YOU MATCHED WITH …
Pleasance Theatre
★★★★
“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.
YOU MATCHED WITH …
Pleasance Theatre
Reviewed on 27th November 2025
by Jessica Hayes
Photography by Miranda Shoots Photos
Previously reviewed at this venue:
WICKED WITCHES: A POPULAR PANTO FOR ADULTS! | ★★★★★ | November 2025
MISTERO BUFFO | ★★★★ | September 2025
THE LAST INCEL | ★★★ | May 2025
THE SIMPLE LIFE & DEATH | ★★★★★ | November 2024
16 POSTCARDS | ★★★ | October 2024
GIRLS REALLY LISTEN TO ME | ★★★★ | May 2024
