This week in theatre rounds up the most noteworthy live theatre playing right now in Toronto. There are a number of shows full of Holiday cheer that run until the New Year.

Other People / Young Centre for the Performing Arts / 8:00pm/2:30pm / $15-$22
Playwright Christopher Shinn's work appeared on stage this past fall at the Toronto Free Gallery where his play Dying City opened to great acclaim. Less than two months later, another of his plays, Other People, continues the showcase of Shinn's unique style. In the play, three young New Yorkers in the East village debate sex, art, friendship, and desire at Christmas. It's up for a short run until January 28.

Penny Plain / Factory Theatre / 8:00pm/2:00pm / $38-$55
Ronnie Burkett is a name familiar to theatregoing audiences. He's a world-renowned puppet artist who continues to delight with stories told through his signature marionettes. This year marks the 25th anniversary of his Theatre of Marionettes, celebrated by an international tour of Penny Plain. The story is billed as a drawing room comedy about the outside chaos that invades Penny Plain's tranquil sanctuary.

Cabaret / Hart House Theatre / 8:00pm/2:00pm / $10-$25
Hart House Theatre takes you inside the heart of the smoky club scene in Berlin amidst the rise of Nazi Germany. Cabaret established itself back in the day as a musical with all the right elements and specifically, two memorable characters in the Emcee and Sally Bowles. The cabaret functions as a place to forget your troubles and, hey, there's even a song about a pineapple.

The Golden Dragon / Tarragon Theatre / 8:00pm/2:30pm / $21-$24
I'd see anything written by Roland Schimmelpfennig at least once. His play Peggy Pickit Sees the Face of God, as part of Another Africa, was one of the strongest plays this past fall. The Golden Dragon takes place inside a busy restaurant where an illegal immigrant searching for his lost sister is kept a secret by the kitchen staff. Schimmelpfennig writes characters with a brutal honesty in situations that force them to display their true colours.

Kim's Convenience / Soulpepper / 8:00pm / $32-$51
The unequivocal hit of the 2011 Toronto Fringe Festival, Kim's Convenience gets a well deserved remount, at Soulpepper no less. The connection with Soulpepper, who is not exactly known for producing new Canadian work, is Ins Choi and Weyni Mengesha are who Soulpepper Academy alumnus. The play, about a family forgiving the past, is set in a Regent Park Korean convenience store.

Photo of Kim's Convenience