James ErnestDirected by Don Mc Camphill and Luke Lutterer ★★★ Pros: A solid play in a great little venue. A particularly strong performance from Francis Adams. Cons: The start was a little slow and the ending a bit contrived. Our Verdict: The playwright James Ernest could be one to watch for the future. So why not go and see his early work? Courtesy of  Disturbance The Space is a little old Presbyterian church on the Isle of Dogs. Oh the ...

Nikolai Erdman Directed by Adam Hemming ★★ Pros: An unexpectedly funny script and a full cast with great comic timing and energy. Cons: The performance was shallow overall, relying totally on comic delivery. Moments which weren’t funny but had true potential to be meaningful were rushed through and caused confusion later. Our Verdict: A valiant but ultimately ineffective effort to make this 20th century Russian play refreshing for new audiences. Courtesy of The Space Arts Centre Space Productions’ current show ...

A showcase of monologues ★★ Pros: A great platform for new work, and a real mixture of different genres and tones. Cons: The four shows together make the evening quite long, and some scripts that would benefit from further workshopping. Our Verdict: A nice and worthwhile survey of different styles of theatrical work and a peek into some upcoming talent, but not fully polished and a bit lengthy. Courtesy of The Space Programme B Deirdre and Me, Rachael Halliwell  Woman ...

Written and directed by Sebastian Rex★★★ Pros: Interesting concept, with a great performance by the eponymous Phil. Cons: Some of the characters can come across as overly simplistic. Our Verdict: A good night out, if you have the energy to travel to the venue! Courtesy of The Space Even after a quite a few years in the London theatre scene, I must say that I wasn’t aware of The Space, which is a great shame. The charming venue, admittedly, is ...

Roger MossDirected by Peter Snee★★ Pros: Some good performances and character interaction. Cons: A clichéd evening where the acting, direction and script didn’t quite create the perfect recipe overall. Our Verdict: Not great I’m afraid, but a decent attempt at the (extremely difficult) on stage horror which may get better with time. Courtesy of The Space When I finally found The Space in East London, it was last thing I think I expected. I had disembarked the train at Canary ...

Presented by SOOPDirected by Nathan Chapman★★★★ Pros: Highly talented and dynamic cast, clever and simple design, interesting subject. Cons: The stakes of the story often took a back seat to the comedy, leaving something to be desired from the conclusion. Our Verdict: A fantastically funny and clever tribute to some unsung heroes of World War II – a history lesson without the lecture! Courtesy of The Space The first thing you should know about SOOP’s production of Scallywags at The ...

Book and Lyrics by Bill RussellMusic by Janet HoodDirected and Choreographed by Joseph C Walsh★★★ Pros: Showcases some strong young and up-and-coming talent. The Space, a converted church with a warm, spiritual interior, nicely augments the memorial and celebratory nature of the piece. Cons: Powerful vocals were occasionally too great for the space. The storyline is slightly overdone, and the running time a bit too long. Our Verdict: A tight-but-slightly-dated production with an important theme and story to tell (the ...