‘A comedic portrayal of the current dating scene’
Theatre has a rare gift when it manages to hold a mirror up to everyday life without ever feeling heavy-handed, and How to Date does exactly that. This immersive production tackles the delicate, messy, and often hilarious realities of modern relationships with a lightness of touch that keeps the audience engaged from the very first scene to the last.
At the heart of the play are Emily and her flatmate, two protagonists whose lives unfold before us in what feels like a genuine slice of modern existence. How to Date guides the audience through relationships, situationships, and everything in between, but what gives it real depth is how it uses all of that as a backdrop to explore something more universal: the very real challenges of friendship and interpersonal connection, especially when life gets hard. The play is not afraid to touch on broader frustrations that many young people face today, including the disheartening experience of entering the job market only to find that opportunities in one’s field of study are scarce. These quieter anxieties sit alongside the romantic and social storylines with surprising ease, adding a layer of authenticity that makes the characters feel fully rounded rather than simply vehicles for laughs.
The storytelling approach is refreshingly direct. Rather than relying on elaborate narrative devices, the production lets its characters speak plainly and honestly, and the audience responds to it. The use of lighting deserves a particular mention: it is intelligent and purposeful, seamlessly transitioning between spotlighting individual characters, simulating phone calls, and conveying text message exchanges in a way that feels natural rather than gimmicky. It is the kind of theatrical craft that enhances the story without ever stealing attention from it.
Equally worthy of praise is the script’s language. The use of contemporary youth slang gives the dialogue an authenticity that is rarely heard on stage. At moments, it felt less like watching a play and more like overhearing a real conversation on the street, a quality that is genuinely difficult to achieve, and which drew the audience in considerably.
The staging is cleverly conceived around three distinct areas: a bar, a coffee shop, and a home lounge complete with sofa, low table, and snacks, which together create a lived-in world that feels both specific and familiar. The costume design works in perfect harmony with this, reflecting each character’s personality with precision while also doing the practical work of signaling location and context. A dressing gown, for instance, does the job of an entire set piece in telling us exactly where we are.
As for the performances, Mia Rose Davson brings a compelling and well-rounded energy to her role, while Mike Aina demonstrates an impressive range and versatility throughout, adapting convincingly to the shifting tones the play demands.
Perhaps the greatest testament to How to Date is this: it was virtually impossible to zone out. The humor was not deployed in bursts to punctuate serious moments, but sustained consistently throughout, and the laughter it drew from the audience was frequent and genuine. It has been some time since a production managed to keep such a high proportion of the room laughing, so reliably, for so long.
How to Date is a warm, sharp, and smartly crafted piece of theater. It earns its laughs, earns its quieter moments, and leaves you thinking about the people in your own life long after play is over.
This show ran 3rd-4th June at Canada Water Theatre as part of Peckham Fringe Festival for the 40th anniversary of Peckham Theatre.