Recommended by Paul Donnelly

An eerie and surprising psychological thriller. The misdirection is superb and the characters well-crafted and compelling. I was intrigued and then horrified in the most gripping way.

What starts as a comical depiction of Henry's completely relatable anxiety around public speaking evolves into a moving exploration of guilt and loss. Well done!

The daughter who bought Giles & Mary a couples therapy voucher may not have realized the firestorm she was about to unleash. The couples' journey from severe repression to unbridled passion is depicted with great comic flair.

A heart-rending play about the aftermath of a terrible loss. Mrs. Clark's coping strategy is unique, credible and distressing. Her struggle and Mr. Clark's misguided efforts to address it are compelling. The final lines are a chilling harbinger of what's to come.

What an original and engaging exploration of youth and creativity and connection. Bray's rich language, quirky narrative, and layered characters are utterly compelling. Not to mention the best riff on "take your daughter to work day" that I have ever encountered.

What kind of monster pitches tinsel onto a tree willy-nilly instead of hanging it strand by strand? I guess I'm not capable of being a neutral observer in the great tinsel war. Thankfully we have an academic narrator who is and who is also a great parody of the pompous talking heads that populate so many documentaries. In addition to skewering holiday traditions, this play offers a fun and funny look at a variety of family dynamics in a most enjoyable ten pages.

Just when you think you really know someone, they throw an earth-shaking (in more ways than one) surprise your way. How do you react to a friend's reveal of an extraordinary identity followed by a harrowing request? This is the dilemma Britta faces in this surprising and engaging sci-fi comedy.

This is a charming, charming romantic comedy with a lovely twist ending. It wittily illuminates the inevitable truth that you can never fool a mother.

Stacy struggle mightily to end her self-flagellating relationship with her scale. She must also overcome the internalized messages of body-shaming and self-depravation that give the scale its power. Her struggle is depicted quite wittily in Step on Me.

There's not much more oppressive than a nosy, self-righteous busy-body and Rachel Feeny-Williams has created a portrait of a full-blooded and horrifying one in Helen. It is a pity that Jane is called upon to defend her life choices and heartening that she does so so eloquently.