Evangeline Beaven Archives - thespyinthestalls.com

★★★★

“a light hearted exploration of the intersection between technology and intimacy”

Ghosting, breadcrumbing, lovebombing. All phrases that will send shivers down your spine if you’ve spent any time on dating apps in the last few years, and all phrases which would sail straight over the head of a Victorian child. Modern romance has a highly therapised language all of its own, and now – it also has AI.

En Route Theatre’s You Matched With… investigates this recent development in a neat and thoughtful play which follows Em (Evangeline Beaven) through an existential crisis triggered by a recent date who’s gone worryingly quiet. The AI chatbot she’s been relying on to talk her through it decides she’s due an emotional reckoning, summoning Romantic Accountability Avatars (previous matches) to hold the mirror up to her own behaviour.

Theatre in the ‘modern dating’ genre can often be crass or reductive, but that couldn’t be further from where we land with You Matched With… While we cover a lot, from therapy speak to attachment styles, it never feels like a box ticking exercise. Diana Hognogi’s script is tightly woven, striking a careful balance between poking fun at the current state of romance, without overtly judging the heroine. The dialogue is light as a feather, and Hannah O’Reilly’s direction uses a gentle hand too, from the moment the three heads of the AI characters light up above Em as she lounges on the sofa, texting and fretting.

Em was a little impenetrable, which tracks for a character with a history of avoidant attachment issues, but at times we wanted to root for her a bit more than we actually did. Considering she’s the only real human character in the show, it felt like there was room for us to learn something about her that wasn’t related to her dating conduct, so that she wasn’t just a device for the AI characters to bounce off. Andrew Friedman and Samuel Greco both brought a teasing corporate charm to the Romantic Accountability Avatar roles, which got lots of laughs as they flipped between flirting and exposing Em’s flawed outlook. As for Tom (Alex McCaragher), the chatbot himself was grounded and gently cynical. Complaining of his exhaustion from being asked to assess 728 million situationships, his shoulders are massaged by his sympathetic colleagues.

If you’ve been married for a decade and can’t tell Tinder from Bumble, a lot of the specific anguish being explored here might go over your head. But if you’ve ever wondered which first date feelings are real and which are fake, or whether AI will help or hinder your pursuit of love, then you’ll find something to ponder on the way home in this intriguing script. It’s a light hearted exploration of the intersection between technology and intimacy, deftly handled by the whole cast and crew. Plus, going to see it will be a nice break from swiping right.

King Lear

Jack Studio Theatre

Reviewed – 21st March 2019

★★★

“the Ed Miliband of Shakespeare: reliable, dependable, with the right words in the correct order but lacking that sense of purpose or timeliness”

I understand why people want to put on Shakespeare. It’s deep, people want to watch it, and it’s royalty free. What more could you want? But Shakespeare isn’t impressive like surgery is, it’s impressive like running a marathon is. Now, everyone has seen a marathon and if you want to make a statement you either need to do it exceptionally well, or you need to dress up as a Rhino and deliver your message.

And if putting on a Shakespeare isn’t like running a marathon, then it’s really like trying to be prime minister or a member of parliament. I want to know ‘why you?’ What does the version of Lear say different from the last? What extra insight do you have into our contemporary world? What do you believe in? This production of King Lear was the Ed Miliband of Shakespeare: reliable, dependable, with the right words in the correct order but lacking that sense of purpose or timeliness.

James Eley’s production at the impressive Jack Studio Theatre isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination. The cuts to the script are sensible; the performances are credible, and the production tells the story. But this is all cone and no ice cream. It leaves an audience member wanting more and with their attention free to focus on minor defects of pace and accent. You will be sure you saw King Lear but not sure why.

Themes were suggested and hinted but never committed to. In the beginning, the play seemed to be set in a series of pubs with Lear and his daughters as landlords, and club owners waging a turf war. But then the ‘fool’ was more Commedia dell’arte, the fighting Tarantino and the soundtrack part classical and part brit pop. Edmund became Ada with lesbian relations, but nothing came of it. All good ideas but the question ‘why’ just swirls and swirls.

Lear isn’t a simple production, and between disguises and actors playing many parts, it’s easy to get lost. Our players did a reasonable job of telling the story and keeping it clear, although occasionally we got lost with some scenes delivered like the actors quickly needed to get to the end. The experience of Christopher Poke (Glouster) and Alan Booty (Lear) did shine as they slowed down and gave some timing to the scenes.

Ultimately this is not a bad show. Lear is long and challenging and complex and just getting through it is often enough as the text does so much. If you like Shakespeare then this is worth a shake. But if you’ve read King Lear, you know the rough story, and you’re looking for more then you might be disappointed. In the end, just like a politician, I would prefer a flawed play with something to say, rather than a polished production saying everything all at once.

YOU MATCHED WITH …

Pleasance Theatre

★★★★

“a light hearted exploration of the intersection between technology and intimacy”

YOU MATCHED WITH …

Pleasance Theatre

Reviewed on 27th November 2025

by Jessica Hayes

Photography by Miranda Shoots Photos

Previously reviewed at this venue:

YOU MATCHED WITH

YOU MATCHED WITH

YOU MATCHED WITH

Jack Studio Theatre

Reviewed – 21st March 2019

★★★

“the Ed Miliband of Shakespeare: reliable, dependable, with the right words in the correct order but lacking that sense of purpose or timeliness”

Reviewed by William Nash

Photography courtesy Yard Players

King Lear

Jack Studio Theatre until 30th March

Previously reviewed at this venue:

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