How much are you in control of the choices you make? This is the central question posed by 1927's Golem - a story inspired by the myth of the clay man Golem but given a distinctly modern edge over 90mins of exhilarating and ingenious theatre.
"They sentenced me to life, not to death" is the cry from an increasingly broken Winston in this new production of Fugard's The Island.
'Welcome to my home, well it's not actually my home but for tonight it is' says Asha Jain at the top of A Brimful of Asha.
So why have I picked 'Solidarity' as my favourite song from a musical? I mean, it's hardly the best known - you won't find people on Britain's Got The X Factor singing it or countless YouTube covers of it.
"You'd let everyone have the vote? Imagine what idiots would get elected then" is one of many knowing jokes from Richard Bean's latest farce The Hypocrite.
It's eight months since Mike Tweddle took over from Ali Robertson as Artistic Director of Tobacco Factory Theatres in Bristol.
Caryl Churchill has rightly claimed her spot as one Britain's greatest living playwrights but her latest work Escaped Alone, falls short of her best.
'I'm the greatest star, I am by far, but no one knows it' is the claim by aspiring vaudeville music show actress Fanny Brice at the top of Funny Girl.
As a nation, we spend a lot on entertainment.
It's ironic that this first production of The Ustinov Studio's German season should be concerned with that most British of subjects- class.
We're in Dublin and it's 1986.
This seasons offering from Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory is a story of politics, love and being an outsider in a world that mistrusts you.
This show is the perfect antidote to the celebrity stuffed pantos offered up by more commercial outfits.
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