The menace from Dennis
	It is a classic dramatic motif - the stranger who enters town and upsets the equilibrium. Be it a heroic figure or a darker force, many a tale hinges on the entrance of an unknown character and this is the key to Brimstone and Treacle, the Dennis Potter play that begins a four-night run at Putney Arts Theatre next week.

	Unusual suspects
	Kevin Spacey may be cagey about his private life, but he has dutifully hopped into bed with Tim Roseman and Paul Robinson, artistic directors of Theatre 503. The offspring of this steamy communion are two plays - Mad Funny Just and I Am A Superhero - which feature at the Battersea theatre this month.

	Dead but not buried
	One way to cock a snook at death, as figured out by artistic types like painters and writers, is to live on through your work. And the legacy of Ira Levin is evident for all to see at South London Theatre, with a production of his classic chiller Veronica's Room.

	Creature comforts
	"There's no reason to be scared of audience participation," says poet John Hegley. "When you think about it, life is all audience participation. Audience humiliation, now that's another thing entirely."

	The fairest of them all
	Mirror, mirror on the wall, where is the best panto of them all? Well, it could be Epsom Playhouse's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Playing the lead is Carly Hillman - former East-Enders wild child Nicky Di Marco. With the dwarves whistling in the background, we grabbed a few moments with Carly in between rehearsals.

	Diamond night
	Donna Hazelton is well into her 40s but her career choices are still as girlie as can be. Well, wouldn't yours be if you had only been in showbiz for five minutes?

Masque of the Red Death

The Masque of the Red Death is being extended until April 12 due to overwhelming demand.