Writer: Douglas Lyons
Director: Zhailon Levingston
Table 17’s light and entertaining romance unapologetically leans into the messy, complicated, yet ever hopeful rom-com world. It is a story of two exes, reuniting for dinner, anxious to discover whether love is still around them.
This transfer, from New York and LA, brings an excellent, seasoned cast, including Michael Rishawn, who has been with the production since its inception. The Kiln Theatre audience is welcomed with disco balls and upbeat music. Seating at the front is replaced with cabaret-style tables for two. There is popcorn, audience interaction, and a pacey 90 minutes. This production wants you to feel good and have fun. Director Zhailon Levingston’s production certainly succeeds, but sometimes Lyon’s punchy script misses the opportunity to make a deeper comment on love and relationships in today’s world.
Jada and Dallas haven’t seen each other since their long-ago painful split, that is, until tonight, when they will meet again at Bianca’s restaurant. They are nervous as they get ready, with Marisha Wallace’s bold, beautiful, life-affirming Jada greeting the audience and expecting answers on whether she looks good in her fabulous gold dress – she does! Jamael Westman is the lovable, charismatically goofy Dallas, “rockin’ and poppin’” in his corduroy. He moves and grooves to Usher. His love of music is as powerful as his love was for Jada.
They are quirky and cute and seem a perfect match. So what went wrong? As the answer unfolds, they aren’t alone on this journey. Michael’s Rishawn’s River is the host, with flair and fabulous hair, who ferries them to table 17, the exact spot where they first fell in love.
The action flips between present and past events. Jada and Dallas’s backstory driven by Rishawn’s outstanding performance, effortlessly switching character from the sensitive and bitchy River into Eric, the suave and determined catalyst who breaks into Jada and Dallas’s relationship. From the first meet-cute to the instigating incident that leads to breakup, this story is a real one. Career demands can push couples apart, and insecurity might lead to thoughtless choices. But beyond this, what else is at stake? There is little to surprise here.
Lyon’s play is driven by strong character-led performances, but unaffected by the outside world. Jada and Dallas are a sort of inverted Beatrice and Benedick who, instead of bickering and berating each other for love, have a bite to eat and reminisce. Dallas is no longer drinking, but we are not shown how that might have driven Jada’s past actions. Events unfold in isolation, and this is problematic when a particularly toxic Bartender (again performed by the excellent Rishawn) briefly appears with a substantial monologue about his singleton life with women who enjoy his cocktails and “drop their panties”. It’s unclear how we are meant to take his story in a post- #MeToo world.
Sensitive and snazzy River keeps a watchful eye on the ex-lovers, with witty commentary on the action and on the audience. Lyon’s monologues are where his written word zings. “Oh the straights”, River quips— yes, what fools they be- and Rishawn’s performance holds the balance away from caricature, but River’s lived experience also demands more nuance from Lyon.
The tone is the right side of schmaltzy, with Wallace and Westman playing Douglas Lyon’s gushy love language perfectly pitched. Yet, you almost want these characters to burst into song— a force that would capture the passion and deeper resonances that bubble beneath.
What Lyons captures very well is that good people make mistakes. Love is often confusing, and without communication, needs are missed. Misunderstandings and hurt happen. Is love all we need? Can love fix everything? How do we forgive and allow ourselves to be vulnerable again? These questions are served up and savoured, yet it does not feel enough, and we are left a little hungry for more.
Runs until 24 October 2026
