Last night saw another eclectic and exciting Pilot Night – this time hosted by Foursight Theatre at the Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton. In the foyer we were treated to carols, mulled wine and mince pies and two installation pieces: Needle & Thread invited us to choose a secondhand book in exchange for a story while Hamfisted showed us into their giant potato and asked us to leave a message about love. On stage there were 6 very diverse pieces. Francesca Millican Slater delivered an assured and witty performance lecture about heartbreak and how, if you feel the need, to do it yourself. The Silky Pair gave us a funny piece of character based comedy about a pair of TV documentary makers who try not to let their personal problems and lack of ideas stop them from making their film. Void Physical Theatre presented extracts from their show Manhandle and the Marina Sossi Group presented a simply told tale about a hunter and a fox backed by a great soundscape. Jonny from Hamfisted, with his head perched atop a pile of potatoes treated us to a moving and engaging monologue about Ireland, potatoes, farmers, mermaids and rain. I also really enjoyed Studio 38’s The Perfect Story which was chock full of ideas and some lovely visual moments.

So another great Pilot night which left me feeling a bit old but also excited by the diverse range of work out there.

Craig