Refuse, Assembly George Square Studios.Ordinary people, living ordinary lives, with ordinary jobs, and having ordinary intrigues; ordinary people are the same the world over. Maksim works the refuse round in his Ukrainian town and knows all the clients, from the eccentric elderly sisters, to smart, alluring Yelena who lives at the end of his run. Maxim’s wife Valentyna is going to night school, and it’s really improving both her mind and their marriage. They adore their son Andrej. Life is good. Then start the ominous warnings; this time Putin isn’t messing around. A heart-rending but also heart-warming tale of survival against the odds, smartly written by Lucy McIlgorm, who includes just the right balance of comic scenes to contrast with the horrors of war. It’s given a terrific production and three superb performances by Vasyl Sydorko, Maria Shtofa and Lucy McIlgorm herself. I particularly liked the use of costume to accentuate the different characters and moods of the story. Despite all the tragedy, the play ends on a positive note – cloaked in the sadness of death all around. An astounding production that remains in one’s mind for a long time. 5 stars.

Nearlyweds the Musical, The Space at Surgeon’s Hall.Welcome to the wedding of Lily and Dan; it’s going to be a beautiful occasion and I expect the tears of happiness will flow. And welcome to the reception rehearsal for the wedding of Sophie and Jake; his brother and best man Brian has researched the jokes for his speech. However, the newlyweds-to-be become nearlyweds, as both weddings are called off. Lily escapes to London to find herself and Jake shacks up with Brian to plan a charm offensive on Sophie to win her back. But life has a knack of never quite going the way we think it’s going to… Jasmine Alice’s Nearlyweds The Musical has a clever and inventive central idea of uniting these two unsuccessful unions at the unlikely workplace of Ruby Rocks, There’s one superb song, Proud, that raises a powerful and valid question of you don’t have the right to be proud of me – and two of the main performances, Sarah Alexandra Brown as Lily and Kate Leyva as Gail, are the main forces that drive the show on. That said, sadly, the script itself is lame, full of rather unfunny jokes, and as a result the show itself limps along instead of soaring. With a sharper script, this show could go places! 3 stars.

Saria Callas, Underbelly Cowgate.Music and dance are amongst those precious gifts in life that we can all share and love – whether we are talented enough to perform them or just love to hear and appreciate them. They are an essential part of every human being. So is everyone’s own identity; something equally precious, that to some people never causes complication, but others must spend years working hard to understand. Growing up in an Iranian village, Saria is not allowed to sing or dance as it is not permitted by those in power. Will Saria take such restrictions lying down? And when her son grows up freely expressing his love for music and dance, naturally she encourages him – much to the disapproval of some family members. Where might that lead? Seemia Theatre’s Saria Callas is a strongly acted, creatively staged account of Saria’s journey from Iran to London and Paris, set against a magical musical soundtrack – and some great singing – which resounds with rebellion and positivity. At the heart of the show is a fantastic performance from Sara Amini. 4 stars.

How to Become a Movie Star? The Space @ Surgeons Hall.Sarah Maria Lafferty’s dream has always been to become a movie star. After all, it was obvious from the age of one, when a little bit of toddler physical comedy would gain her loads of approval and she would adore making a scene in response. It’s destiny, pure and simple. She tells the gradual story of how she has reached where she is today, including fortuitous meetings with Gabriel Byrne at an airport and on the street, working in a pub to finance living in a hostel – hi ho the glamorous life – and the tentative steps towards being accepted at a one year drama school course. Sarah has an engaging storytelling style; perhaps her narrative could have had even more laughter moments, and light and shade, but, nevertheless, this is an enjoyable account of the journey on which ambition can lead you. 3 stars.

Dan Leith: Defiling Gravity, Laughing Horse @ West Port Oracle.Welcome to Icarus Airways; if any airline’s name should make you quake with fear, that’s the one. But host Dan is a very welcoming member of the cabin crew and promises you a flight that’s not only funny, but intelligent and thought-provoking. Mixing storytelling with music, his comedy songs often have an acerbic kick to them that makes you laugh, but with a sharp intake of breath at the same time. He’s had a few rough moments over the past couple of years, but they have inspired the original material that makes up this, his first solo Edinburgh hour. Extremely likeable, and with a fluid, confident delivery; I’m still singing must come down hours after the show finished! Intriguing and entertaining, and I shall certainly be following his future career with interest. 3 stars.

Looking for Laughs, Gilded Balloon Patter House.Now here’s a bright idea. Well, two, actually! Arrange a blind date on stage between two genuine single strangers, and have the audience watch them get on (or not), ask questions of each other, and see if they are a good match. Then have an improvisation group act out scenes inspired by the daters’ questions! Afterwards, the audience get to suggest questions for the two singles to ask each other, followed by another round of improv and then a final decision – date or no date? If that sounds like two totally unconnected ideas joined together just for the fun of it – that’s exactly what it is, but the big surprise is that it really works! No two shows would ever be alike, because of the different dynamic of the two people and the questions that the audience suggest. The show we saw was a complete hoot from start to finish – and the improv team are brilliant too. I can see how this show could become totally addictive! 4 stars.