The Bad Daters & The Good Cheaters – Viking Theatre – Review
by Frank L

Dates: Mon 8 Apr 2024 Sat 20 Apr 2024

The Bad Daters and the Good Cheaters – written by Derek Murphy

It’s a double bill at the Viking Theatre, with two short plays by Derek Murphy, each lasting forty-five minutes. Both plays have the same cast, with Sarah Lafferty & Brian Gallagher starring.

First up is The Bad Daters which is set in a public park. Wendy has been forced into an online date by her sister. She is the first to arrive and shows signs of neuroticism as she cleans her hands obsessively with a disinfectant spray. When Liam arrives she is critical of his various nervous habits of speech. Notwithstanding the lack of romance and despite their barbed exchanges they continue to meet.

In The Good Cheaters, we have Paddy and Phyllis living on the same road as Betty, who is recently widowed.  The action is centred on Phyllis and Paddy’s front room which has a view of Betty’s house.

Phyllis is convinced that Paddy is having an affair with Betty and his actions only increase her suspicions. Betty does not appear on stage but is mentioned throughout.  As the plot unfolds, it transpires that more has been happening on this quiet suburban road than the neighbours might have suspected.

Between the two plays, there is a substantial scene change so the stage for the Good Cheaters is transformed into a suburban front room suitably furnished with a sofa, a small dining table, two chairs and an upright sideboard. It contains an appropriate level of clutter.

Of the two pieces, The Good Cheaters is by far the most striking. Both Paddy and Phyllis have rounded characters to play who reek of normality. Both Sara Lafferty and Brian Gallagher get to grips with the characters of Phyllis and Paddy. From the very start, they are on the verge of a first-rate row which eventually erupts.  They both have good lines to hurl at each other as Phyllis’s suspicions increase. And then everything changes…

In The Bad Daters Liam and Wendy are each so fractured it is almost impossible for their relationship to develop. The fact that it does to an extent seems at all times somewhat improbable. Of course, it is important to remember that improbability is no stranger to the world of theatre but that said the Bad Daters does stretch it.

Double bills are a relatively rare occurrence on stage in Dublin. Lafferty and Gallagher are effective foils for each other in both pieces. The two together make for a worthwhile evening and it is interesting to compare and contrast the two plays and characters. Now that the evenings are remaining bright for longer there is no excuse not to make a trip to the Viking in Clontarf. You will be rewarded.

Written & Directed by Derek Murphy
Performed by Sarah Lafferty & Brian Gallagher