How often do you go to a show on the Fringe and come out feeling good about yourself? Given that so many plays devote themselves to the misery of this world, it can’t actually be that often. All this doom and gloom has obviously got to Mitchell and Manton, as they are trying their best to bring some cathartic introspection to the Fringe.
After inviting the audience to reveal their first loves (questionnaires provided), the sugary sweet duo embark on a quest to find their firsts and bring affirmation to the state of lives. Along the way they dip into nostalgia, the current fixation with digging up the past through FriendsReunited and Mitchell’s growing fascination with weird porn (“It’s research!”).
M & M’s sentimental journey is presented as a mixture of research, personal re-inactions and real testimonials from audience members and comes together to produce a piece of theatre that is not only hugely entertaining, but also very good for the soul. Not only do you get to address your own past, but the other testimonials also serve to convince you that you’re not the only one to yearn after the ones that got away – it’s not just theatre, but group therapy too!
While a lot of the success of the show is down to the highly imaginative, if occasionally syrupy, audience contributions, Mitchell and Manton really add the extra ingredient that makes it cook. Okay, they may not be as slick as Dave Gorman and their accents do occasionally slip, but they bring an undeniable niceness to the stage that makes The Island Of First Loves delightful.
You will undoubtedly see more intelligent, important and exciting shows this year, but why not give this ago? It might just be pure entertainment, but it might help put those what ifs to bed – Rose-tinted memories are ten a penny, so why not take their advice and let those halcyon days start now?
4/5
Richard Biggs
