Thanks For Having Me – Kings Head Theatre, Islington

Writer: Keelan Kember
Director: Monica Cox

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

“Fiercely Funny, Razor-Sharp Dialogue“

4.5 / 5

Dating in your 30s is a mental minefield – is it time to settle down or continue playing the field? Does texting back quickly make you look too keen or the right amount of interested? With an abundance of different apps and unspoken dating rules – getting the formula right is a challenge.  

Cashel (Keelan Kember) is a neurotic hypochondriac looking for love after his last girlfriend dumped him and left him heartbroken. Out of the dating game for over 8 years, he’s more than a little rusty, depending on his sleazy, lothario roommate Honey (Fergus Foster) to guide him through singledom. His strong aversion to many date ideas due to fear, being illness prone or having allergies in abundance doesn’t quite make him an ideal catch, but his flailing honestly and helpless persona seems to work somewhat, much to Honey’s surprise. The pair go on a double date with down to earth Maya (Elizabeth Green) and headstrong Eloise (Charlotte Hayes-Jones) – neither are looking to settle down, making them perfect companions for the boys, in this fiercely funny, almost rom-com.

Keelan Kember has created a gem of a show with Thanks For Having Me. The razor-sharp dialogue is full of hilarious interactions and entertaining characterisations. Cashel’s neurosis is fantastically done – not so over the top that it becomes slapstick-esque, but still brilliantly exaggerated to make him a comedic figure. The well-balancing of the characters is also showcased with Foster – his cringey f’boy approach to dating is wonderfully funny, and his unexpected soft spot later in the show is surprisingly quite endearing. Maya and Eloise level out the boyish banter with their carefree approach to dating, challenging the roommates and providing another layer of entertainment in the form of the power dynamics between the four.

The quick, comedic script is played out perfectly by Kember, Foster, Hayes-Jones and Green – the four talented performers never missing a beat with their comedic timing, ensuring the naturalistic situations and realistic dialogue always comes across believable. Director Monica Cox ensures the show is well-paced, with very minimal downtime – so that the punch of each scene remains intact, without losing any momentum as the show progresses. Almost sitcom like in nature, this is well formed, well executed and well worth a watch.

Runs until 8^th February 2025