Tabard Theatre is a very cosy, beautiful venue, the perfect size for this play. When you enter the room the set is already promising something simple. You can clearly notice two different environments on stage, defined by colours and pieces of furniture. Geometrical forms connecting the floor with the back wall help the audience to understand that there are two homes – one in a cosmopolitan city, the other one in a countryside village.

The plot is efficient: two wives, Anne (Roxaneh Renton) and Cat (Amy Braidotti), swap their lives for one week, to compare lifestyles for an article in a magazine. They move to each other’s homes, having to take care of each other’s routines, jobs and husbands. Obviously they are two contrasting women, who at first hate the experience but then realise that these different men and realities can give them exactly what they have been missing.

The title, being ironic, has a very clever message in it. Nevertheless, I was hoping this story would open up the discussion about important present-day themes. But all the subjects that the text explores, even though they are up-to-date (like marriage, feminism, freedom, loyalty, sex and expectations vs. real life), are always referred to in a superficial way, not leading to any conclusions.

Moreover, all the characters are very stereotyped and fall into a loop of clichés. That doesn’t stop them from being funny, however. Overall the show is entertaining and has a pace that amuses, because it is easy to follow, but it is just not very interesting. The cast is decent and the actors serve their characters well – especially the women, who have a difficult and demanding job, since these characters go through a journey that turns them into their opposite. However, just as the text requires, the acting sometimes is a little bit too clichéd.

I would like to mention the actor Nathan Dean Williams, as Mark, who stands out for his realistic but not stereotyped presentation of the character. There is also the odd appearance of Lynn, a character that has just a little speech in one of the scenes. Her presence is really weird, but at the same time she works as fresh air on stage, bringing some humour with her. It is very well performed by actress Molly Mcnerney.

The staging by director Tara Newton-Wordsworth works well, even though it becomes predictable after a while, since every time the scene changes there’s a blackout and an illustrative sound effect.

Summing up, I Love My Love is a light, entertaining and funny show that is ideal to get to know a different venue and the independent work of a group of artists, which always a good reason to go to the theatre.

I Love My Love is playing at the Tabard Theatre until 30 April. For more information and tickets, see the Tabard Theatre website.