Can a stage play that lasts just ten minutes tell a complete story and leave the viewer satisfied? I’ve sat through many full-length plays only to conclude they would be better condensed to a much shorter time. So generally I welcome the brevity of these short and sweet offerings.

This group of Short + Sweet plays, because they drew the Wildcard slot, gets just one performance – it’s a shame, as several deserve more. More about that later.

Short doesn’t mean light – especially not in this selection. The emphasis today is on drama and there’s not much comedy to lighten the mood. In the nine plays offered there’s a host of deaths including murder, 2 rapes, terrorism (perhaps), fractured family relations, and broken hearts.

First up, The Rock, directed by Robyn Donnelly, has as its central character – a rock. Rock’s singing at the start and end “I am a rock, I am an island…” sets the tone for a moving piece as, in its vicinity, several events in a family’s life are played out. Actors Mark Scott, Paul Paice, Tom Kane, and the writer of the play Lisette de Jong all acquit themselves well, though the overall pacing could be improved.

Touchy Subject is also about a family drama – on a subject as heavy as they come. Amber-Rose Henshall puts in a particularly convincing performance as the daughter, as do fellow actors Natasha Ross and Brett Gribble. Written by Sharon Simpson, directed by Garrick Bradman.

Four of the nine plays feature just two players – in each case one woman one man – but they present four quite different scenarios.

In Death in Ten Minutes, by Filipino playwright Joachim Emilio Antonio, the two are actors rehearsing a play and realising that all the world’s a stage and the players are merely characters. Can they change their fate? Melody Knapp and Dion Greenstreet, under the direction of Sarah Daymond, give it a go, trying to break away from their roles. Melody’s attempt to get the audience to collude by leaving the theatre is excellent, if unsuccessful. 

Playwright Carl Nixon’s The Raft has a couple act out the pain of the loss of a child. Mark has to face the monster in the lake if he is to reach the raft offshore. As a child he failed the race – will he make it this time? Natalie Crane and James Compton play Tonya and Mark; Director is Regan Crummer.

More strong performances come from Mary Rinaldi and Daniel Watterson in Remote Fiction Theatre’s The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Porn Star. The narrative needs polishing but Mary’s depictions of Eddie the English womaniser, a sleazy French lover, and Jake the American Marine ‘Knight’ lift the whole and make it an effective piece of theatre.

Ladies and Gentlemen – industrial relations have never before been like this! Actors Patrick Graham and Briar Collard have all the presence of big top circus masters, but their artists – Rodrigues, Evel and Hans – are fleas and they’re demanding more variety in the act. Then there’s the matter of respect. Lucas Hogan wrote this entertaining piece, and it’s directed by Borni Tukiwaho.

Monologues, even when only ten minutes duration, impose heavy demands on the solo actor. There are two single-person plays in today’s programme and both not only meet the challenge but are the day’s stand-out successes.  

Gitboy, directed by Michelle Johnson, is an impassioned plea by an orange overall-clad detainee, #881688. Does he want to be a lawyer or does he need one? Is he an 18-year old terrorist or a 12 year old who thinks he’s Batman? Mohamed Hassan’s body language and facial expressions reflect the torment of the confused prisoner – his performance in the role is compelling. 

Likewise, the solo performance we’re treated to in Leo Rising, by Angie Farrow, is a triumph. Groom-to-be, Sammy, fails to turn up at the church. The bride, still in bridal gown, arrives at his home to vent her feelings, and perhaps exact revenge. She is Saggitarius and Aries, and he has Leo rising – it should have been so good. Pippiajna Tui Jane is totally in character and brilliant in her portrayal of the jilted bride – even to the tears in her eyes. James Bell can take pride in the direction. 

It goes from one player to a stageful, as the Marvellous Theatre Group musters 17 of their number to perform Storm in a Teacup by Angela Reading. If anyone thinks they’ve left their acting career too late, they should watch the fun the members of this Super Goldcard bearing ensemble obviously have.   

Of the nine Wildcard plays, four go through to a repeat next week. The peoples’ choice votes means there’s another chance to see Storm in a Teacup, and Leo Rising; the Judges’ choice adds Death in Ten Minutes, and Gitboy. You can see them in the Gala Night on Sunday 7 September.

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