Review: (Ottawa) Deranged Dating (Fringe)

Finding a Mate on Internet
by Sonia Blanchette

Recollecting some of my childhood memories, I can tell you that we (my family) had outings when the weather was bad. The logic behind this was if it was rainy, snowy and/or generally yucky, then nobody would be out and about. No headaches with line-ups, admissions, parking, and so on. I used that theory this evening to attend Deranged Dating and boy, was I in for a surprise. Having departed from home, with what I thought was a lot of time to kill, I could not find a parking spot to save my life, and once I found the venue (Avant Garde) with minutes to spare, the place was packed. I was lucky to score a bar stool. So I would have to say that this is where it was at!

Shirley is a single, 35 year-old woman, who has resorted to the modern-age Internet to find a mate. Her encounters vary from unhappily-married men looking for a quick release, to the "me, me, me Oh, it's all about me blah, blah, blah" men and better yet the mama's boys. It's especially ironic how her 'match' prospects are portrayed and how so far from the truth they really are. She brings each and every one of these characters to life, all accompanied with dance and music. The ultimate question is, will she find true love?

She is funny, profound and brutally true. You feel sorry that she has not met the love of her life.

Kirchmann’s one woman show needs a proper venue - more seats, mikes and lights - no offence to Avant Garde and its owner(s). She has so much to offer and adding very necessary audio-video perks would only benefit herself and her audience. She is self-admittedly thick with South African accent and tends to speak too fast. 

June 19 - 29