Lovestuck - Stratford East

A few blockages away from being great

Photography - Mark Senior

★★★☆☆

Back in 2017, the worst date ever occurred. During a first date, a woman, having accompanied her date back to his flat, found herself in a sh*tty situation. She desperately needed the toilet, but when her number two failed to flush, she panicked, wrapped up the deposit in loo roll, and hurled it out of the seemingly open window. Alas, her date’s flat was a bit quirky and had a second window, and her number two was now stuck between the panes. Crap. To salvage the situation, she clambered up to the window and attempted to retrieve the mess, but whilst manoeuvring herself through the narrow gap, she got stuck - with just her faeces for company. How was she going to explain this to her date, and could her self-confidence ever recover? This is what Lovestuck is all about.

As two of the three My Dad Wrote a Porno trio, book writer of this musical James Cooper and director Jamie Morton are no strangers to topics involving bodily functions and questionable scenarios and here they once again embrace each thoroughly. Depositing the infamous first date into the realms of playful fiction Cooper has extrapolated the story to imagine the events that led to an incident like this and the repercussions afterwards. The script is funny and inviting, mostly nailing what it sets out to be. It leans on amusing romcom tropes and avoids being too superficial but equally doesn’t attempt to penetrate too far into the characters - this is a light-hearted musical after all. There could be some reworking to remove the feeling of filler in certain moments, particularly in act two but the show is undeniably a delight.

Bringing the score to the show are triple platinum singer, songwriter and performer Bryn Christopher and composer Martin Batchelar. Drawing on a millennial vibe of noughties anthems and ballads, this is not the most intricate musical score but it perfectly sets the tone for the comical chaos that unfurls. There are some nicely gratifying numbers spread throughout, a personal favourite being Underneath, a song Peter sings, accompanied by his estate agent, as he imagines the potential of his new, unusual flat - oh if you only knew Peter. Another memorable one is the titular song Lovestuck, a synth supported number as we hear Lucy and Peter complain about the terrible dates they’ve been on so far, it is catchy enough that I was still humming it on the DLR afterwards.

Following an injury during rehearsals the advertised leading lady, Jessica Boshier, is sadly unable to perform for the time being, so Ambra Caserotti has stepped up to the plate and does a sterling job as the plucky Lucy. Plagued with self doubt as she navigates her early thirties, her insecurities manifest themselves in the entirely unhelpful form of the character Miseraie, performed brilliantly by Bridgette Amofah. Her main advice is to give up and become a cat lady - cue dance number with the ensemble dressed as cats - incredible. Caserotti more than delivers and sings her heart out in the handful of ballads that Lucy is assigned, capturing a recognisable yearning to be seen and loved. As the other half of our couple Shane O’Riordan plays Peter with whimsical charm and kind, powered on by a gentle innocence that perfectly blends with this unbelievable story. O’Riordan is a talent to watch out for.

For me this musical is full of brilliantly crafted moments and numbers but for every joke that lands another falls short, for every great song there is a forgettable one and the pacing and enjoyment slacks as a result. It feels like a preliminary draft of a musical that could be something but needs a plunger to reinvigorate it and release it from the u-bend. It reminds me of Marlow and Moss’s Why Am I So Single, in that it glistens with potential and a strong foundation but hasn’t quite worked out how to deliver the full package. Lovestruck remains a great night out however, with a stellar cast and design and I hope to see it evolve and fulfil it’s obvious potential.

Running until 12th July - Tickets

Photography - Mark Senior