“We don't need to have a plan, let's run away until we fall out of love” – Dance with U by Staring in Spaces.
This is a love story and a falling out of love story, and it starts at the end. The signs are all there as Roz adds a painted name board to the meagre pile of belongings to be picked up by Dylan.
It’s all a bit awkward when he arrives but they are trying to be nice, limiting the chat to work and how they are doing while cautiously touching on the past.
This was no picture book relationship, it was something more real and now we flick through snapshots, jumping back and forth through numerous scenes as we piece together what brought them to this point.
What might have charted a wearying decline instead keeps the audience engaged as we bounce between their heady first meeting and date, to a tragic fate, ambitions, good and bad sex, karaoke disco, and ultimately onwards beyond the end of the relationship. It’s easy to be ambushed when you stop paying attention and when they stop talking, she pushes people away and he feels made the bad guy.
The writing and acting are naturalistic making the story and the characters believable and relatable to a point where they engender care for them even though we know the outcome. There will be few productions this Fringe that feel as real.
Elevated by its smart structure and superb performances it flips between humorous and poignant as it touches on universal themes, the impression we make on each other and being true to ourselves.
Somehow remaining romantic, this bittersweet debut production was undoubtedly a passion project, and it shows.
Show times: 2 to 24 (not 11) August 2024 at 7.30pm
Tickets: £10 (£8) (Family £6).
Suitability: 14+.