Review: We’ll Always Have Paris, Union Theatre

Since coming to London at the start of 2024, Bespoke Plays has presented work from its contingent of Los Angeles partners. Which has been great, offering some very unique scripts. However, it feels right that as they enter their second year they start to look closer to home. This brings us nicely to We’ll Always Have Paris, because writer Paul Kalburgi is very much from these shores.

Being local in no way means a reduction in quality. Much like all previous Bespoke work the writing is front and centre, performed as it is with script in hand. There’s also a sprinkling of something special that surely comes from director Mimi Collins, who finds ways to make us forget those scripts, and despite little in the way of set or costume still makes it feel near enough a full production.

Kalburgi’s play is one about grief and how we cope. Ginny, 40-something and working a low paid job as a cinema usher, is the one grieving, having lost the love of her life, Ollie, the previous year. Determined to finally move on with things, she starts exploring the rather hit and miss world of online dating where she ‘meets’ Seb, a Parisian who seems too good to be real. But the question is whether Ginny is ready to take a risk and move on, and whether Seb really is the one who can help her achieve that.

The script absolutely zings. It’s full of a beautiful charm and soft humour that means we never pity Ginny; rather we hope that life works out for her. There’s some clever play with the five stages of grief – something that could perhaps be made more obvious in any future reworking. It’s also littered with Easter eggs for classic film lovers, with the whole play literally performed to a backdrop of classic 50s romance films. There’s also a nice juxtaposition between these classic film references and the modern world of online dating, with Ginny clearly more a fan of the former but reluctantly embracing the latter.

The magic of the text, though, deserves performers who can bring it to life, even with scripts in hand. Supporting cast Malcolm Jeffries and Sally Vanderpump assist greatly in that, playing a multitude of characters. There’s lots of fun to be had as Jeffries take on various online personas of potential dates, with all their quirks and unusual fetishes! Cindy Evans as the narrator (I am convinced more shows need a narrator) further complements the performers, even adding a few lovely small touches as she helps remind them where they are at times.

But it’s Lisa Depuis who completely steals the show as Ginny. She plays her with a dry stoic humour, perfectly portraying a woman still not over the loss of a man she hoped to spend the rest of her life with and shocked at what she encounters as she attempts to re-enter the dating scene.

Gabriel Burns adds another dimension to it all with his lighting and sound. There’s an effective use of spotlights to highlight the online dialogues, and the simple act of turning a light out is all we need to understand that the conversation has come to an end, often rather abruptly!

As with all Bespoke work, these staged readings really do make you focus on the words more than anything else. We’ll Always Have Paris is another great addition to their growing London catalogue. It’s witty, thoughtful and absolutely charming, and already feeling like it’s ready to make the move to a full production sooner rather than later.  

Written by: Paul Kalburgi
Directed by: Mimi Collins
Produced by: Bespoke Plays
Sound and lighting design by: Gabriel Burns

We’ll Always Have Paris has completed its current run.