Recommended by Paul Donnelly

A tense dispute between two spies for the French Resistance is triggered by a horrific revelation. The thread of sexism that runs through the piece only adds to the tension and raises the stakes. A truly stirring narrative.

A truly hilarious spoof of a popular board game, of detective fiction, and of academic pretention. Not to mention the frustration of dealing with an automated phone system. This play is always firing on all cylinders so the laughs come fast and furious. Such a delight!

Are we responsible for protecting an individual or the group? Should a child be traumatized for the sake of a drill? What are the parameters of friendship in a crisis? These difficult questions are raised with great skill and a focus on the human dimension in Closing Doors. The difficult moral ambiguity facing those who face these questions is explored to shattering effect. This is an important piece and an effective piece of theatre.

An elegant encapsulation of the enduring power and pull of grief, while also a celebration of compassionate and present love. The final draft of the letter never sent is a powerful metaphor for potential healing. This play is subtly moving and affecting.

This powerful play offers a unique perspective on the impact of grief on the human psyche. A seemingly banal exchange between a grieving daughter and a stranger on a plane is revealed to be so much more.

I had to look up cryptid and I wouldn't know a Mothman from a Mothra, but that didn't keep me from being thoroughly entertained by the witty dialogue and comic premise of this play.

A wounded mother reaches out to her wounded son who she was unable to protect from his abusive father. Her love is more powerful than her guilt as she is able to signal her full acceptance of her son and that their home would be a welcoming space. This is a subtle and moving work.

Telling of the Bees offers a complex and moving exploration of grief and forgiveness and family disfunction. Each of the vividly drawn and compelling characters uniquely reveals the ways in which they are damaged and the ways in which they respond and responded to the deceased Eric. The fluidity of time in the narrative submerges us in the non-linear paths of grief and memory. This is an exquisitely crafted, deeply absorbing and brilliantly theatrical work.

A very witty take on the zombie apocalypse scenario from the point of view of two reflective zombies. Plus a funny movie star cameo that ups the already high hilarity quotient.

It seems that it's possible to write your way out of any situation, even a Zombie Apocalypse, as our two writers discover in this witty horror comedy. The cost of a writer's absorption in their work is gleefully depicted. And the kicker with the agent is amusing on many levels.