Everything Theatre Reviews, interviews and news for theatre lovers, London and beyond
Sadie Clark is brutally honest and outrageously funny about the woes of modern dating in this one-woman show. Summary
Rating
Excellent
In front of a gold tinsel curtain, Sadie Clark stands as Brooke, a soon to be 30-year-old algorithm writer for a dating app. Her girlfriend has just broken up with her, she’s just lost her job, and despite having lots of friends, she feels lonely. Plenty of people can relate to this, and judging by the audience’s response, it strongly resonated with a lot of them.
Brooke describes her dating life via asides and acts out conversations that she’s recently experienced. Through this, we get to meet her overbearing mother, who constantly comments on her weight; her exes, who are unkind to her; and her boss, who is snooty and unbearable.
Although various accents help distinguish different characters, what makes the switches work so well is the change in lighting, designed by Jennifer Rose, and the sound, designed by Nicola T. Chang.
We soon learn that Brooke’s mother is organising her wedding anniversary party on the same day as Brooke’s thirtieth birthday. In the weeks leading up to it, Brooke goes on as many dates as she can, hoping to find someone to bring along to the celebration. She has signed up to the dating app she writes the algorithms for, incorporating her own layer of insurance in her search: compiling potential dates into a spreadsheet where she ranks them based on essential data, such as whether they like cheese or not.
Clark uses Park Theatre’s Park90 space well. The stage is mainly empty except for golden boxes and a clothes rail hanger with two dresses hung up. The rail is used for the predictable shopping scene – a segment that is always featured in any Rom Com with a critical mother. Yet, what is refreshing is Brooke’s acknowledgement of feeling hypocritical – she wants to support body positivity but can’t accept herself.
It’s through moments of honest introspection that make the piece excel. Clark humorously embodies the common experience of many young people, from stalking exes on Instagram and Facebook, to worrying about being left on read and analysing messages from someone who has ghosted them. Dating in the modern world is tough, especially with the added pressures of social media, and Clark captures this well.
There isn’t really a conclusion for this one-woman show, mirroring life’s lack of neat resolutions. But ending in martini pyjamas whilst singing Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” is definitely fitting.
Written by: Sadie Clark
Directed by: Madelaine Moore
Produced by: Wildpark Entertainment
Sound design by: Nicola T. Chang
Lighting design by: Jennifer Rose
Dramaturgs: Jules Hayworth & Molly Naylor
Stage Manager: Josie Shipp
Algorithms plays at The Park Theatre until 11th May. Further information and booking can be found here.
