Week Eight of Short+Sweet has something for every taste...

An abducted child, an artist and his courtesan model, a magical journey, a dark tale of repressed Victorian desire, two sisters with a bottle of pills and a corpse... plus and a guy in a porn-packed, regret-filled coma. The final heat - week 8 - of Short+Sweet (27 Feb to 4 March at King Street Theatre, Newtown) goes just about anywhere you could imagine!

Featured in the Top 80 series (Wed to Sat 8pm plus Sun 5:15pm) is Coma Sutra by Sydney writer Kate Toon. An almost monologue about a guy who's popular with buses and struggling to wake up from his porn-packed, regret-filled coma... Melinda Latsos directs Aaron Nilan and Justine Keim.

The Polite Conversation

Fallout, written and directed by Short+Sweet veteran Lisa Eismen is the story of two parents of a missing child who blame everyone around them for the abduction but the perpetrator... Alison Albany, James Belfrage and Jim Gosden star.

The Polite Conversation by Melbourne writer Catherine Traynor is a study in fear, desire and masculine repression set in a period Victorian house. Jason (Angus Cameron) wants 'to be raped' - at least that's what he claims when he sits down with Scott (Shannon Loughnane). But all is not what it seems in this chilling examination of forbidden desires, directed by Melbourne's Justin Nott.

Get Me to the Stage on Time

Get Me to the Stage On Time, written and directed by Ryan Wilson stars Marlene Vaughan as Gloria, famous actress past her prime and in big trouble. Her husband and her personal assistant (James Kovea-Vueti and Greg Wilken) have just 10 minutes to get her over her issues and onto the stage on time.

A Portrait of Kitty Fisher

The Wildcards program (Sat 3pm, Sun 1pm and Mon 8pm) includes A Portrait of Kitty Fisherby Canberra writer Angus Algie - the intriguing story of London painter Joshua Reynolds and the feisty young courtesan Catherine (Kitty) Fisher whom he hires to pose for him. It's a relationship that has the aristocracy abuzz with gossip but young Kitty will challenge everything Joshua knows as together they create something of beauty. Nicholas Gledhill and Cassady Maddox are directed by Robert Brennen.

The Magical Adventures of Gertrude and Beatrice by Steven Boon (Melbourne) is a portrait of an unusual and colourful friendship. David E Woodley directs Helena Telford and Jade Greenwood-Turner.

Melbourne playwright Brooke Fairley's Dark Outside features Alice Furze and Amanda Jermyn directed by Caitlin Scarr in a story of two sisters, a bottle of pills and a dead body. Christy and Bernadette can't do anything until it gets dark outside, which gives them just enough time to talk...

Quality Time by US writer Chris Shaw Swanson is a story of technology-obsessed parents impeding the efforts of a grandmother to bond with her grandchild. Jasna Krsmanovic directs Clare Martin, Sergej Kozul and Wendy Knight.

The full program for Short+Sweet Theatre Sydney 2013 is at www.shortandsweet.org/sydney

Tickets are $33/$28 conc (Wild Cards $30/27) .

Bookings www.shortandsweet.org/sydney or 0423 082 015

NB The winning play selected by industry judges each week goes into the Gala Finals at the Seymour Centre, 22 and 23 March. The weekly audience favourites go on to the People's Choice Showcase week at the Sidetrack Theatre Marrickville 6-10 March and the winning Wildcard play from each week goes on to the Wildcards finals March 9 and 10 (matinees) at Sidetrack. Winners from these also progress to the Gala Finals!

The full program for Short+Sweet Theatre Sydney 2013 is at www.shortandsweet.org/sydney

For Discounted Group tickets (6 or more) please call 1300 (GET TIX) 438 249