Rebecca de Unamuno, April 3, 2014 ***

Kiss My Date 
The Evatt Room, Trades Hall, until April 20, 2014

Star rating:***
Reviewer: Kate Herbert  
Full review also online in Herald Sun, Friday April 4, 2014. KH

Proof that online dating is a minefield of maniacs

If you are not convinced that online dating is simply a minefield of maniacs, ask Rebecca de Unamuno. 

Her entire show is build around her disheartening, real experiences with men she encountered in an online dating site, some of whom she met in person with varied, but always discouraging results.

The show, cheekily called Kiss My Date, straddles the fence between stand-up comedy and theatrical monologue with mixed success.

The early vignettes are less effective than later scenes when we hear hilarious examples of hapless men’s messages to Rebecca that range from idiotic, insipid and sad to just plain offensive.

The high point was her improvised scene in the style of Shakespeare; she asked a young couple in questions about their relationship and then improvised their story in an hilarious parody of Elizabethan language.

She talks about her teenage crushes and a recent dispiriting affair with a plumber, then enacts an entire drunken pick-up in a bar in some clever mime.

The 22 year-old, “Gen Porn” guy has all the elements of a great character for Rebecca to play, but she portrays him only by miming Lonely Is A Man Without Love, a song from absolutely the wrong generation.

This show needs a clearer through-line and more consistent style and Rebecca’s performance is much more compelling when she is less theatrical and interacts intimately with the audience.

Rebecca’s experiences with men may be demoralising, but she has talent.

By Kate Herbert