A funny, generous and quietly devastating new piece of fringe theatre about chasing extraordinary moments, the people we love to bits, and finally having to answer a call that won’t go away.
The problem with making a big entrance is that there’s always someone left to clear it up later.
Review by D. C. Jackson.
There are few things quite as wonderfully ridiculous, unpredictable and emotionally exposing as love, and Big Love, written and directed by David Brady, embraces every glorious, chaotic moment of it.
Staged above a pub theatre in Kentish Town, this 60-minute one-man show, performed by Samuel Warren, is a heartfelt exploration of love in all its absurdity. It is heartbreaking, heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny, often managing to be all three within moments of each other.
The set immediately establishes the playful, anarchic atmosphere of the piece. The set features a BIG red button accompanied by a sign warning audiences not to touch it, whilst a BIG red telephone sits on the opposite side, ringing at various points throughout the performance. Confetti scattered across the floor lends the space the atmosphere of a party that has perhaps got a little out of hand. It is chaotic in the best possible way, setting the scene for a production that delights in the unexpected.
Samuel Warren delivers a wonderfully engaging performance, effortlessly navigating the comedy and emotional vulnerability at the heart of the piece. His relationship with David Brady, who not only penned the show but also operates the technical elements, is particularly delightful. Their interactions create a sense of ensemble, despite the production ostensibly being a one-man show. There is a spontaneity to their exchanges that makes the audience feel part of something happening in the moment, rather than simply watching a performance unfold.
Audience participation is one of the production’s greatest delights, beginning before the performance has even properly got underway. Audience members are handed pieces of card and a pen and invited to write down something or someone they love, along with the reason why. These personal reflections are then added to a wall at the end of the show, creating a growing mood board that becomes part of the set and expands with every performance. It is a lovely, tangible way of bringing the audience’s own experiences into the production, allowing each night’s performance to leave behind a little piece of the people who have witnessed it. Love becomes not simply the subject of the show, but something collectively expressed by the audience itself.
The playful interaction continues throughout the performance. When Samuel brings out The Sims headbands and places them on audience members, the resulting absurdity is a joy to behold. It is a brilliantly playful moment that invites the audience to surrender to the silliness of it all. I genuinely cannot remember the last time I laughed so hard at a theatre performance.
Yet, beneath the laughter, Big Love finds moments of genuine tenderness. Love is, after all, a deeply personal experience: something that can make us feel invincible one moment and utterly undone the next. The production understands this duality, allowing its comedy to coexist with a more vulnerable exploration of what it means to love and be loved.
One particularly affecting element was the inclusion of Edith Piaf’s Hymne à l’amour. I have always found it difficult to listen to Piaf’s rendition without crying; the song holds a deeply personal meaning for me. Hearing it in the context of this production made the evening all the more affecting. Had it been any other song, I don’t believe the moment would have carried quite the same emotional weight. There is something profoundly moving about encountering a piece of music that already holds such a personal attachment within a theatrical experience. Rather than simply accompanying the action, the song brought an additional layer of intimacy to the evening, reminding me how powerfully music can connect our own experiences to those unfolding on stage.
It is moments like these that give Big Love its emotional resonance. For all its playful chaos and riotous humour, the production leaves room for the audience to bring their own histories, memories and vulnerabilities into the space. The growing mood board is a particularly fitting reflection of this idea: every audience contributes something unique, ensuring that the production’s physical world evolves alongside the people who experience it. The laughter makes the quieter moments all the more poignant, whilst the emotional honesty gives the comedy something meaningful to sit alongside.
Ultimately, Big Love is a wonderfully engaging theatrical experience, elevated by Samuel Warren’s charismatic performance, David Brady’s playful presence behind the scenes and a refreshing willingness to break down the barriers between performer and audience. It reminds us that love can be ridiculous, painful, beautiful and entirely beyond our control — sometimes all at once.
And if you leave the theatre having laughed until your face hurts, only to find yourself unexpectedly moved by a song you know all too well, perhaps that is the beauty of Big Love: it catches you off guard, opens your heart and reminds you that, for all its complications, love remains one of the most extraordinary things we experience.
Venue: Lion & Unicorn Theatre, Kentish Town
Dates: 27 October – 7 November
Format: One-act play (60 minutes)
Written and Directed by: David Brady
Associate Director: Mark Conway
Performed by: Samuel Warren
Photography: Ross Kernaghan
Instagram: @proforcatheatre
Website: http://www.proforca.co.uk