Swiping Right explores whether romantic relationships can bridge opposing political views, blending recorded interviews and theatrical storytelling.
Is it possible to date someone who has opposing political views? This is the question that underlines Sophie Anna Veelenturf’s Swiping Right, a show that pulls on her dating experiences with right-wing men. As a staunch leftist, Sophie Anna begins to wonder why she is drawn to men with right-wing views and whether relationships can last in those polarizing circumstances.
The project began with interviewing her exes about their time together, before she moved on to a wider range of interviewees. In Swiping Right, Sophie Anna’s interviews are played to the audience as she re-enacts each scene interspersed with moments of breaking the fourth wall and chanting political slogans.
Swiping Right is underlined by a really interesting concept with well-executed interviews that highlight her strong journalistic instincts. Sadly, the conversations with her ex-boyfriends, which were the main focus of the piece, did not provide as much depth as the other interviewees who gave some fascinating insights that brought up intersecting areas of discussion such as race and class.
The transitions between scenes worked well, especially with the mixture of costumes and props, and Sophie Anna gave a convincing performance. This was a well thought out premise with some truly captivating moments. With tighter editing, this show could reach incredible heights.
Swiping Right is at the Edinburgh Fringe until 24th August at ZOO Southside. Buy your tickets here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/swiping-right