Love Quirks

Love Quirks is a compelling peek into the twists and turns of love, friendship, and relationships of four flatmates. The atmosphere is playful and somewhat neurotic, setting the tone for a funny and honest exploration of love and friendship in adulthood. Transferring from an Off Broadway run, Cecilie Fray brings this relatable London-centric
version to life.

This is a contemporary story of a group of flatmates navigating adulthood and relationships. The characters are brilliantly conceived and thoughtfully developed with occasional stereotypical characterisations, such as some feminist tropes. Individually all characters added great depth and humour to the overall performance delivered by the quartet, who succeeded in breathing life into the roles and making them feel fresh. Clodagh Greene’s standout and memorable performance of Stephanie authentically captured her vulnerability and intensity with a striking balance from her first entrance to her last.

This is a cleverly written and funny book. My only initial reservation was the integration of an offstage ‘voice of reason’, which initially made the dialogue feel disoriented; this quickly found its footing and was surprisingly effective. The brilliant score provides an engaging and witty musical backbone. A huge credit goes to the composer Seth Bisen-Hersh who has composed to fit the play’s tone and add to the dynamism.

The Other Palace Studio's intimate setting is well suited to the dynamic amongst these friends. The set design was brought to life by Bob Sterrett and balanced the cosy space and the show’s energy. This was key to facilitating the smooth and swift scene transitions. Costume designer Alice McNicholas did a fantastic job of capturing the essence of the characters. From the bright and daring outfits of Lili, portrayed by the vibrant Ayesha Patel, to the rugby
shirts which felt they would be the obvious and practical choice of Chris, portrayed by Tom Newland.

The evening was not without its few small moments of drag and areas where the humour does not quite land. However, the sharp writing, brilliant score, and magnetic performances make this production worth seeing.