SPEND THE NIGHT: A FLEABAG-STYLE DIVE INTO SOMETHING DARKER

By Natasha U’Ren-Ashdown ⭐⭐⭐ | @tasha.ua | Press Invite

Scrolling through dating profiles, judging someone’s vibes from their photos, and piecing together the limited information they choose to share – it’s your classic modern-day romance. Spend the Night is a bold one-woman play that follows Zephr (Tiffany Black, the protagonist and writer), a typical woman in her mid-20s trying to navigate dating apps and the London dating scene. This is a dark, character-driven tragicomedy with strong elements of metafiction and emotional realism.

The play follows Zephr’s life over 24 hours, from the prep before the date, including an intimate wax and the unexpected, outlandish comments from her esthetician, to the next morning in her date Noah’s bed. The date, a bar crawl through aesthetic and overpriced wine bars, is interspersed with Zephr’s chaotic bathroom check-ins with her best friend, ranging from floods of messages to voice notes that get messier faster than her tolerance for red flags as the night goes on. You laugh and relate to the story as if Zephr were one of your friends, knowing you’d be just like her, enjoying the moment and dying to share all the details as soon as possible.

Noah’s out-of-pocket – who even asked –  comments, paired with Zephr’s sassy responses, make you laugh out loud. Their conversation, casually trading turn-ons like items on a checklist, creates a sharp, timely pace and a clear-eyed look at modern sexual politics. The Fleabag-esque energy, felt through Zephr’s sharp character insights, her interactions and her constant fourth-wall breaks to share commentary and inner monologue, draws you deeper into the story and strengthens your connection to her experience.

Beneath the sharp wit and humour lies a powerful underlying theme: female safety, gendered expectations, and systemic sexism. The uneasy truth is fully revealed by the end, and even with earlier foreshadowing, you’re left stunned alongside the protagonist, a moment that sadly holds a mirror to the realities too many women face in society.

Tiffany’s genius lies in her ability to make you laugh at the rawest parts of being human. She stands out for using self-aware commentary and humour in the little things, delicately blending comedy with the tragic darkness of real-life experiences. The songs had some funny moments and a lighthearted charm, though they didn’t quite draw my friend or me in or leave a strong impression compared to the story itself. That said, we loved the unique addition of a live band, a rare feature in fringe theatre, which added a sense of homeliness and comfort to the room and narrative. Ultimately, Spend the Night leaves you laughing, unnerved, and deeply moved- a sharp, intimate reminder of the vulnerability behind every swipe.

Content warnings: Sex/ Sexual abuse.

RIVERSIDE STUDIOS

TIFFANY BLACK

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