As bad dating stories go, this one from 2017 is a classic. During a Tinder date, a woman found herself in a pretty awkward situation: her poo wouldn’t flush, and in an attempt to discreetly dispose of it, she ended up wedged between two windows. The story was turned into a viral meme, and even made the headlines. Now, a musical by two of the creators of the hit podcast My Dad Wrote a Porno (Jamie Morton and James Cooper) has been spawned from the incident, too.
The central premise remains, but with a few creative tweaks. Lucy and Peter have been raised on Disney movies but are chronically unlucky in love. Misguided help arrives in the form of Lucy’s cutting anti-guardian-angel, Miseraie, and Peter’s insufferable finance bro flatmate, David. After matching on a dating app, they meet at a Mexican restaurant and do their best to keep up appearances. But, would you believe it – it turns out they might just be each other’s perfect match after all.
With Alison Steadman’s voice guiding us through the show as a romcom style narrator, everything falls, predictably, into place. But with a powerhouse score by Bryn Christopher and Martin Batchelar, the stage erupts into a celebration of modern love at its most mortifying. In Picture Perfect, Lucy sings of the flawless lives she sees online. In Shit!, her embarrassment spills out of her at a panicked rate. Every number is a hit.
After the original actor playing Lucy suffered an injury in rehearsals last week, Ambra Caserottihas stepped in last minute. Though you’d never guess it: her voice melts like butter, and she brings a dry sense of humour to the role. Coupled with Shane O’Riordan as Peter, the pair make an endearing and suitable awkwardly match.
By the end, it turns out it’s better to be yourself, even if you happen to be the internet sensation known as “poo girl”. It’s hardly revolutionary stuff. But with stylistic traces of Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s Why Am I So Single?, the musical glistens with wit, intelligence and a high gag rate. There’s a hell of a lot of poo chat, but if you can get onboard the toilet train, you’re sure to leave laughing.
AtStratford East, London, until 12 July