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Barbara Loots
AN UNROMANTIC COMEDY, written by Rosalind Butler and directed by Craig Freimond, is a light-hearted three-hander about 30-somethings navigating relationship expectations. It is onstage at the Baxter Theatre’s Studio, for a short run, until 15 February 2025.
It feels like it was written by someone who really liked sitcoms in the style of Friends. I was sitting there in the theatre, giggling away while waiting for any hint of a statement in the realm of “We Were On A BREAK!”. Taking that Friends analogy further, AN UNROMANTIC COMEDY is basically a humorous unpacking of whether Jason (Lyle October) is the Lobster of ex-fiancé Robin (Tamzin Williams) or of his maybe-not-so-ex lover Nonhle (Awethu Hleli)… or in fact whether he is meant to be anyone’s Lobster at all.
This is all explored in a chaotic scenario where Jason, at the centre of the apparent love triangle, invites his ex-fiancé to dinner (because he doesn’t save WhatsApp numbers by name –a slightly ridiculous premise) instead of the initial mystery girl he would like to impress with his “world famous” chicken alfredo. All of the antics take place in a loft apartment, deftly designed and styled by Kieran McGregor.
AN UNROMANTIC COMEDY is promoted as hilarious, but I’d rather describe it as light-hearted, chuckle-inducing fun. For me hilarious implies side-splitting laughter that leaves my cheeks hurting by the end. I do admit that comedy does land differently for everyone, and other audience members appeared to be in stitches all the way through. My experience of AN UNROMANTIC COMEDY was that of a very merry romp: I giggled throughout at the amusing escapades of the characters, which left me exiting the theatre feeling relaxed and thoroughly entertained.
The play unapologetically leans into gender stereotypes: the hound-dog guy who prioritises sex above all else, the girl who just wants to pop out babies and is panicky because her biological clock is ticking, and the best friend who is labelled a nymphomaniac because she is empowered enough to know (and get) what she wants, and isn’t afraid to call bullsh*t when she needs to. With that you have all the elements of a sitcom style theatre production.
That isn’t a bad thing. Now and then, everyone spends a night on the couch flicking through Netflix, not in the mood for a drama or true crime story, and searching for something light and fluffy, the type of entertainment that helps you decompress after a heavy week of adulting. That type of fluffy is what AN UNROMANTIC COMEDY offers, and in being just that it was a true tonic seeing it on a Friday night after a demanding week.
Yes, there’s a tender moment towards the end where the play implies that some character development may have taken place, but nothing to the level that it would push AN UNROMANTIC COMEDY into the realm of anything serious. And that’s why it works: This play isn’t trying to be anything else but amusing.
The actors all pull their weight, leaning into the ridiculous by overacting the stereotypes with almost soap-star precision, staring out into “TV Land” when waiting for a moment to hit its mark, perhaps verging on self-indulgent at times (as frequently is the case with sitcoms and soap operas), and building up to some silly slapstick moments that hint at I Love Lucy style comedy. And in saying that, there is actually a quote from I Love Lucy that perfectly encapsulate the essence of the story that unfolds in AN UNROMANTIC COMEDY: “You can't tell people the truth, they think you're lying. You have to lie to make them think you're telling the truth.”
AN UNROMANTIC COMEDY runs at the Baxter Theatre Studio until 15 February 2025. Tickets can be booked through Webtickets online or at Pick n Pay stores.