... Language Roulette Bush Set in Belfast during the ceasefire of 1994, Daragh Carville's entertaining, chatty play resembles a Northern Irish version of films such as The Big Chill or Diner. Six friends meet up in a pub, ostensibly to celebrate the end of vio- lence, but end up unearthing a dark secret which four of them had allowed to be buried. They enjoy playing games, mostly based on bad ...

... Tom and Clem Aldwych A fascination with imaginary conversations raises its head again in Stephen Churchett's extremely promising first play, set in Potsdam during the first post-war conference to settle the future of Europe. Enter Tom Driberg, war correspondent newly elected Labour MP and enthusiastically promiscuous homosexual. On top of these attributes, Driberg is well on the way to ...

... Sweet Charity Hornhurch A charitable attitude must lend itself to this Sweet Charity, a joint production between the Queen's and the English Theatre, Frankfurt. While it is obviously apparent that set designer Dieter Stegmann has attempted to create a multi-purpose and modem set, the technical effects do noth ing to support the cast's attempts at providing a smooth- flowing storyline. Poor ...

... All My Sons Belfast In a wartime situation, bad private decisions taken in the dubious name of the public good, tend, sooner or later, to come back to haunt their instigators. In Zoe Seaton's fresh, pacy production for the Arts Theatre, Joe Keller has got away with his past misdemeanours for so long that he believes he has got away with them for good. Seaton's bright, carefree direction, ...

... Holm is where the heart is Cottesloe King Lear It lasts little more than a second, but there is a telling moment at the start of this production. When Ian Holm's Lear playfully rattles a table, around which sit his three daughters, we know these are not the actions of a monarch concerned with the business of government but a father initiating some kind of family game. The family home can of ...

... Lady Windermere's Fan Theatre Royal, Haymarket When the IRA bomb forced the Royal Exchange to set up shop at Upper Campfield Market, there were doubts that Manchester playgoers would follow. But Braham Murray's handsomely dressed Oscar Wilde production pulled in crowds over onnstmas and now gets a ten-week London season, with Gabrielle Drake repeating her splendid Mrs Erlynne, the ...

... Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Glasgow This Citizens production of Tennessee Williams' script is still laced with meaningful, spiteful dialogue (Excuse me, my mistake, I just wanted to feel that river breeze, being a taster) and despite some repetitive and con-seauently irritable ing phrases (as opposed to dialogue), the smooth-ish show passes incredibly quickly. Simply superb and reaching a ...

... The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband Nottingham These days Hilary is keener on cooking than sex. She has lost her husband Kenneth to Laura, a hot number in bed but a non-starter in the kitchen. Now Hilary has invited Ken and Laura to dinner in this production at the Playhouse. On an ingeniously mobile set by Will Hargreaves. complement ed by smart tricks of lighting, movement and sound by Jon ...

... Then Again Lyric, Hammersmith Intimate revue was obviously the flavour of the month in March, for following the King's Head's excursion into the field comes this revival of a distinguished tradition at the Lyric. Unlike the King's Head, this has a high proportion of new material, though there are two pieces by Harold Pinter, a still remarkably topical song by Noel Coward and some ...

... True meaning of a play on words Man in the Moon Cigarettes and Chocolate There is something of a paradox at the heart of this play by Anthony Minghella. It is stylised, literate and packed with long, eloquent monologues. And yet its pivotal character, Gemma, has, quite simply, decided to stop talking. Through her it projects a sense of frustration at the inabil ity of words to articulate ...

... Strictly for the Birds Fox This is strong, hilarious stuff which will particularly appeal to those with a bizarre sense of humour. Michael McNamara s new play is a modem-day fable which concerns one Trevor Kelly (Phil Novak) and his struggles to make ends meet, cheat on his wife (Helen Prescott) and keep the taxman at bay. Trevor is a kind of dinosaur, neurotic and old-fashioned, yet sharp as ...

... The False Hairpiece Reading John Constable's play never really lives up to its amusing opening conceit of a dying man dictating his will through a voice- box. And this production, by the Basingstoke-based Proteus Theatre Company at 21 South Street, is not incisive enough to make up for the underpowered writing. The piece evokes the biblical story of warring brothers Jacob and Esau but setting ...