Two Lies and a Switchblade at the Diesel Playhouse is a show is billed as "three separate stories of deceit, desire, sex and selfishness". So, think of it as a triple-bill, three separate short plays in one sitting.

There are a lot of laughs to be had in these pieces, and the overall feeling we were left with was that this wasn't an evening of profound theatre, but it was enjoyable and was certainly a nice way to spend an evening.

All three pieces deal with uncomfortable subjects and as an audience member you find yourself watching deceit and violence, but they manage to pull it off in a not heavy-handed kind of way, which I appreciated.

Lisa was my show-partner this week. You may remember from the article about John and Beatrice. She's the one who positions herself as ""A science-geek with pretensions to artsyness."

When I asked her what she thought about the show(s) she said that the last two seemed more "emotionally real" and really got the tone right, but that the first one felt somehow false to her.

And when I asked what her favourite part was, there was no hesitation: "the performance of the guy with 'mango' on his shirt" (the character Alex, either Jason Matheson or Justin Mader, unfortunately the program doesn't list character names next to the actor's names.) The character is apparently exactly like a friend of hers and she was impressed with how real he felt.

I didn't mind the unreal nature of the first one, but I do understand what she means. The first and second piece had a lot of laughs, but it was the third piece that stuck with me as I walked out of the theatre. A lot less laughs, but perhaps more substance.

All in all, for not much more than you'd pay to go to a movie these days (tickets are $16) I would certainly be choosing to go to this. Not only did I enjoy it more than I'd enjoy a movie, but also, going to a play means you're supporting the local arts scene, something I always feel good about.

A quick word of warning, there is a fair bit of smoking on stage in this one, so if you're allergic or particularly bothered by smoke you should take that into consideration before you decide to go.

As always I'd be interested in hearing what other folks who have seen the show think. So, drop a line in the comments and let us know what you thought.

The Details:

Runs until Sunday March 25th, week-nights it starts at 8:30, Saturday and Sunday there are 5:30 and 8:30 shows.

The price is $16 for all shows.

At the Diesel Playhouse you can buy drinks and snacks at the bar and bring them into the cabaret style theatres, which is always a nice touch in my opinion.