Losing the plot but winning a formula

In Gizmo Love, Ralph, a nerdy wannabe Hollywood writer, meets the script doctor (Manny), who has been assigned to reshape his screenplay. They are locked in a room by an offstage studio mogul until they can come up with a more marketable product.

At first Ralph holds on to his integrity, but Manny's charms soon convince him otherwise. In a parallel story, two hitmen appear. Are they characters from the screenplay, or have they been sent to ensure Ralph and Manny toe the line?

When the two stories collide, it's not always clear what is real and what is part of Ralph's interior monologue, but this is a riveting study, written with much sardonic humour, of the conflict between art and commerce in Hollywood.

John Kolvenbach doesn't have a proper ending for his play, but no matter. For the rest of its 70 minutes, this is terrific writing matched by strong performances, particularly from Toby Dantzic (Ralph) and Peter Polycarpou (Manny).

Twinkle Little Star
Gilded Balloon
****

Twinkle Little Star is an exquisite revenge comedy by Philip Meeks, in which Harold Thropp (Tim Healy) is a pantomime dame who has seen better days.

He has been allotted the dismal dressing-room number five in the basement of a dingy theatre, while number one has gone to his nemesis, a young Australian soap star - "an amateur" - who ad libs and upstages him nightly.

Interwoven with an affectionate history of the panto dame, Harold's story gradually unfolds; his coincidental discovery of his homosexuality and the theatre, and of the excitement of being gay when it was illegal.

When we learn that Harold is treading the boards again only because he is penniless and destitute after the death of his long-term partner, his vulnerability is heartbreaking.

Healy is amusing enough as a dame built like a brick outhouse, but his is a curiously one-note solo performance - and a loud one at that - when a more subtle one is called for with writing of the highest quality.

Both until 28 August. Information: Gizmo, 0131 226 2428; www.assemblyrooms.com. Twinkle: 0131 668 1633; www.gildedballoon.co.uk