The world of casual dating can be heart-wrenching, fun, nauseating, embarrassing – and that's exactly what playwright Greta Doell has aimed to capture in her new comedy show 'Vibe Check’.
'Vibe Check' is a new, original comedy play premiering at The Butterfly Club this July, directed by Stephanie Lee. It follows Beth and Harry (Oscar Morphew and Freya Patience) as they stumble through that awkward phase of casual dating where you're just not sure where you both stand. Are you on the same page? Are you feeling what I'm feeling?
Never a dull moment during this time. Bedroom embarrassments, neuroticism, drama, hilarity, hiccups. . . Sometimes, in these situations, you just need a 'Vibe Check'.
Here, playwright Greta Doell lists five mistakes of casual dating which have, naturally, inspired the show.
Clockwise from top left: Oscar Morphew, Greta Doell, Freya Patience, Stephanie Lee
One
Sh.t always – and I mean always – happens. It doesn’t matter how many mints you pack, how early you leave to get to the date, how many topics of conversation you have listed in your phone notes in case there’s a lag in the conversation – you can’t prepare for everything. Something is bound to not go as planned. So don’t stress yourself out trying to prepare for every variable like I did. It is FUTILE.Two
Look out for the ‘too-much-awareness’ problem. We are surrounded by self-diagnosing, analysis and psychological breakdowns everywhere we look – especially on social media. It’s great everyone is talking about their feelings and mental health more. We need self-awareness when we put ourselves out there to others. But don’t let it make you neurotic, like I did. “Is texting three messages in a row this early on in the relationship too keen? Are they going to think I’m obsessive and coming on too strong, even though I don’t want commitment?” As you’ll see in 'Vibe Check', we’ve all been there. It’s actually really stressful. While it’s important to be aware of how someone is treating you, and how you are treating yourself, you also have to get out of your own head so your fears and insecurities don’t spoil things for you. As long as you are respectful and honest, you can keep it that simple.
Three
Romanticise your life. Don’t zoom through casual dating with your mind constantly wondering where it’s going and how it’s going to end. 'Vibe Check' is in part inspired by the warm and fuzzy rom-com moments you get from films like 'When Harry Met Sally', 'Before Sunset', and 'The Holiday'. I was very fortunate to have had a really positive experience with no-strings-attached dating, because I went into it with the mentality of just taking care of myself, going on fun dates, and enjoying someone else’s company. “One date to try it, then I can always say ‘thank you, goodbye’.” This led me to trying oysters, kissing in parks, drive-in cinema dates, walking and talking for hours and hours. It felt like living in the romantic, adventurous now so I could look back on the experiences I shared with someone fondly, regardless of whether or not they were my soulmate.Four
It can go amazingly AND go wrong at the same time. With every rainbow comes rain. I don’t mean to say I skipped through rose petals and Tinder matches scot-free. As aforementioned in lesson one (sigh), sh.t goes wrong even during a time that’s SUPPOSED to be just fun and easy. And all these conflicting emotions happening simultaneously can be confusing as hell. But romanticising this time in my life also meant appreciating the hilarity of things when they went wrong and building resilience. Of course, you have to negotiate the balance between optimism and toxic positivity within yourself. But taking risks and trying things is what being young is about.
Five
Feel all of it. Sometimes it feels really good to wallow in your self-pity when your heart gets broken and things go wrong. But not forever. We’re putting on this play because, like everyone else, we want a break from the doom and gloom, even if just for one short night at the theatre. We want a laugh, and a reminder of what it feels like to go through every hilarious, awkward, relatable experience of dating. 'Vibe Check' puts a microscope to the small gestures and interactions that make you feel absolutely drowned in excitement and passion and love. We also go there, talking bluntly about the elements of dating that people are often too embarrassed to talk about. We can’t wait for audiences to be wrapped in that bubble for the evening, with the outside world gone so they can enjoy the spectacle – all the feelings, the bluntness of Aussie humour AND the wholesomeness that’ll leave them feeling better.'Vibe Check' plays The Butterfly Club (Melbourne) from 18-23 July.
