Review: Thirty Six Questions, Pleasance Theatre

Love is often described as a chemical reaction, but how does it actually work and can it be measured? Dr Arthur Aron and Dr Elaine Aron’s 1997 ‘36 Questions’ study challenged the notions that falling in love is uncontrollable and that love is an emotion that cannot be forced or manufactured. It aimed to generate and measure closeness between two strangers, using progressively more intimate questions as its approach. Writer Flo Petrie has here concocted a two-hander in which a mysterious TV dating show pairs two soulmates (according to tests and algorithms), following Ant (Jack de Henin) and Pro (Petrie), as they answer a modified version of the original questions. 

In a white room, empty aside from two adjacent white camp beds and a red button atop a white stand, Ant, a confident Aussie, waits, practising his greetings aloud. Pro, fully trusting in the format, nervously enters. De Henin’s cocky Ant leads at first, with Pro confidently reciprocating the flirtation. It’s all going well until they press the button, propelling them back to their first meeting. The twist: Pro’s memory is wiped after each button press. The cycle continues hundreds of times until Ant breaks, resulting in another few button presses from Pro. It’s a painful cycle, but through Ant’s perseverance, they realise they must work together. 

Petrie’s choice of setting heightens the regular format of reality TV, leaning into dystopian themes of reality bending and time controlling technology. The room seems to be frozen in time, built for this purpose alone; the two have no need to sleep, eat or clean themselves, they cannot leave. It is quite clear that Petrie was heavily inspired by Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror with its dark, insightful takes on tech and humanity’s inevitable enmeshment with it. The concept that reality TV could become more insidious than it already is is scary. After all, the contestants are entertainment; their emotional distress is integral to the format. But this is a new height of exploitation. 

Tender direction from Oli Bates benefits Petrie’s character-driven dialogue greatly, with lovely spatial choices throughout, especially in moments of conflict between Pro and Ant. The overall vision could be more abstract, in keeping with the off-kilter premise; blackouts for the time rewinds and montage-like interludes set to background music, (the actors mime conversation while the questions are projected onto the back wall) are effective at first but eventually feel a little clunky. The way in which the 36 questions are incorporated is inventive, but pacing slows down significantly in the second half. 

Ant and Pro gradually bond, Petrie and de Henin’s chemistry strong enough to carry the physically intimate and emotional scenes. Both performers nail the tension and conflict, invading each other’s personal space, pushing boundaries. Petrie’s portrayal of Pro’s childhood and religious trauma is especially moving. More facets of her personality are revealed through each first meeting: her low self-esteem palpable, she just wants to be loved and understood. Ant, at first stalking around like a hungry lion, is more interested in fame. His bravado melts away after meeting Pro hundreds of times and learning from his (many, many) mistakes. He nearly loses his mind, with the reality of this weighing on him. Ant’s own childhood trauma also comes up in moments acted authentically by de Henin. 

Petrie’s commentary on reality dating, connection and love are here presented thoughtfully, although the characters do feel a little predictable, and there are some general pacing issues. The show’s conclusion is also very convenient. This is nonetheless a fun 65 minutes of theatre, evoking reflections on love – how love is actually hard work and is very much a choice.

Directed by Oli Bates
Written by Flo Petrie
Videography by Blackfish Productions
Produced by Oneness Productions/ Flo Petrie

Thirty Six Questions has finished its run at the Pleasance Theatre.