Hannah Hamilton
A sweet romance between light and shadow. Rowan is a composer struggling to finish a musical they started writing for their first love. She meets, by chance of an electrical blackout, her neighbour Charlie who is searching for a match. Serendipity reigns as the two find there is indeed a spark between them, and it could be what Rowan needs to complete her composition.
It is a play of opposites, one woman is reserved and inexperienced in love, whilst the other is forthright and has been in love several times before. The show rather beautifully depicts their relationship as it develops through shadow puppetry and gorgeous choreography. Communication and connection are the central complexities: the solution and the struggle.
Where Rowan struggles with inspiration, Charlie appears to strike something new. Initially Rowan is hesitant to let this new person into their life and into their art, but Charlie is a vibrant force and finds a way in. The dialogue is very natural, easily charming, and lovingly supported by lithe lyricism. It’s a tender struggle between two quite different personalities, both held back by a relatable anxiety: what happens if this doesn’t work?
As Charlie disappears from centre stage to be projected as a shadow onto the back drop, her visage becomes dream-like. She is an unattainable idea behind the curtain, like the characters in Rowan’s musical, that the composer watches with longing. The two discuss what love is, and whether it can be found ‘at first sight’.
Ironically placed in darkness, they test this theory, finding each other without ever seeing one another clearly. A romantic and a pragmatic approach to love. The difficulty is in making this figure real, making the connection real by finding each other in the light rather than the shadow. It is a feat of great courage to come together.
Using shadow to drive the narrative metaphor is a delightful technical device. This was a beautifully directed piece, evoking a sense of surrealism and magic within Charlie and Rowan’s interactions. The text is a very classic romance, but it does have a modern effect, a natural progression, and there are perfectly timed moments of comedy. Our two lovers-to-be are performed wonderfully, they create great chemistry between their banter and song.
Whilst A Perfect Match is lovely, it is not necessarily treading new water. The characters seem to repeat their conclusions somewhat, and their final struggle as Charlie asks Rowan on a date escalates and de-escalates quite quickly. Although Rowan talks about the possibility of an un-happy ending, there doesn’t seem to be any real stakes in the argument, it is unlikely that this would end in an unsatisfying manner.
Still, it’s a lovely show and the aesthetic beauty of the stagecraft is well worth viewing. A heartwarming and tender story, gorgeously performed.
Recommended drink: Hot chocolate, the ultimate comfort drink.
Catch The Perfect Match at Space 1 at theSpace on the Mile from 17-22 August at 14.35 (50 mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.
Freddie Haberfellner
Bethany Ramsay
Salvador Kent
