The Last Mad Man, Assembly Roxy.

It’s the end of the world as we know it as gifted copywriter Steven is brought in to create a brand refreshment for the Apocalypse. He has an hour to complete the task, but that’s no concern to a brain like his. Think of his previous success with outsize women’s boots! Even as a child, he could convince his mother to buy the sexiest garments against her will. It’s a fantastic set-up for an extremely funny show, which exposes the excesses of marketing and advertising, how it has contributed to global warming and endangering species, the insidious rise of AI, and how targeting women to spend their money on unwanted items is the ultimate in misogyny. An engaging and energetic performance by Steven Phillips-Horst based on his own experiences as an advertising copywriter. The show truly soars at its funniest moments – perhaps it gets a little bogged down when making its more serious points. 4 stars.

Improbotics Presents: Artificial Reality, Just the Tonic at the Caves.

There’s no escaping AI – resistance is futile, even though personally I want to resist it as long as possible! Improbotics Presents: Alternative Reality shows how you can simply devise a reality TV show with just a few simple ideas and AI. In our performance, we created a show called Splash the Cash, where contestants can win $20,000 USD in a water park near Alicante. We even had a star celebrity involved – our audience chose Jim Carrey – and there, for all intents and purposes, he was! The Improv element of the show is that the contestants act out short comic scenes based on their characters as they fit in with the location and the prize, and as the show progresses, individuals get voted out until one lucky winner takes all. Additionally, the audience log into the show online and can influence the outcome. It’s a very clever idea, and I would imagine is probably very different from show to show. Brilliantly devised by Piotr Mirowski, and with very entertaining performances from the cast. And there’s so much there to make you think! 4 stars.

An Echo in the Void, Assembly Roxy.

Four characters find themselves transported to a blank space, removed from their daily activities, with no knowledge of how they got there or why. But soon, connections are realised and names are recognised, from various points in their past. But what is the reason for their meeting? Jason Weiss’ An Echo in the Void is an attempt to visualise a fantasy AI scenario of the future. A place where four people have taken Sanctuary – in other words, a world of alternative reality, where you can stay rather than live in the real world – and their separate paths clash. It’s very well staged, with excellent lighting design and powerfully acted by Sunkrish Bala, Lee Rodriguez, Adam Sinclair and Grace Serrano. But the play itself is extremely complicated; so hard to follow because as you’re trying to piece together one part of the jigsaw puzzle, the plot has moved on so that you’ve missed some more vital information. As a result, it’s both impressive and frustrating, and even after a few hours’ discussion with your theatre companions, you still get the impression you’ve only understood some of it. 3 stars.

Do Not Attempt this Conversation, Greenside @ George Street.

Stressed junior doctor Nneka needs to inform the family of a severely ill elderly patient that they need to have a DNAR in place; and this is the first time she’s had to lead this kind of discussion. Tough luck for her that the family is represented by the belligerent know-all Stephanie, who instantly threatens litigation if she doesn’t get her way (and her way is that her Grandad should be kept alive if at all possible, no matter the circumstances – he’s always been as strong as an ox, and he can get through this just like he’s got through everything before). Unimpressed by Nneka’s hesitant and impersonal style, and refusing to accept that Grandad may well have sepsis, Stephanie rants and rages, delivering verbal blows that truly knock Nneka’s confidence. Can she make Stephanie see sense? And do the medical team need her consent anyway? Mo Maka’s Do Not Attempt This Conversation raises some fascinating and very important issues about the balance between keeping someone alive and prolonging a life of pain, versus withdrawing active treatment and letting them die as comfortably as possible. The message hits the target, and, of course, no medic should allow a member of the public to abuse them like that, and one would have thought that no medic would be in doubt as to whether a DNAR is appropriate under the circumstances outlined. However, real life isn’t that straightforward, and we’re all only human. The writing is a little clunky in places, but there are two excellent performances from Mo Maka as Nneka and Amaju Jade Samuel as Stephanie, and with some tweaks to the text, this could be a strong piece of writing. 3 stars.