With the soundtrack of Guns and Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” combined with a dance piece loosely based on the evolution of man, the overall theme of Love At Fast Sight was established. It seems that when it comes to dating, it is indeed a jungle out there.
The show was structured around the concept of scientists in lab coats presenting a documentary about the mating habits of Homosapiens. Starting with the 50s, the changing climate of dating was explained by use of song and dance numbers with the scientist providing a running commentary of the behaviors of the subjects. The actors made use of minimal accessories to portray the people of the time that were largely based on stereotypes. Tight choreography and use of appropriate mannerisms were employed to fantastic effect.
After brief visits to the 60s and 70s, the show paid an extended visit to the 80s with the exploration of the TV dating show phenomena. During this segment the audience was faced with the first chance to participate in the show when three (un)willing fellas were plucked from the crowd to compete for the hand of a “dream date” on a parody of Perfect Match. This piece is fun although a tad long and perhaps relies too much on the input from the clearly shell shocked punters. This would surely be a laugh riot if they chanced upon some great improvisers or alternatively provided them with a script to follow.
As the dating time line reached the 90s the show launched into the meat and potatoes of the concept. We were now introduced to the world of Speed Dating with some background information from the Lab Coats. The remainder of the show was concerned with the rules and etiquette of Speed Dating demonstrated in detail by a range of eccentric characters. These caricatures were played with great enthusiasm by the cast and spouted many humorous lines to keep the punters chuckling. Many of the laughs were derived from the audiences’ identification with or recognition of them. The odd belly laugh emanated from various pockets of the crowd as they saw people or situations they could relate to.
Following our education in Speed Dating, the audience was once again involved in the show with a survey. A series of questions was used to eliminate punters from the pool of people until only one man and one woman remained…at least that was the plan. When no one was left standing, two random people were plucked out to demonstrate the rules as the coats recapped the main points. Again this was let down by the unpreparedness of the couple and merely resulted in some awkward banter that wasn’t hilarious despite the gentle taunting of the actors.
Love at Fast Sight was a fun show that was highly entertaining. It didn’t keep me in constant hysterics but a smile remained on my face for the duration. Others in the audience found various segments that tickled their fancy, resulting in a steady stream of laughs. The enthusiasm of the cast readily flowed to the punters with everyone emerging happy upon its conclusion.