The Inappropriateness of Love By Paloma Kubiak | Theatre Review

Intimately showcased in the upper decks of an Islington theatre bar, The Inappropriateness of Love delves into the complexities of the emotion, capturing each character’s hope and struggle to love and be loved. 


Performed by Paradigm, a new London fringe repertory company, and written/directed by Sarah Pitard, the dark comedy explores the entangled relationships between six characters, linked together by the affable yet somewhat nerdy, Scooter.  

 

The plot is driven by Scooter’s compulsion to attend his old university friend’s wedding with a ‘plus one’, rather than face the embarrassment and reality of his impending loneliness.

 

As the story unfolds, the audience is invited to share Scooter’s experience of risk-taking and rejection when it comes to his therapist Jessica, the stilted relationship with his elderly mother and his ignorance of best friend Zoey’s feelings towards him.

 

In other serious scenes dealing with divorce, cheating and break-ups, the play is given a slight comedic uplift through outspoken, tarty receptionist Stephanie who’s dating senior manager, Darren (therapist Jessica’s ex-husband).

 

The audience warms to her character, perhaps because of her evident vulnerability and the one-night stand scene with Scooter also provides an awkward, yet funny combination.

 

In the same way Pitard wrote ‘there’s a little bit of me in all the characters’, I too was reminded of those first pangs of love for a professional figure, a doomed office romance and the tumultuous period with an older, divorced lover.

 

The Inapproriateness of Love exposes the vulnerability of the heart through thoroughly convincing acting and scenes.
For it’s premier performance this week, it’s well worth seeing at the Hen and Chickens Theatre till 29th September 2012.

www.paradigmtheatrecompany.co.uk

 

Paradigm Theatre Company presents The Inappropriateness of Love | Theatre

Paradigm Theatre Company presents

The Inappropriateness of Love

By Sarah E. Pitard

Directed by Cat Robey

Unrestricted View
Hen and Chickens Theatre
109 St. Pauls Road
N1 2NA
London

4th-29th September 2012

“Look… I, um… I had a good time with you…In fact, I had such a good time…that I’m inviting you to be my plus one to the wedding. What do you say? Come with me?”

The Show

The Inappropriateness of Love is a dark comedy about six interconnected people, trying to figure out who they are and where their place is in the game of love.

Scooter, a 30-year-old computer programmer, has recently received an invitation to a friend’s wedding. He really needs to find a date! Like a good son he occasionally calls on his mum for help, who is busy taking care of her husband with Alzheimer’s. There is also Zoey, Scooter’s best friend, an archaeologist on her way to Turkey to find some peace and quiet. Next there is Jessica, a therapist who is attempting to put her life together after a messy divorce with Darren. Darren is an older man, who doesn’t know who he is, or what or whom he wants. He is dating Stephanie, Scooter’s colleague, a naïve young woman looking for the perfect man.

The Inappropriateness of Love is Paradigm’s first full-length production, written by Paradigm’s Artistic Director, Sarah Pitard:

“…Pitard’s own piece of new writing, ‘3 X’s The Charm’… was a brilliant start to the evening and gave a great first taste of what Paradigm Theatre had to offer.” (*****Remote Goat, ‘3 X’s the Charm’, 2012)

2013 Off West End Award Nominated Director Cat Robey is a founding member of Paradigm, who previously co-founded LittleBerry Productions in 2011, a company committed to providing a platform for emerging talent and working with new writing. For Paradigm, Cat most recently directed 3 X’s the Charm and a scene from A Woman of No Importance…or Somewhat Little Importance Anyhow for Paradigm’s Evening of Words and Wine Benefit Show. Freelance, Cat most recently directed Award Nominated production Ondine at The White Bear Theatre, London. Press for Cat’s previous work includes:

“A play is only as good as its director, and Cat Robey must take a large amount of credit for this magical piece of theatre.” (Frost Magazine, ‘Ondine’, 2012)
“…Incredibly charming and engaging as a play, imaginative, surprising and, at times, profound; qualities which Cat Robey’s confident direction brings out.” (****Exeunt Magazine, ‘Ondine’, 2012)
“Cat Robey’s direction encouraged high stakes, and a gradual build towards a thoroughly gripping climax.” (Frost Magazine, ‘As Fate Would Have It…’ 2011)
“This taut drama… captures your attention from the outset. The chemistry between the actors is electric and the performances are remarkable.” (*****BroadwayBaby, ‘Feathers’, 2010)

The cast includes Jonathon West, Cheska Moon, Phoebe Batteson-Brown, Lee Lytle, and Gilly Daniels. Press for the cast includes:

“Phoebe Batteson-Brown drew my eyes whenever she was on stage and although her parts were small, they gave indications of a much larger potential.” (Frost Magazine, ‘Ondine’, 2012)

“Cheska Moon and Jonathan West were excellent in portraying the subtle changes between scenes and both brought vast amounts of charisma and comic timing to the roles.” (*****Remote Goat, ‘3X’s the Charm’, 2012)

“…In a cast full of testosterone, Cheska Moon gives an excellent manipulative and sexy performance as goth queen Tamora” (The Londonist, ‘Titus Andronicus’, 2010)

“Gilly Daniels as the nurse is an unstoppable force and accounts for at least three of
the strongest scenes in the production.” (The Times Colonist, ‘Romeo and Juliet’)

The Company

Created in January 2012, Paradigm Theatre Company is the only fringe repertory company in London. What that means is that besides producing four shows per season, we pull from the same body of actors, directors, and writers (our Artistic Associates) in order to produce each piece. We also have yearly season auditions where we bring in cast members from outside of Paradigm to provide a platform for emerging talent. The ethos behind this is that no member of the company will go more than a year without any artistic work, something that has become quite common for artists in the current economy.

The company produces four shows a year: three new writing pieces (one of which is an adaptation) and one classical play.

Paradigm recently produced a benefit show, staring Sylvia Syms, Annabel Leventon, and Dudley Sutton, to raise funds for the forthcoming season:

“A brilliant evening of entertainment with acting, directing and writing that displayed absolute class. The honourable ethos of offering a creative platform is simply not ambitious enough. This isn’t just a platform, it is a new and exciting theatre company that offers an opportunity for audiences to be thoroughly entertained.” (*****Remote Goat, A Night of Words and Wine Benefit Show, 2012)

More information and full company details, please visit: www.paradigmtheatrecompany.co.uk

To purchase tickets online for The Inappropriateness of Love, please visit:

http://www.unrestrictedview.co.uk/page/more-info.php?id=1265