FLUSH, Pleasance Courtyard.Who knows the secrets that get revealed in the women’s toilets at a busy noisy nightclub? A hiding place from a lousy date, a sneaky spot to top up on ketamine, somewhere to cry your eyes out, and somewhere to overhear others talking about you. Friendships are built and destroyed, reputations lost and won, bullies get their comeuppance, and scandals get written on the wall. Launch Box Productions’ FLUSH, written by April Hope Miller, is a superbly structured, stunningly written series of vignettes in the loos which piece together to tell the story of a night out that no one will forget – some because it was fantastic fun, and others because it was a personal disaster. The play demonstrates how sometimes the kindness of strangers is all you need to get you through the tough times – Blanche Dubois knew what she was talking about. Compelling ensemble acting from Ayesha Griffiths, Jazz Jenkins, Miya Ocego, Joanna Strafford as well as writer April Hope Miller, this is a fast moving, extremely funny but also touchingly sad tale of one night in the cubicles. 5 stars.

God Is Dead and I Killed Him, Pleasance Courtyard.On a bare stage, with just his guitar in hand, Callum Patrick Hughes invites us to hear the story of his life, from his childhood with an actor father and a teacher mother, both of whom were determined he should join neither the acting nor teaching professions, to his school years where he and his sister found God, through to his adult years when God’s help had kind of run its course, and he and He parted company. Full of enjoyable side stories and characterisations, and some beautiful songs, Callum draws us into his world of family Sundays and school bullies, pub pals and refusing to accept he’s a witch. I’m no music critic, but when Callum sings plaintively to his guitar, he reminded me of the early Cat Stevens. A warm and supportive hour of gifted storytelling. 4 stars.