Recommended by Rachel Feeny-Williams

Sometimes there's a concern when a piece is an adaption that you NEED to understand the original but this piece couldn't be further from that. Aly has created a powerful piece of theatre loaded with fabulous roles for women and invites the audience to be a part of this particular tale of the journey of women. Its a play that makes you want to go away and know more about its origins but at the same time its fabulous in its own right. If you're looking for a piece to entertain while having something to say, this is for you!

Oh my god! That was a lot to deal with before morning coffee but in the most amazing way! Death, for a lot of people, is considered the end of things but in this play, Scott presents a beautiful way for his characters to communicate, despite the afterlife gap. I can't imagine any audience member walking out of the theatre and not feeling something. Whether you've lost someone, are estranged, or simply haven't seen someone in a long time and are regretting what you didn't say, Scott captures that feeling/moment in a truly beautiful and heart-wrenching way!

So, what made this play wonderful to read was that, as I read the various scenarios of Bart and Arnie, some of which were wonderfully funny (I'm talking almost having coffee come out of my nose funny), some were loaded with emotional turmoil and some of which were heart-wrenching, throughout all of that I could hear the familiar voices of the puppets I grew up with on Sesame Street. To take, what was considered truly innocent children's characters and wrap them in the problems of real life makes for a wonderfully unique play that's compelling to read, so read it!

Oh...my...god! Dave has created two characters its very easy to hate, in the best possible way. The dark comedy dialogue travels at a wonderful pace as Sasha and Mikayla debate a subject you never want to hear two humans discussing, about the entertainment/fascination value of car accidents. It offers a great opportunity to play a unique style of character in a scenario that you're waiting to know how this is going to end. Dark comedy can be difficult to pull off but Dave has done it amazingly well here!

The fascination I find with this piece is that as Saar asks questions of Leslie I find myself not only being intriegued by Leslie's responses but also debating in my own head the meaning behind those questions and indeed Leslie's answers. Its a wonderfully fascinating characteristic of certain plays to have their audiences entertained and intriegued at the same time, and this play offers both. It draws you in and holds you there in a suspended state of fascination, what more could you want?

There are certain styles of play that not only have you debating what you're seeing but they also generate a NEED to know what's going to happen next. For me, "Abandon All Hope" is one of those plays. Presenting as a cross between an analysis of what 'hell' and the preservation from hell means to some people, coupled with an entertaining exploration of who these characters are that have found themselves in hell, all of that makes Abandon All Hope a play where audiences will be entertained as well as filled with a desire to know what happens next.

Relationships with family are nearly always complex Brent explores those complexities wonderfully here. The wonderfully quick-paced back and forth between the characters carries the story on at a lovely pace and, as the audience you feel like you learn and understand more and more about these characters with every passing moment. Its a fabulously funny and emotional piece that offers wonderful opportunities to play marvellous characters!

There are certain days where I DEFINITELY require a 'Relax Your Bitch Face pillow'! Jacqui's play balances wonderfully amusing moments like this with some fabulous explorations of the world you are invited to explore along. Put simply, this play presents a wonderfully unique world where humour, complex emotional and complicated questions are explored, which is easily a winning combination for any audience to enjoy!

The word 'haunting' has already been used in recommendations of this piece and its an entirely apt adjective for the exchange that we, as the audience are privileged to witness. There is a beautifully poetic, yet tragic way that Nina talks compared to the more cautious dialogue from Mark and its these opposites that create an atmosphere that is sure to draw an audience in. As you listen to Nina's story you can't fail to NEED to know what happened, and yet, when you do find out you are left with a twist that guides to an emotional end.

Its incredible how much power can come from few words! You would think its hard to cover crime, investigation and solution in just 30 words but Marilyn not only does this but she does it with tremendous power and emotion. The use of the actions in the stage directions gives the piece subtext in spades, which works brilliantly in light of the words restriction. Its a brilliantly created powerful piece that proves you can say a lot with very few words!