If I start attempting an intelligible critique at this time of the morning I’ll get no sleep and will probably lose heart and give up anyway, so a brief shout to China Plate and all the artists who made up an excellent evening of performance extracts at Stan’s Cafe’s @AEHarris space tonight. Out of a grizzly damp night much warmth was generated by the 8 companies on show at First Bite. Two of the eight companies will be awarded commissions to help them develop their work into full-length pieces, with a performance platform at Bite Size (Warwick Arts Centre) in March.

Fresh from staging of Kindle Theatre’s epic and mightily delicious ‘Eat Your Heart Out’ last week, the AEHarris space was buzzing. I’m learning ever about the wealth of theatre-making in the West Mids and tonight I was introduced to numerous theatre-makers – young and established – who are active in the region. Which makes for a very promising scene.

For the record, this was the playlist;

Part 1: Friction Theatre – ‘Fear Itself’ ; The Other Way Works – ‘Avon Calling’ ; Untied Artists – ‘Al Bowlly’s Croon Manifesto pt.2’ ; New Macho – ‘Paperwork’

Part 2: Mike Tweddle & Lucy Foster’s Signs of Life  – ‘Snapshots’ ; Onethousandladders – ‘Dennis Sold Me The Moon’ ; Caroline Horton/Tangram – ‘You’re Not Like The Other Girls, Chrissy’ ; Jane Packman – ‘The Woods Project’