Catch the Dating Dis-ease

‘Catch’ is on at the Kalk Bay Theatre. In it, Shirley Kirchmann plays Talulah, a thirty-two year old singleton, with the angst of a Bridget Jones but the mouth of Vinnie Jones.

I laughed a lot. You will, too. It’s the theatrical equivalent of reading the Cosmo dating columns. Somewhat like these columns, though, it’s not offering anything radically new. Internet dating, extra-marital dating, hilarious dating, awkward dating: you name it, it’s thoroughly (to the point of being somewhat over-) exposed.

‘Catch’ certainly doesn’t lack on energy. But does it deliver on style? For me, Talulah and Shirley seem to overlap and meld into one at times, leaving the piece caught between coming across as either overly-rehearsed stand up or under-prepared theatre. A little more directorial distinction between sections and it could have been framed as a witty, fourth wall breaking piece of theatre, or – with Talulah dispensed with – a slick piece of stand up. As it was, it felt slightly schizophrenic to me, rather like a date who can’t decide who she’s going to be for the evening.

Kirchmann is a very authoritative performer – a bit of a powerhouse. She uses that oomph to storm the gates of the single psyche and doesn’t hold back from controversy in the process. Personally, I didn’t mind her potty mouth, but some of the racial stereotypes made me cringe. I think that’s the nature of riding roughshod over dating terrain in this kind of performance – Kirchmann’s out to confront, she’s looking for a reaction. You’re going to react.

Don’t go to ‘Catch’ for nuance. Go for every excruciating date you’ve ever suffered through alone and miserable, thinking ‘this would make a really good bad joke’. Because it does.