[An Enemy of the Circle]

Porridge 4/5

As good as the most +ve reviews and better than you'd dare expect. Very sllick in execution, design & sound, but most of all...brilliantly scripted. It's played tongue-in-cheek, but it a much subtler way to the tv show - not surreal or madly clever, but low key in terms of seeking laughs

There's no heavy duty narrative thread that runs throughout (other than being banged up) - so there is an element of sketch-follows-sketch, but then if you want drama/gritiness watch Bronson/Scum/The Prophet.

Great cast (of 14!), with Shaun W stellar as the main man plus decent support from others.

Frankie & Johhny 3/5

a very good 1st act is never built upon - just more of the same with extra slushy bits, so maybe the play's not up to much. Despite that, the two leads act brilliantly (ignore the opening 10 mins) and make it worth seeing for their performances, esp Kelly M.

It's Mamet-y without the clever words and never goes anywhere, but we never doubt the sincerity of what's being spoken and smile often enough, even though by the end we've heard enough of the accept/reject speeches each offers the other.

Oh, and just ditch the opening sex scene (or shtn it by 80%) and get a DJ voiceover that sounds Americano for the radio phone-in