Recommended by Paul Donnelly

The Vampire Cesario turn the tables on so many tropes of the Vampire genre. It is filled with fun and funny twists. I won't spoil your enjoyment, dear reader, by enumerating them. Read it for yourself. You will thank me and salute Matthew Weaver.

Jackson's journey is deeply engrossing. The escalating tension as he explores his history, feels guilt and grief, and endures his mental health struggles held me in a tight grip for the full length of the play. Jackson is surrounded by other vividly drawn characters, each of whom cares for and about him, none of whom grasp his full struggle. The uplifting conclusion is heartening and feels deeply earned,

So much humor and so many tart observations about the Church and about contemporary mores fill this short play to the brim. There is so much that is laugh-out-loud funny, but the final proposal rockets this piece to a new level of howlingly funny.

This is a unique and moving exploration of how the different ways two siblings have of confronting their mother's imminent death come to intersect. The play also explores the nature of magic and the harm caused by charlatans peddling false hope. The two siblings are distinct and well-drawn as is the situation in which they find themselves. The play builds to a most poignant conclusion. Lovely work.

Where would superheroes be without the little people in the background? And what happens to those little people when they are thrust back out into the mundane, work-a-day world? Owen's frustration with his fate boils over in this riotously failed job interview. Great fun for us, if not so much for poor Owen.

What a twisted (in a good way) spoof of the typical coming out drama. Mickey's attempt to come out starts a cascade of responses and revelations that leads to a twist on the twist. Great fun!

The nothing that happens on this site in 1782 is a sight to behold. Daffy Fergus is a genius before his time. The contemporary scene preceding Fergus's grand adventure is warm and funny and full of deft twists. Together they suggest this site, as well as this play, is filled with magic.

The question faced by many an alcoholic author, "can I write sober?" plagues Chris in this tense and engrossing two-hander. We see both the role of alcohol in Chris's creativity and the terrible cost of his drunkenness. We are left with Chris still seeking his answer as the play avoids a facile resolution.

This realistically rendered mother/son relationship is used to explore responses -from justifiable alarm to head in the sand denial - to the impact of climate change. The mother ultimately uses her son's concern to manipulate him to her will on another topic. Thoroughly compelling throughout.

This is an impressive comic imagining of the Creature later in life. Underlying the comedy is a serious exploration of trauma and other psychological issues. Taube pulls off the balancing act between the comedy and the serious themes with great aplomb. Just don't call the Mrs. "The Bride of Frankenstein!"