The show has been over for 15 minutes, but still the audience is on its feet, laughing, shouting – no question of leaving. Excited children have run forward to crowd near the stage. The auditorium is filled with an excited buzz. We are all having a ball, many balls. Giant balls bouncing around the theatre. This is the amazing end to “Slava’s Snowshow” which is currently on at the Festival Theatre until Saturday 22nd October. Go. You won’t regret it. |inline

Paines Plough was founded in 1974 and over the past 36 years has established itself as one of the foremost touring theatre companies to promote new plays in the UK and abroad. Its name came from the moment the company was formed; the founders were drinking Paines bitter in the Plough Inn at the time. The current artistic directors James Grieve and George Perrin took up their posts in 2010 and made it their remit to produce more plays, in more places, more regularly. |inline

Kurt Weill’s best known work is possibly “The Threepenny Opera” but the revival of his seldom produced “Street Scene” is a welcome reminder that Weill’s genius lay in his easy mixing of diverse musical styles. The show is a massive co-production between The Young Vic and The Opera Group, and the Festival Theatre performances are the only Scottish dates on its current revival. |inline

The music of the Festival and Fringe is as varied as anyone could hope to find in one city. Yesterday I set out to three venues to experience three types of music as different as possible from one another. |inline