LOLyamorous: A Speed-Dating Comedy Show
Venue: Coco Boho, George Street
Date: Wednesday 12th August
Reviewed by: Eileen Inglis
★★★★★ 5/5
Warm, funny and surprisingly thoughtful, this live dating show proves that real people are often much more entertaining than anything you could script.
“Who’s single? Who’s in a relationship?”
Host James Regal is warming up the audience at the LOLyamorous Speed-Dating Comedy Show when one young woman volunteers to tell us about her “relationship”.
Except, it turns out, she hasn’t actually been on a date with the guy in question. He’s been her best friend for a year, they’ve agreed when they’re going to become exclusive, and somewhere along the way, she’s also been dating his best friend.
We’re only a few minutes in and the audience is already laughing.
It’s a pretty good start to a show which relies on the fact that real people’s dating lives are often much funnier and stranger than anything you could make up.
Three pairs of strangers are picked randomly from a box of names – don’t panic, they’ve all volunteered – and given two minutes to get to know each other on stage, helped along by a choice of “deep” or “spicy” questions. Afterwards, James and his guests – on our night, somatic sexologist Emily King and New York comedian Sophia Mae – join the conversation.
The format has the potential to be excruciating, but James makes it clear from the start that nobody is here to be made fun of. He’s genuinely curious about the people taking part, asking about their lives, dating experiences and what they’re looking for in a partner.
And the dates couldn’t be more different. One was really awkward, another had instant chemistry, while the third pair quickly realised they weren’t romantically interested in each other but bonded over some spectacularly unsuccessful dating stories – including one memorable date with a woman who talked about herself in the third person.
The biggest laughs came from an American woman from Nashville and a younger Irish architect. When the American announced she was a serious foodie, her date replied that she wasn’t – she mostly survives on toast. Before long, they’d planned an imaginary romantic weekend in a Highland Airbnb overlooking the Munros, complete with plenty of bread and butter.
That’s what makes LOLyamorous work. The humour comes from the unpredictability of putting two strangers together, but nobody becomes the punchline. Emily and Sophia add both humour and insight, and James holds everything together with warmth and genuine curiosity.
As part of the Free Fringe, you could go more than once and see a completely different show every time. I laughed a lot. And yes, I’m going again!
★★★★★
