Romance on Repeat

Aug 8 2025 | By Hugh Simpson More

★★★☆☆ Repetitious

theSpace on the Mile (Venue 39): Sun 3 – Sat 23 Aug 2025
Review by Hugh Simpson

There is commitment and an intriguing central premise in Backyard Alchemy and New Celts’ Romance On Repeat – at theSpace on the Mile on odd dates throughout the Fringe. However, the end result does not always convince.

Thomas Ambrosini’s play deals with Lizzie (Brikaih Floré), whose inability to deal with family illness and romantic disappointment cause her to retreat into those made-for-TV movies that are everywhere at Christmas, where an unfulfilled marketing executive returns to her home town and meets… I’m sure you get the idea.

Daniel Medina-Lopez (John) and Brikaih Floré (Lizzie) in Romance on Repeat. Pic: Backyard Alchemy.

This is a piece that goes into the various tropes of those movies at length. Too much, in the end, as it certainly goes on too long. The problem is that the play never seems sure whether it is attacking the genre or gently mocking it, starting to examine the characterisations and underlying assumptions of Hallmark movies but then drawing back. And the outcome is a lack of clarity.

There is certainly an awful lot of Christmas going on, and while those people who try to avoid a certain song as far into the year as possible might be the most annoyed, they won’t be the only ones.

tricksy playing about

Then, when it all seems over, we are into a Groundhog Day-style exploration of other holidays that doesn’t seem necessary. The title may have ‘repeat’ in it, but that is not much of an excuse. There is also some tricksy playing about with levels of reality that doesn’t quite come off.

However, it is all done with energy and considerable bravado under the direction of Jessie Syme. Floré’s central performance, moreover, is extremely accomplished, with wit, vulnerability and flashes of anger.

Brikaih Floré (Lizzie) and Daniel Medina-Lopez (John) in Romance on Repeat. Pic: Backyard Alchemy.

The rest of the cast – Nick Wilcocks as the patronising ex, Desirée Hoeksma as the friend with no independent personality, Daniel Medina-Lopez as the hometown hunk – also give it everything, with Hoeksma in particular being very funny. The technical support from Lewis Linning and Syme is also impressive.

There is an inescapable feeling of an overextended revue sketch here, but overall it does have charm.

Running time: One hour and 10 minutes (no interval).
theSpace on the Mile (Space 3), 80 High St, EH1 1TH. (Venue 39).
Sunday 3 – Saturday 23 August 2025.
Odd dates only: 1.50pm.
Tickets and details: Book here on EdFringe.com.

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