Misconception
At first glance, Bill Dare’s (Spitting Image) new comedy looks like a mediocre mid-life sitcom pitch aimed as much at conservative television commissioners as fringe audiences. The single, focal living room set facilitates the well-trodden comic ground of fertility, body clocks and turkey basters, with the obligatory best friend dragged in from the sidelines.
As the show progresses both script and actors warm up, with intelligent comic performances from Toby Longworth and Sian Reeves and occasional moves towards more serious territory. Louise’s plans to impregnate herself without her husband’s consent develop in counterplay to his own secret hopes, asking cautious questions about how long-term relationships are best navigated when individual dreams diverge.
Witty, well-acted and at times moving, this is a sharp script from a capable comic craftsman that will please crowds and commissioners alike. With a small push in the right direction, it could also be a cracking play.
– Will Young
