Relatable and familiar; goofy best-friend handshakes, turns at speed dating, and winning confrontations with the ex-girlfriend

Traversing the world of modern dating is a treacherous landscape; familiar to many, cringe inducing for more. One Year Itch covers one woman on that journey, a tale that includes chastity, temptation, games of Snooker and clandestine meetings with A-list actors. Andrew Phipps’ punchy new play, in short, provides an endearing and entertaining 75 minutes, set in west London’s cosiest theatre space.

Meet Tania. She loves her job, and she’s good at it. She’s up for a promotion that could be her dream role, if she could only prove herself and bypass her over-bearing colleagues. But a messy breakup and a string of poor dates with a range of terrifying women (ranking from weird to downright scary) has got her distracted. She vows to not have sex, even for a year if that’s what it takes to achieve her career goals. But has this invertedly cursed her sex life, for a whole 12 months?

Direction from Andrew Phipps (who also wrote the script) sees a dynamic and varied cast move effortlessly across Barons Court’s intimate stage. We easily follow the protagonist from awkward dates to phone calls with her best friend, each new scene punctuated with funky ensemble set changes. The cast dance as they move furniture and props on and off stage, accompanied by Cher poignantly asking if we ‘believe in life after love?’ and other romance-focussed pop bangers.

Anca Vaida as Tania provides a quirky and likeable protagonist, shining most with onstage best friend Iona McTaggart as Jayne. Their onstage friendship eventually warms into something genuinely sweet. If slightly cliché in parts, it’s certainly entertaining to watch. All cast members stand out in their own small way, working effortlessly as a core on stage and seemingly enjoying their time together. Stand out performances come from Jean Woollard as the prying and overwhelming mother of a potential new courtship, and Tizzy Kanouche as the passive aggressive colleague Betty.

At times, Phipps dialogue becomes predictable, spurring cast members into over-acting. However, this is redeemed in other parts through surprising and funny one liners and solid comedic timing from all cast members. Although scene changes are pleasant to watch, there are just a few too many by the end, the space between the action draining the essential energy and pace that the show begins to build. The overall feeling of the production is charming and at times certainly entertaining, if lacking punch due to the predictability: the goofy best-friend handshake, a turn at speed dating, the winning confrontation with the ex-girlfriend. But there’s something comforting and compelling about familiarity too.

For all your romance needs, Barons Court Theatre provides a cosy space and a good laugh in the feel-good story of One Year Itch, a perfect way to get the heart warmed up as the weather gets colder.