CAKE: A Crime of Love, TheSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall.

If I knew you were coming I’d have baked a cake, goes the old song. Lottie knew it was boyfriend Alfie’s birthday tomorrow and she’s prepared a stunning cake. What she didn’t know was that Alfie and Lottie’s bestie, flatmate Dani, had a mutual fumble that went too far, which explains his unexpected presence in their flat. Playing with the timeline, and with individuals’ memories of exactly what went on, CAKE: A Crime of Love tries to expose the lies, the motivations and the marzipan out of the confusion. It’s a very ambitious play, filling 45 minutes with several threads, ideas, and viewpoints. Unfortunately, it’s both extremely complicated and difficult to follow, not only textually, but also working out the significance of the lighting changes has somewhat defeated me. However, the performances are all good and the characterisations are believable and engaging. An unclear play with some fiddly staging, but not without entertainment and suspense. 3 stars.

Diary of a Mad Man, Assembly Roxy.

Gogol’s Diary of a Madman, first published in 1835, is considered to be the first story to portray a genuine decline into insanity, specifically through schizophrenia, showing the narrator’s delusions of grandeur, hallucinations and finally his complete breaking with reality. In this production, adaptor and writer Derek Masterson has relocated our unfortunate protagonist to modern-day Ireland, in a world of Instagram followers and racial tension. It’s an extremely well-judged adaptation, cleverly equating Gogol’s characters and asylum to a business CEO and his staff, and creating a terrific sense of chaos. There’s inventive use of a mic and stand to create “the voices within”, and just the right amount of helpful screen projections to add contemporary menace. A riveting performance by Mark McAuley; unsettling, quirky, humorous and disturbing – not to be missed. 5 stars.

Carys Should be the UK’s Next Eurovision Entry, TheSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall.

Carys Jeffery Evans genuinely wants to become the UK’s Eurovision performer next year – and in the absence of a UK national final, she reckons this is her best chance to stake her place and make her pitch. Given its title, I think it’s unlikely that anyone would book for this show without at least some passing interest in the Eurovision Song Contest; if you don’t like Eurovision, this show is probably not for you (and you are beyond saving, but that’s another matter). Carys presents a well-researched and very interesting mini-lecture on what makes a successful Eurovision entry, although there is no such thing as the perfect Eurovision song; and she has many an insightful observation and also chooses some excellent examples for specific discussion (Trenuletul, Cha Cha Cha, and Rim Tim Tagi Dim, if any of that means anything to you.) It’s a charming, perhaps slightly eccentric piece, enthusiastically and knowledgeably delivered, and you can do your bit to help Carys on her way to Eurovision success by signing her petition. And if you’re like me, you’ll be singing Cornelia Jakobs’ Hold Me Closer for the rest of the day. One of those shows you’ll only ever find at the Fringe. 3 stars.

Miscast Sondheim, Greenside @ George Street.

Fifty years ago, the Daddy of all Sondheim compilation musicals, Side by Side by Sondheim, showed how adaptable his songs are when sung out of context, and by singers of a different sex from the original. Marianne Elliott’s stunning production of Company eight years ago, also had fun with gender-swapping; and LAMDA’s Miscast Sondheim also shows that you can tinker with the genders and Sondheim will still come up trumps (if you’ll pardon the expression). Starting, like SbSbS, with a rousing performance of Comedy Tonight, this is a strong show with a talented cast of twelve, and much of its success comes from its excellent choice of material. Well done, for example, for skipping the more obvious Send in the Clowns (superb as it is) for the likes of The Miller’s Son and Everybody Says Don’t – two of the best individual performances in the show. Hello Little Girl from Into The Woods worked especially well with a slinky female vixen teasing a surprisingly tall and masculine Red Riding Hood. The one song that would have been fascinating to see gender-swapped – but they didn’t – was The Ladies Who Lunch; nevertheless, it receives a powerful traditional performance. The only slight issue is that the recorded soundtrack sounds a bit muddy and overpowering in one or two of the songs (A Little Priest struggles to make its lyrics heard) but this is an entertaining and well-performed tribute to one of musical theatre’s greats. 4 stars.

The Night Ali Died, TheSpace on the Mile.

Alistair Clark (Ali to his friends) leads an uncomplicated, unadventurous life working in a chemical research lab, until one day he makes a surprise discovery that his co-worker and best friend seems to be up to something illegal. Does he try to protect his friend, does he simply look away and forget about it, or does he tell the police? Whatever he does is the wrong decision, as it ends up being The Night Ali Died. Chris Sainton-Clark’s creatively structured, beautifully written crime drama is full of shocks and surprises, and he gives a stunning physical performance that keeps you talking and wondering about it for hours later. An unexpected delight. 5 stars.

The Eight Faces of Ellie Morrison, Greenside @ George Street.

Ellie Morrison’s career as a rock star is on its way up – her brother, Mixed Martial Arts fighter Luke’s might be too, if only he could get motivated to train properly and improve on his natural ability. But he’s just not interested – even the thought of working together, brother and sister, on a world tour doesn’t impress him. But never underestimate the ends to which a determined woman will go to get her way. Writer Sam Beeson underwent years of training to learn MMA skills, specifically to understand the sport and recreate a fight on stage. In the process he suffered an injury that put him out of action for sixteen months, so he has truly suffered for his art! The play itself is slow to start; after all, trying to get someone to do something and their refusing to do it isn’t a very interesting subject. But once Luke’s training gets underway, the momentum builds towards the staging of the big fight, perfectly choreographed and executed by Sam Beeson and Rhys Athayde as his opponent, Alex Khan. Setting up the ring requires, by necessity, a slow scene change, which is a shame as it allows some of the expectation to wane as we wait to continue. However, the acting is of a high standard throughout, especially by Aislinn Evans as Ellie Morrison, Sam Powley as the manager Justin Fore and Beeson himself. A riveting climax to a slowly building drama. 4 stars.