Review: Algorithms at Park Theatre

Saturday, 20th April 2024 at Park Theatre, London

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reviewer: Emma Dorfman

A Barbie-chic aesthetic, brave performance and immersive soundscape work in service of an airtight production, but my only gripe with Algorithms is found right in its branding as a “Bridget Jones for the online generation.” Mind you, this time, it is a bisexual Bridget Jones, pushing your typical rom-com beyond the binaries of homosexual relationships. Still, for most gen-Z audiences, sexual fluidity is likely to be the norm. More than the echoes of Bridget Jones, the piece also harkens back to other solo shows in recent years, such as Sarah Hanly’s Purple Snowflakes and Titty Wanks or Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s infamous Fleabag. And perhaps it’s the recent Netflix release of Richard Gadd’s miniseries from his solo work, Baby Reindeer, that is unduly influencing me, but I cannot help thinking Algorithms could be a miniseries in its own right.

For starters, Sadie Clark’s performance and script are both pacey and punchy: Clark’s creative metaphors to describe the dating scene her character, Brooke, finds herself in are funny without trying to be (see the line where she compares bad sex to a trip to the hairdressers). Just like her script, Clark’s performance moves along swiftly from one beat to the next, and the writing likewise has mastered the old “come in late, get out early” technique. 

The subject matter itself is highly relatable: Brooke is working to develop a brand-new dating app, Slidehustle, which promises its own unique algorithm for creating perfect matches. After her girlfriend leaves her, presumably for another woman, Brooke embarks on a two week binge of dates both disastrous and dreamy. Honestly? It feels like a play that could be about me in my early 20s. It could also be about anyone at any time when life requires you to reconnect with your true desires, sensuality and sexuality. 

The Barbie girl aesthetic is only the icing on the cake: gold sparkly streamers fill the back wall, modern girl pop hits flood the house pre-show, and Clark dons a well-thought out, colour blocked costume with pink trousers and shiny gold leather oxfords. Lighting (designed by Jennifer Rose and punctuated by incredibly sharp cues, if I may add) instantly transforms with bold, bright colours: strong pinks, blues, and golds disorient before situating the scene in an incredibly specific environment. This was enough to create a huge impact in latter scenes, when, for instance, Brooke finds herself lost and disillusioned outside a club in Central London. The lone, weaker backlight, tinged with the slightest yellow-orange glow conveys both the depressing street light and Brooke’s depressing state of mind.

Nicola T. Chang’s score of sound effects, songs, and light background music also illuminates Brooke’s psyche. Brooke miming the putting on of over-the-ear headphones to blast a break-up ballad in the office was a particular standout moment. And every click clack of the keyboard, every message notification, helps thoroughly situate this work in the present day, making it both immediate and identifiable.

The piece’s tightly composed sound is yet another aspect of the production, however, that strikes me as cinematic, even for a fringe-y solo show. I can’t help but think how well these elements, coupled with the atmospheric set and lighting, would be an even better contribution to film or TV.

Algorithms is at Park Theatre until May 11th 2024 – more information and tickets can be found here.