Flare Festival 2015: When was the last time you saw theatre that really challenged you?

Dave St-Pierre Company at Sadler's Wells in 2011 proved challenging for critics. Photo by Alistair Muir. 

When was the last time you saw theatre that really challenged you? 

Hold up. Back up, back up. I'll start again. 

When was the last time you saw some theatre? 

I don't want to assume that you go the theatre. Experience has taught me that would be foolish. 

Where the world is going, that's where we are going, Hof Van Eede, Royal Exchange Studios, Flare Festival, Manchester.

Theatre directors and designers: 10 Tips for better collaboration.

Last week I spent the day at a series of workshops organised by the Young Vic. In the morning Justin Audibert and Lily Arnold spoke about the relationship between the designer and director, using their experiences working together over the last few years they outlined their most valuable tips. Below are a list of some of their most useful reflections.

Flying in Circles: What happens when the Left Wing tries to understand the Right Wing?

London has two plays running this week that both seek to empathise with Right wing ideology.

Sitting on the back row with the cool kids.

This weekend I went to the 'Roar of the Crowd' a conference about theatre audience research. We were a crowd, because there were a few of us. I'm not sure if we roared but some people made noise. Not myself I have to admit as I would never dream of speaking at such events.

5 reasons why Kate Tempest is my new hero.

1. She is a woman, but doesn't dress sexy and she still has confidence.

2. She doesn't say what people want her to say she says what she feels is true.

3. She remains sincere when everyone around her is cynical.

4. When asked how we get more young people to engage with poetry, she says we shouldn't, there is nothing more off putting then people trying to engage you with something. Just make what you feel passionately about.

5. She thinks we are all Gods.

If you go and see 'Brand New Ancients' it might change you life.

Pedal Pushers, Theatre Delicatessen.

Picture from Roland Smith.

There is an infamous scene in Mad Men, in which a drunken secretary at an office party accidently drives a lawnmower over one of the staff members feet. It is a perfect illustration of why you shouldn't ride machinery that's supposed to be outside, inside an office.

Schaubühne Berlin: 'The Enemy of the People', Barbican.

Before the actors entered the stage of Thomas Ostermeier's The Enemy of the people a projection filled the stage from top to bottom, black on white. I turned to my companion, a graphic designer and said, it's weird, it doesn't matter how many times I read this, it still doesn't make any sense to me.

The problem with reviews and why Oscar Wilde was wrong.

Oscar Wilde was wrong when he famously said, 'We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.' I would argue that when it comes to reviews, all of us are looking at the stars. 

Addicted to TV? Brighton Fringe Picks to drag you away from instant streaming.

I put forward suggestions for the Brighton Festival ages ago, so here are my suggestions for the Fringe. For the Festival I made recommendations for film fans, so this time, as it's the Fringe, considered the home for more populist entertainment, I have made suggestions for those who are more at home, at home, watching TV. Perhaps this might drag you away from Netflix.