Theatre Review: My Romantic History

Red Stitch's My Romantic History, July 13 - August 13

I knew when a fluffy ginger cat bolted through the open door at Red Stitch theatre, padded along the hallway and leapt onstage before the start of My Romantic History, this was going to be a fun night. The runaway cat was a fitting curtain-raiser for this agile, fast-paced and highly entertaining production of Scottish playwright D.C Jackson's award-winning play. We all have memories of the painful crushes of our high school days, but not many of us admit to carrying them well into our adult years. My Romantic History gives us two instantly recognizable characters in Tom (Tim Potter) and Amy ( Zoe Boesen), who show us the cringe-worthy kisses, one-night stands and mis-matched relationships that remain hidden in people's lives. Tom gets the play rolling when he declares that if you haven't got married by the time you finish school, you'll be stuck with some guy or girl from work. The play jumps back and forth from Amy and Tom's school years, to their awkward office relationship, revealing how those lusts and longings forged at school or uni can stifle a person's chances for happiness in the present. The third actor Ngaire Dawn Fair, a gifted comedienne, helps propel the story from past to present, filling the stage with a variety of characters with an arch of her eyebrow or the flick of her hip. All three actors are amazing, full of energy and displaying no hesitation in throwing their characters into unflattering situations. It is at Tom and Amy's desperate moments that the show is at it's funniest and most poignant. The cast is supported by a clever set consisting of three toilet cubicles that double as partitioned office desks, or seats on a school bus or any number of scenarios that the play calls for. The cast could transform behind each cubicle before flinging the doors open once again to expose the funny, vulnerable and very human characters inside.

There is a lot to love about this production of My Romantic History, directed by Red Stitch artistic director David Whiteley.