Review: BINAURAL DINNER DATE, Rich Mix

ZU-UK finds a new home for their inventive Binaural Dinner Date. Previously hosted at Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2017, the experience is a hilariously intimate rollercoaster.

Prompted conversations and slightly agonising tasks get you closer to the stranger (unless one is on a date with their partner or friend - which derails the aim lightly but is a solid bonding exercise nonetheless) who could potentially become the love of your life.

The need to embrace the weirdness of the situation is the clue to fully get into it as - from the heartbroken and lovestruck waiter to the surprising instructions received via earbuds whilst sitting in a cheap Italian restaurant - the circumstances are exhilarating.

The date requires, obviously, a gigantic level of participation and its success and enjoyment largely depend on what one expects from the night. As the pool of people is quite restricted, it might not be the ideal setting to find a true match but it's safe to say that creating a connection is guaranteed.

The piece is a great exploration of the silliness of dating and what happens when humans are put on the spot without an easy exit. The only way not to make it even more awkward than it already is is to go along with it and accept the fact that one of the two will have to badly joke about Brexit and reveal their biggest fears.

It's a quite impressive and curious venture for the company, even though it's not without flaw. The event would benefit from a better sound reproduction system, for starters. Headphones, albeit bulky and visually impacting, might be a more apt solution as both my companion and I were struggling a bit with keeping our earbuds in.

In any case, whether it's with a partner, a friend, or a stranger you can rest assured you'll be in stitches within the first three minutes of it. A certainly intriguing social experiment, Binaural Dinner Date makes for an exciting night out and starts a larger discussion on the development of personal interactions and shared intimacy.

Binaural Dinner Date runs at Rich Mix until 2 March.

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