There’s truly no one-size-fits-all when it comes to romance, but nothing says “it’s complicated” like the American musical Love Quirks, freshly adapted for a UK audience.
Abandoned by his cheating fiancée, quintessential American Chris (Tom Newland) moves into a shared London flat thanks to Ryan (Lewis Bear Brown), the show’s hilarious ‘gay best friend’. Preppy nurse Steph (Clodagh Greene) and gender theory student Lili (Ayesha Patel) live there too.
Ayesha Patel as Lily in the new London musical Love Quirks. Credit: Anna Clare Photography
The four know each other well, some “better” than others, but they are all endeavouring to move on to bigger and brighter things as the disappointment of their respective love lives looms large. The group’s story is one of romance, friendship, and an appropriate amount of self-reflection. It is relatively predictable, but when has that ever deterred an audience?
The studio stage is small and the room is intimate at The Other Palace theatre in London city centre. Belting tracks and fast-paced dialogue keep us on our toes.
Not only are the songs well written and relatively catchy, but the cast does them all a great service with pitch-perfect singing from a range of voices.
With entertaining tracks about queerness and damned ‘Straight Boys’ – sung by Ryan – and Lili’s ode to the single life in ‘I’d Rather Take a Nap’, we had no choice but to laugh loudly and often. The singing at times feels too much for the small studio space, but the issue isn’t persistent and is outweighed by appropriately amusing choreography.
Lewis Bear Brown as Ryan in Love Quirks. Credit: Anna Clare Photography
At some points, the story slowed, and the development of Ryan and Lili’s stories petered out to focus on the seeming protagonists, Chris and Steph. But happy endings are secured for all, one way or another, and audience members leave feeling sated, having absorbed the electric energy that had poured into the room for the last two hours.
Adapted from the original American script, there was a lot of room for error. But with careful consideration by composer Seth Bisen-Hersh, writer Mark Childers and Director Cecilie Fray, the new British production hits all the right notes, even with a commendable nod to the iconic rival teams Arsenal and Tottenham.
Director Cecilie Fray says the adaptation from the original musical, first performed in New York in 2020, was hard won by her committed colleagues Bisen-Hersh and Childers, who were able to retain the “heart of the show’s American influences” whilst honouring its new setting.
“We kept the character of Chris from New York, while the rest of the characters are now rooted in London,” Fray said. “We added football references and anglicised the language, but ultimately, the experiences of love and friendships are universal.”
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