SUNSETS at the Seven Dials Playhouse

★★

“Grier is full of energy, and her performance should bring a drive to the piece”

There are some great ideas in this one-woman deep dive through rom com history, but it loses itself in an increasingly elaborate plot tangle.

We’re welcomed to a live recording of the final episode of a beloved podcast. The podcast is a real-life rom com, each episode following the familiar structure of the genre (there’s a meet cute, a turning point, etc.) The show recaps the podcast series, mixing ‘exclusive live content’ with reminders about the previous episodes. It also explains the slightly convoluted backstory of the podcast, involving a meddling boss wanting to create fresh advertising content for a bus company.

The play is the brainchild of writer/performer Georgie Grier, and producer/director Grace O’Keefe. As is sometimes the case though, with a very small team, it feels like a lot of ideas have been thrown about, and very few have been edited out.

Grier is full of energy, and her performance should bring a drive to the piece, but it is weighed down by its own referential nature. Made all the more obvious by constantly nodding to rom com structure, the play’s own structure is increasingly meandering.

A lot of this is down to Grier’s script. It’s a bit overwritten, and while there are some really funny lines, they often don’t quite land. It references other scripts a lot, often not to its benefit. The character’s intentional awkwardness doesn’t set the audience at ease, and it’s hard to know what we’re rooting for. There’s also an eye rolling twist which undercuts a lot of the character work and makes the story feel stilted and undeveloped. It feels like an easy attempt at an ending, rather than one which feels true to the soul of the show.

“This show has sweet and funny moments,”

However, the soul of the show is sweet. A girl so obsessed with rom coms that she tries to force one for herself. Even though she secretly knows it lacks that rom com ‘sparkle’. If the show had spent more time delving into the character’s development, without as many over explained references, and past podcast episodes, it might have been a lot stronger. Sometimes when something is simpler, it can be more powerful.

This would give a chance for Grier to shine more. Dipping between comedy and the darker scenes she shows incredible range and an admirable stage presence.

The set is simple, a bench, which Grier uses to whip out some physical comedy and impressions. A podcast staple – a side table with jug of water and glasses. And the carol singers sign from Love Actually. There’s also a PowerPoint AV which at times is a strong way to keep the momentum going, or note a rom com reference, but is often a little distracting.

This show has sweet and funny moments, but it is a bit confused and tied up in too much plotting, and too many references.

SUNSETS at the Seven Dials Playhouse

Reviewed on 21st September 2023

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography courtesy Georgie Grier

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Steve | ★★★★ | February 2022

Sunsets

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