Bad Daters
Written by Derek Murphy
Directed by Colm Summers
The Paradise Factory (64 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003)
April 23, 2026 - May 17, 2026
Derek Murphy’s Bad Daters is positively brilliant. We meet Wendy and Liam on their first date which is an unmitigated disaster. Wendy (Kate Arrington) consciously or unconsciously wants the date to be a disaster. She wishes she’d never left her house. This is all her sister’s fault putting her on some app. But she has to make an effort to appease her sister if nothing else. Liam (Shane McNaughton) on the other hand is incredibly sincere, and not deterred in the slightest. Okay, perhaps he’s just a bit put off, but still intrigued.
Wendy and Shane are neither young nor old. They are in that middle area where we almost expect folks to be married and settled, so they should know how to behave on a date by now. They are truly multidimensional which is a credit to the playwright’s creation, the actors’s discovery and the director allowing them space to be specific. Wendy has decided she’s unlovable or at least unlikeable particularly if she says what she’s thinking. “If I did, I’m sure I’d . . . well I don’t think anyone would talk to me again, as it is I’m far too honest.” Meanwhile, Liam has been left with the directive to “make an effort”. Is it that directive that keeps him coming back.
Director Colm Summers’ use of traverse staging makes us into voyeurs. Instead of a play set flat against a backdrop, we are all people in the park who just cannot turn away from the scene unfolding before us. But thankfully, they don’t notice the peals of laughter surrounding them as they repeat their awkward encounters. And laugh we did! The script is funny and poignant, and the banter as delivered by Arrington and McNaughton who have found their rhythm keeps us on the edge of our seats. Liam could have easily walked away at any time, “Wait, this, this here is you being extra nice?” Liam can see something broken in Wendy, a feeling he recognizes in himself from his own trauma. Perhaps that is why he doesn’t give up.
The production design is simple but effective. Liam Bellman-Sharpe provides a subtle soundscape at the top of each scene to set the mood. Costume Designer Kindall Almond had the task of both creating a universal look for the couples’ many meetings and striking the tone with Wendy’s nostalgic signature garment. I took the change of garment’s color as a positive omen and new life ahead for Wendy. The production’s pacing loses some steam when scene changes take too long. I was excited to see what happens next that I didn’t want to be taken out of the moment.
This play is a unicorn. It is simple in structure, but complex in theme. It has plenty of grit for the actors to dig into, but remains wildly funny. And if I said there was a unicorn walking down the street, you wouldn’t hesitate to see it. Make a date with Bad Daters.
Click HERE for tickets.
Review by Nicole Jesson.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on May 2, 2026. All rights reserved.
