post by @nataliagresty

Seen by Natalia at Edinburgh Festival Fringe on the 12th of August 2024

4 stars – a lighthearted but well captured portrait of an all-girls houseshare

Three housemates (and close friends) are hosting a birthday party for one of them, when the birthday girl’s new situationship-about-to-have-the-talk shows up and turns the night around. Accommo-dating, a short and sweet one-act play managed to be clever, funny, relatable and in just 45 minutes also showed some decent acting (at least from the three girls – I’m not being sexist here!). However, its greatest strength lies in how well it captured a typical London house share and friendships between women in their 20s and 30s.

It’s 7 o’clock in the morning and Phoebe, the optimistic nurse and birthday girl is heading to work just as her bohemian journalist/ writer housemate Skye comes home in an unrecognizable sweater, from a seemingly successful night out. And then Mollie, the successful lawyer, enters the kitchen, fussy about the dishes and half empty bottles from nights before and asking for corporate fashion advice before her day full of important meetings.

The conversations are constantly flowing throughout the show and the characters’ small remarks are very believable; one of the girls is solving a crossword whilst making fun of the other one, repotting a half-dead plant, because she’s getting into crystals. Then they’re collectively deciding what to make for dinner and what to watch on telly that night. It’s reminiscent of the female groups captured in Everything I Know About Love and Sex and the City, but maybe we’re only saying that because the majority of TV shows and theatre plays still revolve around romantic love and not friendships. As conflict emerges and two of the girls have to decide whether to do the right thing which will save their harmonious household, or side with the new guy, the power of three genius women unifying shines even brighter.

The play won’t disturb, provoke nor break hearts, but luckily there’s not always the time for that, on or off stage.

12th – 17th August; 7.45 pm

Running time: 45 minutes

Venue: Greenside @ Riddles Court – Thistle theatre

Tickets and Info: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/accommo-dating 

Group: Selerto

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accommo_dating