Review: Blind Date

Blind dates are awkward and weird. Blind dates that are turned into a show and improvised in front of an audience by a French clown are no doubt even more bizarre, and that’s what happens in this long-form improv. After Mimi chooses an eye-catching man from the audience and takes him to the onstage restaurant, anything can happen.

Tonight, Mimi and her date, an American divorcee based in Edinburgh, quickly hit it off. For an hour and a half, they negotiate the trappings and customs of a blind date and its possible future, thoroughly enjoying each other’s company. A "time out" feature gives the audience member an opportunity to pause the action whenever they please, though expecting them to commit to participating in the 90-minute running time is a lot to ask.

Rebecca Northan is Mimi, a flirty and filthy clown with an infectious laugh. Her witty retorts and honest vulnerability are hugely entertaining, and she gives her full attention to her date. There are moments of surprising intimacy between them, but it raises questions about audience care – how much of what Mimi shares is true about Northan and her life in moments of mutual vulnerability? There is potential for her date to think their connection could lead to something more. That said, this is a surprising performance with a lot of scope for variation from night to night.