About Time You Saw: 2-Become-1By Hayley Thompson
2 Become 1 is the comedy pop musical that takes you right back to the days before Tinder. When Britain’s singles had to lay their faith in sticky dance floors, Cosmo quizzes and Bacardi Breezers in order to meet ‘the one’ or get over that ex. With a heavy dose of girl power, platform trainers and the kind of night out that can only begin with slurping Lambrinie, whilst singing a Celine Dion classic into your ex’s voice mail, this musical, packed with fun, is the ultimate 90’s nostalgia trip.
Brought to London’s Kings Head theatre by Swipe Right Theatre, the show is written and directed by Natasha Granger, who plays our heartbroken (yet hilarious) lead, Jess, and her co-star, Kerrie Thomason, who brings to life the character, Molly (adding an extra dose of ‘bonkers’ to the on stage line-up). The story begins at the start of a Saturday night; Jess has been dumped and her friends, Molly, Charlie (Eliza Hewitt-Jones), the flirt and Amanda (Jessica Brady), the hopeless romantic are all determined to wipe away Jesses mascara tears and get her out in a nightclub – and flirting with some fresh meat. So of course they’re taking her speed dating.
Upon a minimal stage, managed by Siobhan James-Elliot and designed by Clancy Flynn and Jathan Granger, the girls transition ingeniously from bedroom, to bar, to kebab shop, to taxi, as they zip through a cast of invisible male speed-daters. Along the way, we’re treated to the hilarity of the girl’s terrible pick-up routines, interspersed with their inner most desires, which are of course played out through the medium of up-tempo musical numbers.
Refreshingly funny, as you would hope a musical that debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe (2015) would be, the girls never shy away from becoming the butt of their own jokes, or indeed from getting up-close and personal with their audience. Boys, expect to be serenaded and you’ll be just fine.
A simple story of friendship, lost love and a raucous ‘night out with the girls’, the show is brought to life with the most fantastic 90’s mix tape, compiled and arranged by Martin Higgins. The cast not only manage to each embody a different aspect of the 90’s girl band dream, but are all hilarious in doing so – and extremely talented! Surprisingly crisp harmonies and an unflinching approach to comedy, 2 Become 1 will have you dancing in your seat, singing along and wishing you were wearing some form of glitter on your face.
