Recommended by Paul Smith

A really original, funny and clever take on Julius Caesar's betrayal and his dreams - the mash-up between him and others works a treat and provides actors with some brilliant dialogue. Really smart writing from David Davila.

This bittersweet play by Christopher Plumridge is written with such a lightness of touch - the dialogue feels so natural and unforced and the comedy is laugh out loud, but pitted with tenderness and drama; a perfect balance. A non-judgmental look at the world of sex workers and their clients. A cracking piece with the potential for some hilarious physical comedy moments in production. Fabulous stuff!

Sometimes you can hear the voice of a character so clearly; it doesn't happen often, but here Christopher Plumridge creates a fully-rounded individual so well. The situation is a familiar one sadly - we see people like Rob on the streets all year and at Christmas it is always more affecting somehow. So many issues are thrown up in this short piece which makes it such a rich one to perform and to witness. Classy, devastating writing.

This is the most wonderful piece of story-telling. Christine Foster has taken us behind the main who created the much-loved Wind in the Willows and offered us a fully rounded presentation of the man and the tribulations of his life. Written for four people this is a tremendous play and would provide challenges for the production team and the actors alike - for the audience it would produce superb theatrical entertainment, engaging all the emotions that theatre can achieve. Fabulous.

What starts out as a pretty straightforward conversation swiftly delves into the absurd and downright funny. Christopher Soucy's very fertile imagination dreams up a short piece which will have you smiling and then laughing out loud. Cracking stuff!

Charles Scott Jones' dialogue is so natural, so ordinary in it's elegance and description. The interplay between Colleen and Ludlow exudes an awkwardness borne out of the early stages of a relationship. The advent of Timothy offers a new, carefully hewn, dynamic which disturbs what has taken place before. A fascinating, beautifully crafted piece which will leave you thinking....deeply.

Marcia Eppich-Harris's devastating monologue is so gut-wrenching in it's description of domestic violence; so lucid in its depiction of family abuse; it utterly floors you. A voice of courage is speaking and you can feel the struggles of trying to overcome the influences of a truly terrible early life. The glimmer of hope is like a beacon shining at the end. A piece of work of supreme power.

This is just wonderful! Over such a topic as what makes a good Christmas movie, lives can change and relationships blossom or disintegrate. Rachel Feeny-Williams takes this subject and crafts a cracking play which has great humour and will, undoubtedly, lead to arguments from readers and viewers! A play that is great fun and funny and one which will make people talk - and argue and, possibly, decide to do something more fun!

What is so wonderful about this little gem of a piece from Debbie Lamedman is the sheer ordinariness of the conversation - but it is also such a perfectly pitched piece of observation; this is how married couples talk to each other. Add to that the amusing bi-play between Rita and Fred and you get a cracking little play.

Oh, this had me starting the day with a huge smile on my face. Morey Norkin takes the simple vegetable and delivers a smartly written, pun laden play which is guaranteed to please and entertain. Just shows what you can do with good healthy ingredients! Huge fun!