Lucy Porter’s Love-In

Published Monday 20 August 2007 at 10:55 by Ben Dowell

Lucy Porter’s deliciously soppy show about love seduces you into her kooky world of disastrous dates with cynical bankers, spray tans and close analysis of lovers’ texts as she seeks the Burton to her Taylor (while carefully avoiding the equivalent of the great actress’ latter conquests).

In some ways Porter tackles head on the kind of subjects areas that would normally have half her audience reaching for the earplugs and Anadin. But she doesn’t shy entirely from the dark side of dating - footballers and roasting get more than a couple of mentions - and she performs with such finely-observed wit and panache that by the end we’re all eating out of her tiny little hand.

Rarely cutesy (though there is a bit of that) this is such an unashamedly frank celebration of female romantic endeavour that you could sense the disappointment of many of us “fellas” (as we’re called) when this pocket dynamo tells us she has now found love with the man of (most of) her dreams. But even the romantically disappointed would have to have a heart of stone not to leave her company with a smile on their face and a cheesy song in their heart.