Lyn Gardner

Esther has not had it easy. Her mum left the family home when Esther was 12, leaving her and her sister Rachel alone with their dad. At 16 she left home and tried to make a life for herself.

In late 2013 Birmingham City Council was anonymously sent a copy of a letter that appeared to be from a Muslim parent in Birmingham writing to a Muslim parent in Bradford. It set out in five steps how to implement a strategy called Operation Trojan Horse aimed at Islamifying local schools.

In Samuel Bailey’s 'Shook' (Southwark Playhouse), this year’s winner of the Papatango New Writing Prize, sweet-tooth Cain (Josh Finan) is all bluff and bluster and sugar-rushes.