The Bad Daters – Bewley’s Cafe Theatre – Review
by Frank L
The Bad Daters – written and directed by Derek Murphy
Dates – February 4th – 22nd, 2025
Through a dating website, Wendy (Georgina McKevitt) and Liam (Brian Gallagher) have agreed to meet in a park. Wendy recently widowed has come prepared for all eventualities which includes a pepper spray. She has only agreed to the encounter because her bossy sister has told her she needs to get out and about. She is waiting but occupies herself with a disinfectant spray which she uses on anything she might come into contact with, including her mobile. Liam arrives having walked through the audience enquiring of various women are they Wendy but eventually he arrives on stage.
In clipped tones, she asks questions. It transpires he has been on the website for 12 years since his wife died by her own hand and left a brief suicide note on his pillow. She is highly critical of his speech patterns and uses four-lettered words at will in her short staccato sentences. She speaks almost like a Dalek in Doctor Who. Against all the odds eventually, they manage to go to bed in a splendidly unromantic encounter which is matched by their post-coital clinical discussion of the unamorous episode.
McKevitt and Gallagher with their perfect timing and deadpan voices celebrate the absurdity of their having a romantic encounter. However, dating websites allow individuals immense scope in describing their past. Both of them are on the surface unpromising material for a romantic encounter.
But yet for 50 minutes, they create a world of quickfire monotone conversation which awakens something deep inside both of them. The title of the piece in fact encompasses it accurately. McKevitt and Gallagher deliver Murphy’s script flawlessly and the result is an audience enveloped in laughter. It is an unlikely piece of theatre but a fine one.
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Derek Murphy
PERFORMED BY: Brian Gallagher & Georgina McKevitt
PRODUCED BY: Melissa Nolan
SET DESIGN: Marie Tierney
LIGHTING DESIGN: Conleth White
SOUND DESIGN: Megan Murphy
STAGE MANAGEMENT: Marella Boschi
PHOTOGRAPHY: Al Craig
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Gavin Doyle
Categories: Header, Theatre, Theatre Review
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