It’s challenging to write about Hi, I’m Zoë, this one-woman show that attempts to be a satire of the world of online dating but ends up feeling like mundane barroom chatter, devoid of wit and bite. Anyone in the audience could have something more interesting to say about their personal life than Zoë, who also lacks any significant stage presence.
The show’s crux is meant to revolve around Tinder (already a tired and overused topic these days) and the absurd cast of characters one encounters online. However, there’s hardly anything grotesque or genuinely amusing about it. In Hi, I’m Zoë, everything feels like a parade of clichés that have been seen and heard before, lined up like a shopping list without any narrative construction or structure.
It is an hour that’s difficult to endure without real laughter in the semi-darkness of a makeshift bar setting, constantly disturbed by other drunken and obnoxious spectators. Perhaps this is the only merit of Zoë – not being the least bit phased and letting the show go on no matter what. It certainly requires some resilience.
Reviewer: Anna Chiari
Reviewed: 23rd August 2023
North West End UK Rating: