Helen Smith

Nine Muses Theatre Company present their debut production, Woven. Penelope’s husband, a prominent politician, has died. At his wake, one by one six women appear, each with their own story to tell. Lies are uncovered, truths are revealed and connections are forged. 

Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society presents Palindrome: The Musical, an original piece. This engaging musical comes with assured performances, varied songs and a life-affirming message. 

Happy Sad Productions present a parody murder mystery musical with Come Die With Me. Successfully combining reality tv and murdery mystery, the resulting production is an original and enjoyable piece.

Following the success of Don’t Say MacBeth! and Sex with Friends, GOYA Theatre returns to Edinburgh Fringe with the music theatre piece Actually, Love. A funny, touching two-hander that interrogates how art and identity intersect, it will definitely make you laugh and may even make you cry. 

Early Morning Productions bring Alan Turing’s story to life in this piece written by Joan Greening with music by Joel Goodman and Jan Osborne. From his visionary work in computing to his appalling treatment by the authorities for being gay, it explores Turing’s experiences and legacy. 

Some shows make you smile instinctively, and Jingle Street is one of them. Jingles, with their strong potential for catchy nonsense, lend themselves well to the world of musical theatre. The concept is funny and well executed, with overall silliness giving way at times to surprising emotion.

Potty the Plant welcomes you to Little Boo Boo’s General Hospital, home to three haphazard nurses, a day-dreaming cleaner, a suspicious doctor - and a singing, dancing plant. An hour of escapist fun filled with catchy tunes. The show for people who want an hour of ridiculous, musical fun - led by a slightly unsettling plant!

Perhaps the best-known theatre superstition is: don’t say “Macbeth” in a theatre. GOYA Theatre Company present Don’t Say Macbeth, in which a troubled production of “Hubble Bubble: The Musical” attempts their opening night. Don’t Say Macbeth is an hour of hilarious musical comedy that’s perfect for the Fringe!

Queen Elizabeth I is famous for never marrying, for ruling alone as a woman in a man’s world. TDTC ask what it takes in their original musical, The Single Lady. The conflicts of duty and love in a patriarchal society are explored through sassy humour, clever lyrics and confident performances.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in possession of large fortune must be in want of a husband.” So begins Prejudice and Pride, a gender-swapped folk musical of Jane Austen’s novel, set in modern day rural Tennessee. What follows is a humorous and warm adaptation with plenty of heart.

If you have ever wondered what Shakespeare would be like with more pop music, look no further than Bristol Shakespeare Festival’s Macbeth the Musical. Jam packed with reworked cheesy pop hits by a high energy cast of six, this show delivers a laugh out loud musical comedy take on the Bard’s classic.