@ C Nova, Edinburgh, until Mon 31 Aug 2015 @ 18:40
Swipe Right Theatre re-examine the dating world in their 90s pop musical 2 Become 1 by time-travelling back to the era defined by the Spice Girls – when girl power meant following the religion of Cosmopolitan, and a time without Tinder and the ability to instantly judge someone and swipe left or right. But how much of a connection can you have with someone online, and isn’t dating about who you are, not what you do?
Jess (Natasha Granger) lies by the phone in her dressing gown and Mickey Mouse slippers crying because she can’t get over her ex. Luckily, her three best friends think the best way to get over him would be to… get under someone go speed dating. As she breaks into All Saints‘ Never Ever and gets her best scrunchie and platforms at the ready, we are set for an infectiously funny evening of Mr Wrongs, and finding Mr Right, who may be in the audience (sitting next to his wife). “Cause tonight is the night when 2 become 1…”
These are four stereotypical girls: Jess (the heartbroken one), Molly (the senseless one) played by Kerrie Thomason, who is all about facial expressions and one liners, Bethany Black as the ditzy and fun Amanda (the desperate to get married one), and, missing a little girl power, Eliza Hewitt-Jones as Charlie (the flirty one), who doesn’t stand for being objectified but degrades herself for men.
Seamlessly woven into their dates are renditions of popular hits from Britney, Steps, B*Witched and everyone you remember. It’s topped off with some sexy gyrating and dance mat moves, all making you nostalgic for the hairbrush-in-hand bedroom routines you made growing up. The cast are all unexpectedly talented singers; you can’t help singing along, and may also find yourself on stage doing the Saturday night routine.
It’s such a simple but hilarious idea that really works. Surely every girl who grew up in the 90s wishes they came up with the script themselves. However, it certainly isn’t purely recommended for that generation, and it’s not just about girl power (although perhaps the men in the audience were dragged along!) Shouldn’t we all be glad writers Granger and Thomason made an excuse to cram in all of the cringey hits (shamefully still on your ipod) into 50 minutes?