REVIEW: LOVE SONGS IN LONDON at Baron’s Court Theatre 14 - 19 March 2023

‘from the jokes to the jams, ‘Love Songs in London’ never misses a beat’ ★★★★

Fearlessly offering her take on the most well-trod of all theatrical subjects, Lauren Ava Thomas absolutely commands the stage musically and comedically; from the jokes to the jams, ‘Love Songs in London’ never misses a beat.

A song-stuffed string of anecdotes and observations that take us from Hyde Park to Inferno’s, the play covers a young woman’s bumpy journey in search of love in the modern world. Many of the expected romantic complaints are covered (dating apps, rejections and unrequited lusts), but this makes the surprises all the more pleasant when they do occur, such as when Thomas reminds us that love never exists in a vacuum through a stirring song about surviving the London rental market. Covering the many difficulties introduced into one’s love life thanks to the ever-rising cost of living, the song explodes into a wonderfully crude and well-earned final chorus of “Fuck the Tories!”.

It’s moments like this where Thomas’ musical chops shine. A one hour, one-woman show where barely a minute passes without an acoustic guitar being strummed has many opportunities to hit a few speed bumps, but Thomas proves an impeccable musician even when writhing around on an improvised dance floor.  Never failing to miss a single step, her guitar playing is expert, her singing voice exceptional and her comedic timing excellent. All in all, the character that Thomas and director Amelia Glydon have collaborated to deliver is perfectly attuned for the material of the play. You could enjoy this character moaning, singing and quipping about anything, from the inane to the profound.

The only flaw here is the lack of an overall narrative or journey for this brilliant character. We’re simply whisked through various songs and situations that range from drunken celebrity parties to lusting after the local pest control agent. A hint of structure is offered at the beginning when Thomas vows to have all dating apps deleted from her phone by the end of the night, but the subject is never broached again. Additionally, while Thomas’ consistent crowd-work with the audience keeps everyone highly engaged, the segment where she calls two volunteers on stage and conspires to have them fall in love falls flat and lacks a punchline (assuming of course a sequel failed to play out at the bar afterwards).

But the production resists being weighed down by these minor pitfalls and ends on a notable high. Some say the hardest thing to achieve in a comedy is ending on a sincere and earnest note, but Thomas achieves this beautifully as she rounds out the show with a simple yet moving song about a local couple who found love in the 1950’s and have been together ever since. As with the rest of the play’s musical numbers it’ll be well worth a listen on its inevitable upload to Spotify.

LOVE SONGS IN LONDON at Baron’s Court Theatre, 14th March – 19th March 2023

Box office: https://www.baronscourttheatre.com/love-songs-in-london

Written and performed by: Lauren Ava Thomas

Original music by: Lauren Ava Thomas

Directed by: Amelia Glydon

Produced by: Burnt Orange Theatre

Reviewed by Harry Conway