Helena Payne 
Living With The Lights On, Mark Lockyer’s brutally honest and searingly candid journey from promising actor at the RSC to meltdown, and subsequent path back to a life in balance, is an extraordinary piece of work and an imperative contribution to the theatrical landscape for anyone whose life has been touched by mental illness.
Merit at The Finborough by Alexandra Wood explores the unravelling relationship between a mother and daughter during the financial crash in 2013 Spain. A fast paced two-hander, the play confronts the morality of ambition, the nature of altruism and how success affects our responsibilities to family and friends.
Firebird deals with pertinent weighty issues of race, class and child exploitation, but the writing shines with Phil Davies’ dark humour. It is punchy and savage, it’s stark grimy set underscored with intrusive dubstep during the scene changes. See this play for the three performances of the small cast, who possess an unbridled and searing energy that shakes you to the core.
