Recommended by Rachel Feeny-Williams

Murder mysteries are a genre that has been done a lot so to find one that truly surprises and delights the way this one does is great thing! Andrew's wonderful characterisation of the various suspects in this play is brilliantly done and is sure to have audiences on the edge of their seats trying to suss out the guilty party. Its a play I'd love to see live, even though I know the ending! That's how brilliantly entertaining I know it can be!

One of the many things I love about Dana is the way she gets you loving the things you don't see. The description of Aaron's mother and grandmother painted wonderful pictures in my mind. That is then connected with the beautifully sad and emotional dialogue between Aaron and his other half as he talks about his relationship with his father and the powerful images you see of interactions between Aaron and his father. It is always said that family is complicated but here Dana has done an amazing job of allowing the audience to experience this family!

The fabulous title of this piece leapt out at me from the very beginning, and then I was blown away by the play itself! Becky has delicately balanced the tragic circumstances these two young people find themselves in, being desperate to survive. But then you are presented with a wonderfully funny scene as they relive times gone by and use those memories to fuel their own hope and happiness towards the future. Its a wonderfully emotional piece but for me I was left with a feeling of warmth and hope and I think an audience will be too.

"Making friends as an adult is hard." never was there a more relatable statement to begin with, even more so when you consider Amy and Ricky are in the height of a pandemic. "Lessons in Feeling human" allows an audience to watch as the relationship between these two characters develops as they try and make the best of a horrible situation. They are both such wonderfully fascinating characters and it's a story that a lot of people will relate to. It belongs in pride of place as a wonderful example of "things we did during the pandemic!"

I am truly gutted that I never got to see this play Iive as reading it alone was an emotional experience. Juan has created a truly wonderful and multi-layered character in Joel and we, as an audience are privileged to look into his world that has been tarnished by disaster and watch as he reaches out to others and connects people. Its a play that will tug at the heart strings and you can't help but keep reading as the story is presented in a way where you NEED to know how it unfolds. No wonder its had great success!

Honestly, this took me back to my school days of sitting on the carpet and being enthralled by stories of mythical creatures, great love, and adventures at sea. Morey Norkin provides all of this and more in this wonderful tale of Urashima Taro. The story itself transports you to another world so I can only imagine what it would do with the right visual effects and costumes. It's a tale that could enthrall both children and adults providing wonderful imagery, entertaining dialogue, and a twist ending. I always say I'm never disappointed by a Morey Norkin piece and it's true!

Right from the character descriptions I was amused and fascinated by this play. From there you get to see Wesley awake in a place where he's not really sure where he is and have a conversation with... well one of his own creations! It's a play that captures the attention and leave you asking so many questions but at the same time it does tug at the heart strings to the point where you feel for Wesley. It's a fascinating piece about how sometimes it takes getting to rock bottom to realise you need help. Wonderfully written!

I couldn't help but smile (and roll my eyes) on occasion and Valentino's suggestion that maybe being with Juliet wasn't the be all and end all for Romeo. The idea of someone taking this Shakespearean love tragedy and completely changing the ending by having someone enter the scene a few moments earlier and comment 'plenty more fish in the sea' is truly brilliant. Shakespearean plays have been done and redone in thousands of different ways but Chris's twist on the ending is brilliantly done presents you with the unexpected, and a bit of a giggle.

Guilt plays a prominent part as to why Chris is in the bar with Beth, why he drinks three drinks in ten minutes and why he wants to punish himself the way he does. The emotions between the three characters from Chris's guilt/anger through Beth's kind hearted concern to the bar tenders well meaning compassion leaves you with a feeling that you have just witnessed something really special and feeling of hope, despite the presence of sadness. Its a well constructed and emotion loaded piece that could be a great opportunity for three strong performers!

We are often accused of being too materialistic but in this play Nora offers a lovely scene that explains how the 'right' things can mean a lot to us and shouldn't be forgotten or tidied away. Its a lovely little piece that won't fail to leave you with a smile.