★★★★☆ Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory’s Othello is beautifully acted and full of fresh invention. Right from the start Othello’s ‘otherness’ is seen to be more significant than a mere difference in skin colour. Director Richard Twyman has drawn on the expertise of creative adviser Abdul-Rehman Malik to give us an Othello who is first and foremost a Muslim, even though the crucifix he wears might suggest otherwise.

★★★★☆ The Girl And The Giraffe is a tale of how patience and understanding can be the foundation of true friendship. An adventurous young girl is playing in her garden when she suddenly encounters a giraffe. He is uncommunicative and morose, but she is determined to persuade him to join in her play.

★★★★☆ Beneath the Blizzard is set in a dystopian future where a raging blizzard keeps humanity hiding deep beneath the surface in a maze of tunnels. There are monstrous snowmen who can ‘swallow somebody whole without even chewing’, resources are low and life is desperately hard. To keep the feeble electric lights flickering the Mayor demands that everyone pedals furiously on generators for long hours.