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No doubt the The Circus Of Horrors has been compared to the Jim Rose Freak Show over the years, but rather than pure gore-fest, thankfully there was a tongue-in-cheek comedy element running through the performance. As well as the staple sword-swallowing and fire-eating, the performers included a mesmerising contortionist, the amazing tattooed hellraiser who lifted blocks of wood through a hole in his nose, Gary Stretch who showed us his unfeasibily elastic skin, a water submersed showstopper who dangled and tangled himself in chains and a long-haired lovely who spun around above us mere mortals by her hair. My personal favourite was a dwarf who stapled playing cards to his face, ate a lightbulb, opened a beer bottle with his eye socket, and then dragged a Henry hoover around the stage attached to a certain part of his anatomy. Slightly gruesome and lots of fun, with knobs on.

Sabai Pavilion, 10 May

Rating:
Melina Greenfield

Written by the acclaimed Italian satirist with his wife Franca Rame, it’s of little surprise after seeing this that they are no longer together – but a great shame. Fantastically scripted with sparks that fly and words that semi-maim, Fo actively encourages his work to be played around with by theatre companies to keep them up to date and relevant to the locale, which Something Witty (the production company behind last year’s Importance Of Being Ernest) has done with delight and subtlety.
Performed in the round, the set is minimal but utilised to the full; the staging simple but delightful. The acting was engaging and believable from the off as the volatile couple grapple with each other verbally and physically, sparring with darts of love, passion and hatred taking turns to lead the dance.

This is the mauling of a relationship from the inside as he (with an air of power and the ridiculous akin to a young Malcolm MacDowell) bullies and prompts their relationship into an open status, only to find it less appealing once she embarks upon a new beau. Samuel Dutton is fantastic as the preening, arrogant, jealous husband, and Heather Rayment superb as the hysterical, tempestuous wife. Well done Nicola Haydn for directing a vibrant dramatic comedy that kept its audience rapt from start to finish. I loved it.

The Master Mariner, 10 May (until 29 May)
Rating:
Victoria Nangle

With a twist here and a shake there, Miss Galit Mersand twirled around the stage with passion and excitement, drumming up enthusiasm from the audience as she shook it all out. Miss Galit Mersand entailed us all with belly-dancing stories: the history, the theories and the myths, and sang us songs about how men always come up to her and claimed their love because of her powerful sex appeal; or something like that. There’s no doubt about it that this woman can dance, and dance she did. There’s also no doubt that Miss Galit Mersand is definitely a diva. This show is a chance to see her showing off and dancing round in skimpy, belly-dancing outfits.

The Brunswick, 10 May,
Rating:
Laura Hayward

David Aaronovitch’s conversation with BBC journalist Peter Taylor turned out to be a fascinating account both of his work as an investigative journalist and the terrorists he has interviewed. Taylor gave particular insight into the Northern Ireland conflict and Martin McGuiness, whom he has known for nearly 40 years. He has clearly managed to walk the difficult line of trying to understand terrorists and their motivation without condoning their methods. They discussed what terrorism is, the differences between the IRA and al-Qaeda and the transition from terrorist to statesman. Taylor also highlighted the importance of building up trust over the long term and reporting conversations accurately. In this era of the celebrity kiss-and-tell, it was good to be reminded that real journalism still exists.

Corn Exchange, Brighton Dome 10 May
Rating:
Jenni Davidson