EDINBURGH 2023: Review: I LOVE YOU, NOW WHAT?, Pleasance Courtyard

A napkin with the writing “You might need this” welcomes punters to their seats. A man is sitting on the piano, pensive and seemingly waiting for something, when Theo crashes into his daughter at a party. What ensues is a formulaic romantic comedy set against the battle against cancer.

After their meet-cute on bonfire night, Ava and Theo embark on a potboiler story with an obvious plot. Her playful pride finds fertile soil in his nonchalant affection; both awkward in the same ways and with a penchant for incredibly lame jokes, they’re made for one another.

Sophie Craig examines love and grief, refusal to let go, and the ultimate acceptance that has to come. Unchallenging but effective comic bits lighten up a flimsy piece while director Toby Clarke attempts to add allegory with a piano that becomes central to the visuals of the project.

All in all, it’s not a great play, but it’s also not a particularly bad one either. It’s tentatively poetic but commonplace, with a dash of humdrum personal reflection in the mix. Jealousy, love, pain, bereavement; it’s a to-do list of life.

I Love You, Now What? runs at the Pleasance Courtyard on the following dates: 10-13, 15-20, 22-28 August.

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