Reverend Theatre’s new double bill of two one act plays, Nerve and Jekyll & Hyde, both written by Charlie Howitt, are two distinct but interwoven plays set within the same apartment block. Pertinently, they both explore morality in contemporary Britain. This double bill embarks on an exciting UK tour in Autumn.

Nerve follows a disparate group of people as they work to find their own authenticity. Sam edges closer to her magnetic new housemate Danny, inspired by his bold, decisive approach to life. But, after a violent dispute with their neighbour, she is left struggling to locate her moral centre.

Her best friend, Tess, is overwhelmed by anxiety as she approaches the 24th week of her pregnancy. While, local policeman Greg is too lost trying to rekindle his relationship with his ex-wife to notice that their neighbour from Flat B is missing.

Inspired by the Gothic novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, Reverend Theatre’s Jekyll & Hyde blurs the lines between good and evil, insane imaginings and real life monsters. Brilliant surgeon Ellie Jekyll is feeling the strain of caring for her terminally ill brother. Luckily, a newfound friendship with her neighbour proves to be just what the doctor ordered. But, when a young girl dies unexpectedly during surgery, Jekyll’s world begins to unravel around her.

Tickets are available from individual theatre box office See http://www.reverendproductions.com/

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10th – 11th October       Greenwich Theatre
Crooms Hill, London SE10 8ES

13th October                  Fisher Theatre
10 Broad Street, Bungay NR35 1EE

21st October                  The Old Fire Station
40 George Street, Oxford OX1 2AQ

Duke of Edinburgh (Bronze) Expedition         

I am Meg Cannell and decided a few months ago that I would do the DofE Bronze. For this I have to have a skill. Well, I play the flute. I also have to have a sport, and I have chosen Pilates, which seemed the best option because I have scoliosis. Scoliosis is curvature of the spine and that means a limit to the sort of physical sports I can play.

The Duke of Edinburgh Awards are designed to give millions of 14 to 24 year olds the opportunity to be the very best that they can be. One of the requirements of the Bronze category is to take part in an expedition.

There is a concessionary backpack weight for those with scoliosis. I have a partial fusion, which means I have rods holding some of my vertebrae in line, and soon will have a full fusion.

We sorted out our kit at Ashridge Estate Visitors’ Centre, before setting off on 1^st October in the pouring rain. We had to share out the tent, small gas cookers called trangias, and sleeping bags. Thoroughly cold and wet we set off to walk 17 kilometres that day.

We met marshalls at points along the route, just in case anything was wrong, but nothing was. On we trudged and squelched over fields, and along roads until finally we reached our over-night spot. Then we had to erect our two tents, and cook some supper on our trangias. Then we tried to sleep, going to bed really early because we were so tired. And we did sleep, though we were so cold and wet.

Breakfast the next morning was still not a picnic in the sun. As the rain fell we cooked up some breakfast on the trangias, and then set off on the last 13 kilometres heading for Wendover Woods. Again it was a hike across fields. Once there was a bull, and we didn’t dawdle across that one. In another were alapacas which we all loved.

Finally we arrived at the finish, exhausted, wet, but really excited to have actually achieved our aim.

The expedition taught us the value of teamwork, and sometimes we didn’t get this right, but that’s how you learn. I think it’s a lesson that will be valuable when we do the Dof E Silver expedition (after my final operation). And actually, it will be valuable for the rest of our lives because we know that we have to endure if we want to achieve our goals.

Halloween is coming soon, bringing with it trick or treat time. So treat yourself to Living Death which is another in the Katie Maguire crime series. It’ll scare you, see if it doesn’t. Of if not scare, perhaps intrigue you, and get your pulses racing.

I do like Masterton’s writing. It is crisp, confident, and zaps along with satisfying clarity. His plotting is meticulous and exciting from the moment a girl with green hair stumbles out of a club and we just know she’s in jeopardy.

DS Katie Maguire and her team are up to their neck investigating dognappers (as a dog owner, how dare they?) drug trading and now a missing girl.

Masterton weaves his web with his usual touch. He really thinks through his characters and plot. Will the green haired girl be saved? Or not.

Graham Masterton is a bestselling author who spent twenty or so years writing horror and thrillers before turning to crime. I’m glad he did. I don’t like horror – I’m a hide behind the sofa kind of girl when there’s anything like that going on, and crime is more painstaking than thrillers or so I feel. Probably wrong, but there you go.

I enjoyed Living Death. I think you will too.

Living Death     Graham Masterton.   Pub. Head of Zeus.   £18.99