Review: Lovestuck at Stratford East

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Four Stars)

Who would have thought that a viral story about a poo-related dating disaster could make the leap to musical theatre? Lovestuck at Stratford East takes inspiration from that infamous 2017 viral moment of the woman stuck upside-down in a window trying to dispose of her own faeces during a Tinder date and turns it into something refreshingly original: a charming and hilarious new British musical that feels like a modern-day millennial fairy tale. 

The plot of Lovestuck follows two unlucky in love singletons, nurse Lucy and LARP-er Peter, who match with each other on a dating app. Their date is going perfectly until a burrito-induced bathroom incident paired with a toilet that just won't flush ruins the romantic atmosphere and things go from bad to worse when the story accidentally goes viral on social media. 

Lucy and Peter are played with warmth and sincerity by Ambra Caserotti and Shane O’Riordan, and the pair are endlessly endearing. Their chemistry shines on stage and gives significant emotional weight to the story. Both leads also deliver really impressive vocal performances. Narrating the story is Alison Steadman, a clever device that underscores the show’s fairy tale tone. Meanwhile, the ensemble also provides lots of scene stealing moments throughout the show, a highlight being the very unenthusiastic waitress at the Mexican restaurant, as well as performing Chi-San Howard’s fun and characterful choreography. 

James Cooper’s book is packed with witty jokes, relatable awkwardness, and a hefty dose of toilet humour. But behind the laughs is a real affection for its characters: Lovestuck feels like a rom-com that gives the quirky, dorky best friends of the main characters the spotlight. The songs, written by Bryn Christopher and Cooper (with music by Christopher and Martin Batchelar), are catchy and clever, ranging from high energy earworms to unexpectedly touching ballads. 

Jamie Morton’s direction ensures the show maintains a great pace. Morton also makes great staging choices, particularly in depicting Lucy when stuck in the window. Tom Rogers’ window-filled set design foreshadows the infamous moment and works well with Adam King’s lighting design to depict multiple locations with just a few moveable set pieces.

While the more crude toilet humour might not be for everyone, the show balances this with plenty of genuine charm. I’d recommend you to take a date to this show: you’ll both laugh a lot and rest assured your evening could never go as badly wrong as Peter and Lucy’s!

Lovestuck runs at Stratford East until 12th July 2025.

Tickets are available here: https://stratfordeast.com/whats-on/all-shows/lovestuck/1725#schedules

Photos by Mark Senior