the packed content of the relatively short play. Our Verdict: A strong production that expertly carries you through highs, lows, laughter and tears. Credit: Andy Colbourne The Park is a newcomer to the London theatre scene: it first opened its ...

Written by Ross EricsonDirected by Harry Burton ★★★ Pros: Excellent direction of a world premier with an outstanding central performance and realistic dialogue. Cons: Somehow the tension just seemed to be lacking at key moments and I never really felt like I cared what happened to these characters. Our verdict: A good show with nice staging and some realistic and funny dialogue. I’ll take a small fringe or community theatre with a pleasant front of house team over the glam ...

David Henry Hwang Directed by Alex Sims ★★★★★ Pros: Delves into a very complex and hard-to-communicate idea with a perfect balance of levity through humour. Cons: The last 5 minutes. Our Verdict: An intensely engrossing play. Creates plenty of laughter and leaves you with a greater understanding of the issues surrounding cultural identity and prejudice. Courtesy of Evening Standard Cats and wool. It’s hard to believe that these two things didn’t evolve at the same time in the same environment. ...

Presented by The Pensive Federation ★★★★ Pros: An excellent short-play challenge with great results Cons: A couple of noticeably weaker pieces within the 10 plays. Our Verdict: An overall enjoyable evening of short plays, with the added fun of a competitive spirit and participation from the audience as well. Courtesy of The Pensive Federation I’ve seen a lot of short plays in the past month or so, but The Pensive Federation’s Significant Other Festival has far and away been my ...