At the Unicorn Theatre this week there is a festival of one act plays. The plays are introduced by, Dierdre, the Chairman of the Oxford Drama Network committee, who organise this annual event.

Each evening there are two plays.

After each play an adjudicator gives some background to the plays and then assesses the plays. He then suggests some directional changes and tries them about before the audience.

The first play this evening called Deckchairs showed two pairs of women on the seafront passing the time of day.

During the interval we had a drink in the Long Gallery of the Old Abbey Buildings where the Oxfordshire Drama Wardrobe, based in Steventon, had a display of their costumes. They are there for drama groups, and people who need to dress up for other reasons, to hire.

In the second half we saw a play called California Suite by the Bartholomew Players. It was very well directed and performed.

Three of the plays get called back tomorrow night for the Gala Evening. I was surprised that California Suite was not among them. The others must be excellent.

The Gala Night includes:

• Still Life by Noel Coward performed by Breakaleg Productions
• Too Long an Autumn by Jimmy Chinn performed by Sinodun Players
• Dynamo Flo by Wayne T. Brown performed by Oxford Theatre Guild.