Recommended by Daniel Emlyn-Jones

Justice is a complex business which doesn't always deliver in the real world. In this intriguing play, the stories of two characters are used to highlight a problem with the system. This is an important play which holds up a mirror to a serious, but perhaps not widely appreciated, problem with American justice which effects many people. May it help inspire change! Bravo!

I loved the authenticity, wit and warmth of the dialogue. I'm not American, but I appreciated the lilt of the language and the masterly sense of place and time. Lots of laugh out loud moments. I loved the organic and original way, without the slightest shred of artifice of clumsiness, that a moment in history was used to explore some of the big themes of the time, and also our time. Why do apparently good people tolerate injustice?

With Watercolors, I particularly enjoyed the way the themes of grief and loss and also the themes of art and what it truly means to be an artist, were explored. The way these themes were woven together through the plotline was quite beautiful, and I was moved to tears at the end: there was much to engage and surprise. The gentleness and humanity of Williams' characters give a warmth to the tone of his writing, which I particularly appreciate.

A play which explores with deep authenticity how war changes lives and relationships. "I don’t know how to just... be here," is a line of powerful simplicity which for me hits the nail on the head. The play made me think of all the people who were expected to just get on with it and go back to normal life post-war, and how the trauma of that time resonates through their lives and the lives of their families.

The forced resignation this year of Hope Carrasquilla, prinicpal of Tallahassee Classical School in Florida, for showing Michelangelo's masterpiece 'David' to students, sums up the contemptible epidemic of brute ignorance currently burgeoning in Florida and in the US. Longtime Florida playwright Philip Middleton Williams can always be relied upon not to pull his punches when dealing with such an excruciating and idiotic degree of vulgarity. This tight ten minute dystopian parody eviscerates the current situation with razor sharp precision. Rather like the British royal prerogative, theatre has a duty to advise and warn, and this is theatre at its best.

I had the pleasure of seeing this play live at the Valdez Theatre Conference 2023, acted beautifully by Jamie Nelson (Philip) and Shawn Eby (Allen). Although the play is a reminiscence, there is an immediacy to the writing. True love knows no boundaries: time, pain, death and the terrible choices those we love can make. As with much of Philip's writing, there is a gentle sweet humanity to the tone, and in watching it, for some reason I was led to think of 1 Corinthians 13:3: 'Love is patient, and kind.... it always protects... always hopes, always perseveres.'

This is a charming and entertaining play which also shows great historical knowledge and insight. This knowledge however is worn lightly as Kurtz maximises the comedic entertainment potential of Ben Franklin's time travel, but Kurtz also asks some serious questions about the aesthetics of modern life. What would Ben Franklin have thought of the 21st Century?

The setting up of character and plot in Williams' 'Cabana Boy' is natural and effortless, and as with all great writing, the play gets under your skin without you noticing what's happening. The play is masterfully structured, and Williams deftly sidesteps every possible cliche to create something of considerable originality and with plenty of surprises. There is a gentle humanity to Williams' writing which I always relish. This play is also powerfully erotic, and I look forward to one day seeing a production where these elements can be fully realised.