As If We Ever Were, from Mermaids’ Fresher’s Drama Festival 2025, is trippy yet strangely captivating. Writer and director Lila Ahnger begins with a curious premise — a dinner party which brings together the host’s older sister, ex-husband, old schoolmate, distant coworker, childhood stuffed animal, and her evasive groom-to-be. Despite (or even because of) the absurdity of the scenario, she uniquely tackles the universal themes of self-esteem, loneliness, longing, and fantasy. As the play’s tagline reads: “Love is blind, but delusion has perfect vision.”
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| ID: Elliott Reed as Davide and Cece Allentuck as Evelyn, with Emma Legowski as Pickles, George Jeffreys as Peter, and Libby Mullen as Pamela in the background. Credit: Eilidh Read. |
Indeed Ahnger has a near-perfect understanding of the story she weaves. The characters (though laughably ludicrous) are generally well-fleshed out, and the scenes flow well from one to the next. The play’s short duration, which doesn’t quite reach an hour, nevertheless allows for various comical twists and turns, and persuades the audience to connect with its quirky protagonist, Evelyn (Cece Allentuck). The writing is witty, producing many laugh-out-loud moments, though I felt that the cast may have emphasised some of these better with a heightened attention to timing. Additionally, the transitions seemed somewhat under-rehearsed, which made the pacing lose momentum at times. Even so, the capable cast demonstrated an acute grasp of their characters’ physicality, Allentuck in the lead role and Elodie Bain as Ginger standing out with their bold use of physical comedy. What’s more, the decision to keep most of the cast onstage for the majority of the production added depth and interest to each scene thanks to the actors’ believable yet engaging performances.
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| ID: George, Emma, Caroline Kerr as Margo, Libby, and Cece. Credit: Eilidh Read. |
Of note as well are the fantastic production team, overseen by producer Eilidh Read. Elena Bello’s costumes are fantastic; they seamlessly combine with the script to heighten the play’s hilarity. The sound and light design are also incredibly successful, with adventurous choices that certainly pay off. Additionally, towards the final moments, there is a completely unexpected and tremendously funny use of multimedia which drastically elevates the viewing experience. What’s more, the design of the set and props by Anoushka Paymaster-Thatcher produces a stark realism in a particularly effective way, all the while foreshadowing the thought-provoking final scene.
With its shocking ending (which I will not reveal), As If We Ever Were prompts us to consider the lives that we envision for ourselves, asking: if we cannot change the past, how can we create our future? To experience this short but entertaining farcical drama for yourself, find tickets on the Student Union website for the Saturday matinee and Sunday night performances (Feb 08-09th).
By Blanca (she/her)