I Would Like to Get to Know You

After a sell-out Vault Festival 2017 run, Feral Foxy Ladies and Kaleido Film Collective return with their mix of visual anthropology and real-life scenarios, to perform a highly entertaining show in which many can relate to the frustrating and often ridiculously awkward platform of online dating.

Performer and deviser Katherine Vince sits upon a swivel chair – not unlike 90s series Blind Date – when a Tinder chat pops up on screen: “I see you like horses. Lucky for you, you’ve found your stallion.” Cringe-worthy statements like this are interspersed throughout the production, alongside visuals of a half-naked man and images of musician and fellow deviser George Cheetham with a toy fish, motorbike and car, portraying the countless sorts of images women receive on Tinder. Authentic interviews can be overheard, while the two performers sing their own witty version of Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive, with lyrics like, “will we ever speak again, just another date that never went anywhere in the end”.

The performance is split into six parts, covering everything from singlehood and searching, to sex and love, the latter of which is depicted by idyllic scenes from films like Titanic, Garden State, Before Sunrise and The Notebook. Urban Dictionary definitions for terms like “ghosting” and “breadcrumbing” also appear on screen, audible sounds of recognition coming from the crowd. The production touches on aspects of single life, such as attending weddings alone, where guests impose upon one’s romantic life, and futility at finding a successful match. The devisers have created a piece that is not excessively romanticised or sad, but instead filled with familiar truths and a thorough understanding of the frustrating world of online dating. To have options is normally a good thing, but apps can start to feel like a game, where people are constantly swiping for perfection, aptly named the “paradox of choice”. Vince and Cheetham present this in one hilarious scene where they shop for jam, when he appears with a Nutella jar, representing “the one”.

The original music tracks are performed very well, emphasising the already enjoyable show, making us yearn for a simpler time. Cheetham’s musicianship and Vince’s sultry vocals match perfectly. With an insight into both heterosexual and homosexual dating, I Would Like to Get to Know You is enlightening, delightful and genuinely funny.

Selina Begum
Photo: Feral Foxy Ladies

I Would Like to Get to Know You is at the Crescent from 6^th until 10^th February 2019. For further information or to book visit the show’s festival page here.

Read more reviews from our Vault Festival 2019 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Vault Festival website here.