Review: Second Chancers, Alma Tavern & Theatre – ‘Riotously funny’

A riotously funny and slightly derailed rendition of Love Island, complete with fake beards and an endless array of wig changes? Oh yes please.

Second Chancers gives us everything you could want from your typical reality television mimicry, but with a healthy dash of sardonic humour to undercut the expected superficial tone. This tour de force of romantic comedy drama plunges its audience into a 35+ reality dating experience which depends on projected interviews and superficial contestants to embellish its vacuous premise.

Stereotypes of day-time TV hit the stage in a cynical rendition of what we’ve come to expect from our Majorica-based dating shows, where it’s hard to believe that a cast of just four people can immerse an audience so entirely in a one hour show. It feels like you’ve just watched a whole season of a reality TV spoof condensed into this short time frame, where rapid wig changes and impressive accent shifts encapsulate the feeling of a much larger cast.

Applaudable stagecraft creates the believable sensation that we’ve been watching this drama develop over several weeks, despite its constricted time frame. Enjoy the unrelieved misery of a one-man production team, who must try and wrangle a band of unlikeable stars across a series of dating scenarios in adverse weather conditions.

Dryness undercuts each manifestation of a Love Island imitation, where buff caricatures come up against embodiments of the worst of fame hungry, social media-obsessed modern society. The show risks a willing association with cringe millennial humour, just about circumvented and undercut by a brutalistic energy that demands each contestant is confronted with their own shallowness.

Audience participation is always a risky element to incorporate into small staging, but the vibe here understands that the whole production is one big party hung up on a flawed concept of reality entertainment. Second Chancers perfectly encapsulates what it means to enjoy this genre of TV whilst still appreciating its flaws, where social commentary meets believable characters rooted in people we all know from real life.

Its creators and stars, Maria Hemming and Lucy Barnfather, should be applauded for their onstage versatility and prowess, where energy levels never falter, and the performance careens towards its inevitable climatic conclusion.

Whether you love or hate reality television, this production encapsulates both the faux pas and the enjoyability of the genre, resulting in a gripping and laugh out loud feat of entertainment.

Cringe-worthy at times, but also lively and intelligent, Second Chancers manages to illustrate why we love reality dating shows, whilst also showcasing the human failings that inspire their inception.

Second Chancers is previewing at The Alma Tavern & Theatre on July 6-8 at 8pm before a week-long run at the Edinburgh Fringe from August 3-10. Tickets are available at www.tickettailor.com.

All photos: Scarlet Beetle Productions

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