1 woman. 29 dates. 3500 third wheels.

By Bojana Novakovic and Mark Winter, with Thomas Henning and Tanya Goldberg
Directed by Sophie Roberts
Presented by special arrangement with Ride On Theatre

After a hugely successful sell-out season in 2014, Silo Theatre return with the awkward, unpredictable and wildly entertaining The Blind Date Project, on at Q Theatre 29 August – 21 September. Created by Sydney’s Ride On Theatre, The Blind Date Project has played to sold out audiences around the world, with past guests including Laverne Cox, Margot Robbie, Jason Alexander and Alan Cumming.

Serial dater Anna’s back on the market and looking for love in all the wrong places. Each night, she meets a new blind date, each one played by a different performer, each one a surprise to Anna. Unscripted and unrehearsed, relying solely on impulse, a shot of tequila and their phones, Anna and her date are directed via live texts and calls as they put their hearts on the line and their nerves to the ultimate test.

Natalie Medlock (Perplex, Shortland Street) reprises her star turn as serial dater Anna. Set to be matched (and mis-matched!) with someone new each night, The Blind Date Project taps into the most human impulses in us all – seeking approval, looking for love, saying too much and struggling to impress.

Watching over these daring dates is the Karaoke Queen and Bartender played by Yvette Parsons (The Educators, The Breaker Upperers). Designers Michael McCabe (Orientation, Sightings, Jacinda) and Rachel Marlow (Wild Dogs Under My Skirt, Here Lies Love, Mr. Burns) will transform Q Theatre’s Loft into a camp, dingy, karaoke dive bar that evokes the heyday of queer nightclubs - think neon, shabby, and chic.

Silo Theatre’s award-winning Artistic Director Sophie Roberts is in the matchmaking Hot Seat, directing the performances live each night to create rom-com mayhem with a fresh line-up of outstanding local talent. Relying on their performative and natural instincts, a surprise rotating cast of mystery dates have accepted this mammoth unscripted theatrical challenge. The line-up of guest dates includes Pax Assadi, Dave Fane, Kura Forrester, Robbie Magasiva, Eli Matthewson, Tom Sainsbury, Alice Snedden, Hayley Sproull, Brynley Stent and Jennifer Ward-Lealand with many, many more to be announced.

Be a fly on the wall of Silo’s hilarious and unique theatrical experiment about love, connection and some really questionable karaoke. Book a table, grab some drinks and watch it all play out.

"It was like being hypnotised, I remember entering, meeting my date, and then an hour later I was in the fetal position on a phone call to my character's mother crying about how I wanted to take over the goat cheese farm!"
Chris Parker, Guest Date of the 2014 season of The Blind Date Project

“Wincingly funny. A sitcom without a script.”
Sydney Morning Herald

“Uniquely hilarious, gutbustlingly human, and stunningly brave.”
The Lumiere Reader

“...fizzing with nervous energy, unseen dangers and the faint hope of finding fulfilment of our deepest yearnings.”
NZ Herald

THE BLIND DATE PROJECT plays at Q Theatre – Loft
29 August – 21 September
Tue to Wed at 7pm, Thu at 8pm, Fri to Sat at 7pm and 9pm, Sun at 5pm
Book at qtheatre.co.nz or 09 309 9771

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