Short and sweet Theatre Festival season 1: "Short and Sweet" is a festival where creatives submit a piece to perform that is no longer than 10 minutes long, and then at the end the audience get to vote on our Favorite. We were given 11 performances in Season 1" and though I enjoyed a few (especially the music from the opening, "Beyond Four Walls") my highlights were two performances in particular; "Slow Dating" and "93%". "Slow dating" both made me laugh out loud and broke my heart. Written by Adam Szudrich, Directed by Katie Burson, and impeccably acted out by Julie Collis. The story is of an elderly widow who finds the strength to search for and find companionship again. "I just don't want to feel lonely anymore" is the motivation behind the play. The direction was simple and executed so believably that the entire time all I wanted to do was run on stage to hug her and to tell her she isn't alone. A beautifully written play that gives you a glimpse into what loving and losing someone as an elderly person must feel like and the pain that causes. This play affected me. My other Favourite was written and performed by Hamish Annan. It was a story of coming out and the journey that character had to go through in that process. It saw Hamish transform seamlessly into a number of other characters as they each conversed with the character who was coming out. It was equally hilarious and thought provoking. "Sharon, the secretary" was larger than life and left me gasping for air whenever she "appeared". The piece was well written and excellent in its delivery and my friends and I were talking about how great Hamish was long after the show ended. Kudos to Cherie Moore for the clever direction. This performance won my personal #SOMFaward in the show. Bloody great. There are a few more shows left for Short and Sweet season 2 including the best of the best from both seasons that are showcased at the S+S Gala on Sunday the 18th of Sept. Get your tickets here http://bit.ly/2aMtD69 you won't be disappointed. #ShowsAuckland #ShowsNZ #ShortAndSweetAuckland #ShortAndSweetTheatreFestivalNZ