'Finding a partner's like finding a job: you've got to put the work in', says Maddy Anholt, and she would know. Prompted by the prospect of reaching the grand old age of 30 without that special someone in her life, 27-year-old Anholt spent a year trying to find Mr Right online. The amusing, edited lowlights of her experiences form the basis of
Anholt comes up with a selection of refreshingly schmaltz-free, #relationshipgoals
As well as some god-awful puns, and the obligatory Edinburgh Fringe 2015 references to Rolf Harris and Bill Cosby, Anholt's story is punctuated with well-observed character comedy. She introduces us to four of the morons (all of whom suffer from a severe lack of manners and self awareness), that she met during her internet search for a suitable other half.
She also outlines the reasons why, in her opinion, being single's great, and why it sucks. And she provides some social commentary on the topic by comparing and contrasting the harsh world of modern day, app-powered dating, with the ways in which people have formed romantic relationships in the past.
There's also some playful mocking of the convention of presenting a stylised, and meticulously curated, version of your best, sexiest and most popular self. And Anholt comes up with a selection of refreshingly schmaltz-free #relationshipgoals.
But the stigma that initially surrounded online dating has disappeared, and most of us have related (horror) stories of our own. So we all know that some people's profiles are carefully crafted compendiums of lies, you meet strangers who you aren't attracted to and/or have nothing in common with, and that more than a few of them will be self-centred nutjobs.
Anholt's amiable, and Diary of a Dating Addict is well-performed and solidly written. But, although it's an entertaining hour, this show's not particularly illuminating. It's not adding any new perspectives and insights into, or conclusions about, the stock of knowledge about this area of contemporary culture.
