In Bailey Edwards’s sharp, unsettling “Play Dead,” romantic obsession is recast as Ovidian tragedy, complete with a pilfered dog and a glut of grapefruits.

In The Distance at Summerhall, Ben Norris turns the gruelling solitude of cross-country running into a sweat-soaked, poignant portrait of ambition.

In Geoff Sobelle’s Clown Show, virtuosic physical comedy slowly gives way to a bittersweet, apocalyptic portrait of America spiralling out of control.

In Babyface, Nick Tipa blends professional wrestling and physical theatre into a tender, astonishing coming-of-age study of childhood armour.

In Gawa Leung’s razor-sharp dark comedy HATER, artistic tokenism and actor scarcity ignite an absurd, audience-voted duel of toxic female rivalry.