A to B review – relentless mishaps as nothing goes to plan on blind date
A play about a blind date where everything goes wrong, but the lack of depth keeps it from fully engaging.
Tia-Renee Mullings’s coming-of-age play “A to B” follows two young people, Brianna (Zakiyyah Dean) and Armani (Sheyi Cole), as they prepare for a blind date set up by mutual friends. The story unfolds through two overlapping monologues, capturing the nerves and hopes of the evening.
Nothing goes according to plan. Brianna’s younger sisters steal and destroy her carefully chosen outfit, and a water gun incident ruins her hair. Armani misses his barber appointment and ends up with the worst haircut of his life. These mishaps are initially amusing but become predictable as the play progresses, making it feel like it’s running in circles.
Both characters put up a facade to maintain appearances. The audience yearns for deeper insight into their true selves. Occasionally, glimpses emerge: Brianna admits she feels lost, while Armani hopes his date will see beyond his imperfect image. Under Ewa Dina’s direction, time stamps are projected on a screen to mark the passage of time.
The script features lyrical spoken-word passages and rhythmic exchanges, celebrating the feeling of budding romance and the textures of south London life. British Jamaican culture is depicted in vibrant shades. While the play offers a beautiful start to a modern love story, the review notes that it needs more substance to feel complete.
