Scratch nights are, by their very nature, uneven affairs, messy blue prints or gluey models rather than finished buildings. And [UN]LOVABLE at the Traverse Theatre embraced that spirit fully, five short pieces circling the theme of love’s absence, distortion, or bureaucratic assessment. Some were works in progress in the truest sense, one felt ready to walk straight back onstage tomorrow.
Clown Divorce
Written by Russ Russell and directed by Sarah Docherty, this dark comedy about a clown navigating marital breakdown opened the evening with energy and a knowing wink. Performed solo by Chris Viteri, the piece invited us into a surreal domestic world where divorce proceedings involve greasepaint and emotional pratfalls, and where the profession runs in the family, mother a clown, father a mime.
Viteri is an engaging performer, confident and fully committed. There are solid laughs here, and the concept has charm. However, the humour feels slightly patchy across its 20-minute span. The premise is strong, but it strains a little to sustain its duration. Still, as an opener, it sets the tone with wit and theatricality.
Wish Me Luck
Melissa Ainsworth’s piece, directed by Adele Tunnicliff, veers immediately into darker territory. A man stops a woman from committing suicide, hardly a setup for easy laughs, and the emotional temperature never quite drops from that initial intensity. When it becomes clear that the rescuer himself has lost an ex-partner to suicide, the piece grows heavier still.
The writing is committed and sincere, but it leaves the audience suspended in discomfort. There are touches of dark humour, yet the adrenaline never quite releases. For those in the front row especially, it felt close and unflinching. Admirable in its seriousness, but tonally it made for a difficult 20 minutes.
Tit For Tat
Ryan Lithgow’s tight three hander was the highlight of the first half. Directed by Cormac Myles and performed by Chris Viteri, Samuela Noumtchuet and Stan Ross, the piece crackles with spiteful charm.
Two writers, formerly a couple, spar viciously at a theatre awards ceremony, weaponising both their personal history and their creative ambitions. There is a pleasing irony in the idea that heartbreak fuels artistic output, desperation as the mother of creativity. The dialogue is sharp, the timing confident, and Viteri in particular demonstrates impressive command of text and rhythm. Noumtchuet matches him well, creating a dynamic that feels both comic and recognisably human. A smart, entertaining piece with bite.
La Solitude
The second half belonged, unquestionably, to Emma McCaffrey.
Written and performed by McCaffrey and directed by Becca Donley, La Solitude charts a life with autism from childhood through adulthood. Structured chronologically, from early diagnosis, teenage obsessions, French history, Louis XVI, a memorably deployed goldfish, to dating in one’s twenties and living at home in one’s thirties, the piece is frank, funny and deeply personal.
What makes it soar is McCaffrey’s direct address. She breaks the fourth wall with warmth and precision, drawing the audience into her confidence rather than presenting a case study. The props, a goldfish bowl, a can of Pringles, are simple but effective. Music choices between age marked sections add texture and rhythm.
There are sharp lines, a mother suggesting ‘The Undateables’, a father advising against putting autism on a CV because no one will employ you. The humour lands because it is earned.
It works beautifully as a 20-minute piece. Whether it expands easily into a full-length work is another question, its power lies in its concision. But as it stands, it feels tour ready. It would resonate strongly in schools or youth settings, offering both insight and empathy without sentimentality. McCaffrey has presence, control and emotional intelligence in abundance. For many in the audience, this felt like the reason they were there.
Defective
Grace Ava Baker’s dystopian concept closes the evening, newborns assessed at birth to determine their criminal potential. Tomorrow is safe because of the choices we make today reads the governmental slogan.
It is an intriguing premise, tapping into contemporary anxieties about surveillance, predictive policing and inherited guilt. The performances are assured, and the world building clear. As with many scratch pieces, it feels like an idea still testing its own architecture, strong foundations, more development needed in structure and stakes.
As with most scratch nights, [UN]LOVABLE was mixed, some pieces promising, some uneven, one genuinely outstanding. What the evening did well was variety, absurdist clowning, intimate confession, relational comedy, and speculative dystopia.
And that is precisely what these platforms are for, risk, experiment, and the thrill of watching work mid formation.
When it hit, it really hit
Reviewer: Greg Holstead
Reviewed: 13th February 2026
North West End UK Rating:
Running time – 2hr 15mins (including interval)