The Saga of Ginny
An amusing tale of a young Ginny’s fall from grace, this play in a play satirises the prudishness of modern society. While the actors were adequate, the most impressive aspect of this play was the writing – it is littered with well timed one-liners one liners, such as “I have never been so offended in my life and I’ve worked for Phillip Ruddock”. A good way to start off Week 3 of the festival, this was one of the evening’s better offerings.

Cowboy Humour
This one starts strangely and never seems to get off the ground. While there were a few humorous moments, Cowboy Humour was typified by bad American accents and lame jokes.

Boy/Girl [pictured]
One of the better offerings from Week 3, this play features a series of turning points in a relationship. While this concept may not be particularly original, it was compelling viewing. I was particularly impressed by Nikki Britton’s portrayal of the hilariously neurotic and insecure girlfriend.

Not the Vice Chancellor
I felt that this was one of the most painful plays of the evening. Reminiscent of a high school drama performance, it felt stale, uninteresting and amateurish.

Who Needs Therapy
Cleverly written and well acted, Who Needs Therapy explores role reversal and power play. Satirising therapy and painting psychobabble as claptrap, this play features impressive performances from Alexandra Mattinson and Kerry Williams

Des-Go-Cartes
Meet the great-great grandson of the father of modern philosophy. This witty piece cleverly ridicules those who take philosophy a little too seriously. The highlight had to be Descartes and his friend having the ultimate nerd fight – they raced to see who could be the first to deconstruct the other out of existence. Oleg Pupovac performs with distinction as the hapless Ronald Descartes.

On the Cards
The most important lesson that one can take from this play is that if “Hey sexy lady. Do you Sudoku?” is your best pick-up line, you’re likely to die alone. While not particularly sophisticated, this piece is amusing enough, with a clever twist at the end. Lauren Hamilton Neill shines as the fiery lesbian, Bobbi.

Losing Your Marbles
Exploring the heartwrenching effects that Alzheimer’s Disease can have on once-happy families, this play is compelling viewing. Evocative language and convincing acting make Losing Your Marbles genuinely emotive and cathartic.

The Caretaker
The Caretaker felt reminiscent of a bad horror film. While I found the wooden acting was annoying, I think even more frustrating was the fact that this play really didn’t feel like it went anywhere. Creditable, though, were the sound effects and original music.

Stanislavski’s Daughter
If you’ve ever had to sit through lessons on Stanislavksi’s system, then you’ll like this one. In this play within a play, an actress plays Stanislavski’s daughter as the great Russian identity lies on his deathbed. As you can imagine, Stanislavksi’s system is humorously lampooned. Writer Shaun Tinkler clearly has a skill for comical purple prose, which is delivered with theatrical pizzazz by the striking Sarah McGlade.

Anne Frankenstein – The Musical
Can you think of a premise more ridiculous than a musical fusion of The Diary of Anne Frank and Frankenstein’s Monster? Holed up in her hidden apartment in occupied Amsterdam, Anne Frank is bored, and decides to create a monster, and then sing about it. This piece certainly does not take itself seriously, and as a result, surprisingly, it works extremely well. One of the highlights of the night, it took melodrama to a new level and had the audience in stitches.