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A vibrant performer on the Big Lemon Bus, entertained us with cheeky banter and kicked off our journey into the collective unconscious at the Westhill! There, under a maze of red yarn we then entered the twilight world that is anima.

Lamps and local tales fused to create a theatrical theme for surreal scenes including a Victorian tea party, eerie shadow puppetry, delicate dance sequences, a babel of languages, and even the story of creation.

Powerful and subtle, this piece from the Karavan Ensemble managed to convey through art a human experience not easily defined – transient and infinite like light! Magical.

Big Lemon Bus and Westhill Community Centre, 28 May
Rating:
Monica Perdoni

Plays by Berkoff and Arrabal are the meaningful and darkly comical insights into the volatile nature of relationships.

Acerbic wit and sharp writing are the trademarks of these two acclaimed playwrights (think literary Peep Show and high-brow Corrie!) who brilliantly reveal the surreally funny yet poignant core of human nature through conversations on a beach and in a kitchen.

Big Pants Productions more than matched the thespian challenge and treated us to a first class performance with tight delivery and spot on emotional charge. Seriously top stuff!

The Lectern, 26 May
Rating:
By Monica Perdoni

Jon Ronson made for an engaging and very funny speaker as he took the audience through some of the characters and concepts which informed his new book, ‘The Psychopath Test’. Although the interview which formed the first part of the evening was informative, the question and answer section afterwards was, thanks to a well informed and articulate audience, where the most in-depth discussion was found. It is this opportunity to engage with the author which makes these evenings worthwhile and this was an excellent example of that with a fascinating topic at its centre.

Pavilion Theatre, Brighton Dome, 26 May
Rating:
Simon Plotkin

Simon Gray’s pithy play of a curmudgeonly academic intent on revelling in schadenfreude saw Dominic West on excellent form as the title character. Bounding around the stage, both affectionately and maliciously bullying his colleague and friend Joey (and any who enter their shared office) – life is a bitter game made from others’ misery, be it accidental or orchestrated by Butley himself in this guilty comedy. So boisterous is he, we couldn’t help but like the mischievous misanthrope, articulate and creative in his trouble-making. Martin Hutson as Joey was fabulous as the put-upon audience and reluctant partner in crime to Butley’s stirring, always too much the coward to stop his pal but secretly delighting in the disruptions. Supporting equally strongly but in a different way was Penny Downie as Edna, collateral damage in Butley’s quest to entertain himself.

Like a bear with a sore head, drinking and smoking throughout, Ben Butley strikes out at all – from ex wife to best friend. So much nasty fun.

Theatre Royal, 26 May (running until 28 May)
Rating:
Victoria Nangle