REVIEW: Conversations We Never Had, As People We’ll Never Be, Orange Moon Theatre Co, EdFringe 2024 ★★★★☆

Gina has taken a dodgy pill from the internet which gives her the ability to erase her six-year relationship with Frankie. Standing on her ex-girlfriend’s doorstep, Gina gives Frankie an impossible decision, and just thirty minutes to make it. 

We revisit the golden halcyon times of their relationship, intertwined with the heavy debate of whether this grief-stricken pair want to forget the hurt, or whether they can cope with moving forward. The concept of erasure both frees and confines them. They reveal the secrets they never told, and the hopes they have for the future, before making the final choice.

Despite its heartbreaking contents, Lucy Harris’ script is joyfully funny, as is her performance as Gina. Quirky punchlines paired with brilliant delivery catch us giggling amongst the tears. The comedy is a stark reminder of how tragedy and happiness are inherently knotted together.

Characterisation is well-polished, with both Gina and Frankie’s perspective of deleting each other played out with sincerity. Gina’s desperation to avoid hurt is understandable yet frustrating as we yearn for her to open up. Frankie unashamedly still loves her ex, and her exhausting efforts to convince Gina of her greatness are expertly and tragically played.

Orange Moon Theatre Co. ask a lot of their audience with the Matrix-esque plot device of a magical pill that solves heartbreak. The dialogue between Gina and Frankie about their failed relationship is so raw, so tender, that this sci-fi sideline sometimes takes the audience out of their brutal reality. Where credibility is so plentiful in the relationship, it is less so in the dilemma they face.

Conversations We Never Had, As People We’ll Never Be is, however, a masterclass in showing love in all its beautiful, agonising, infuriating and gentle ways. It poses fascinating questions about how healing can take a multitude of forms, questions we have all asked ourselves before. 

It’s safe to say that there were few people in the room without blurry eyes. The onstage performances are so close to reality that every emotion forcefully reverberates out into the audience. To anyone that has had their heart broken and felt terrified of turning that new leaf, this show is the therapy you need. 

Recommended Drink: A bottle of red wine. Drunk alone. Crying. With a tub of ice cream.

You can catch Conversations We Never Had, As People We’ll Never Be at Assembly Rooms – Front Room from Aug 15-25 at 17:05. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.