finding true love has never been so funny
Charlie Mulliner’s Amber is in a spin – Rob, her boyfriend of 10 years has just walked out, saying they want different things. She’s caught the bouquet at 37 weddings and he thinks he’s being trapped. She doesn’t mind administering her own epi-pen when he constantly forgets her shellfish allergy, and she doesn’t need silly little things like conversation or compliments or for him to do laundry, what more can he want?
In a beautifully crafted hour, we spiral with Amber through her relationship revelations, interspersed with meticulous video montages that segue into various supporting characters – including a sin-obsessed nun, a bootcamp trainer, a lonely star, a lyric-spitting Greek goddess, and a call from a friend about an upcoming couples holiday. The sheer volume of content in this show is outstanding, and the surreal asides keep this original and unpredictable. Through employing some obliging crowd members, we have an impromptu throwback to 90’s TV classic Blind Date (fun, but was quite long in today’s show), and Amber dabbles in dating apps, before reaching a conclusion about her life. It’s hysterically funny, whilst bringing a touch of pathos to Amber, to keep just the right balance.
The script is gag-packed, and each character has its own distinct personality (and accent), whilst retaining a cohesive narrative. Amber’s naive Home Counties non-sequitars are pitch-perfect – there’s a gorgeous line about laundry habits which brought the house down.. The lines are delivered at such a frenetic pace that there’s occasionally no time for the punchlines to fully land before we’re on to the next.
The costuming and choreography of changes is incredibly impressive. Such are the quirks of Edinburgh venues in the Fringe, there’s no neat off-stage area for Charlie to step aside – the costume changes for each change of character involve sprinting up a flight of steps, through the audience, in pitch black, before making the return journey at similar speed. Hugely commendable effort, and pays off beautifully.
Love Hunt is a fun-filled, fast-paced and deeply entertaining show. It’s on just after midday, so perfect for early show-goers, but it will likely be the funniest show you see all day.
Charlie Mulliner’s Love Hunt runs until 24 August, at 12:10pm at Just the Tonic @ The Caves. Tickets can be bought from: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/love-hunt