Marmite – Gilded Balloon Rose Theatre

The cracking lines come at such pace you don't have time to draw breath for laughing. There's no holding back in what gets discussed and done. Within a few minutes, Dylan and Eddie meet, date, move in together, enjoy preparations for a sister's wedding. They're both really happy. Except Dylan isn't. Eddie's sister Rosie innocently sows the seed of trouble by asking if they are “exclusive”. Should they be? Will they both be happy if not?

This is extremely compact storytelling effected with flair by the three actors. Two chairs are enough to take us to many locations from club to flat to church and on. Within a couple of scenes they have hooked us in with adorable portrayals of the two young guys. Both self-doubting, they blossom in a relationship until there is a suggestion there might be more: they are just out of university, should they settle down to be a happily married couple or play the field a little while longer? Eddie is a delight, loving and vulnerable and it is mainly his story we follow. Dylan moves in and seems more confident and sorted. Rosie gets some of the best lines and plays them for all they're worth, so often the catalyst who moves things on, for better or worse. We get a decent share of her story too. The perils of Grindr, techniques for texting and gay dating get thoroughly thrashed before the maelstrom slows down. It seemed we'd barely started before they finished.

Are there happy endings? I couldn't possibly say, but fingers crossed.

Derek Benfield