Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York) @ Kiln Theatre, Kilburn, London

A contemporary urban musical rom-com. A love letter to New York and youthful urban living; boy meets girl meets cake and some ethical dilemmas. Powerful, engaging central performances (a cast of two), great staging — luggage turns into everything — and yet whilst everything in me wanted to delight and enjoy it, I came away feeling a bit flat.

Partly I think, for me, it was because Dougal (Sam Tutty) never did the thing he came to New York to do. Partly because Dujonna Gift’s Robin (after some major revelations) bounced back after one power ballad. I think I wanted a bigger romance, maybe more cake carrying and the feeling of the characters learning and growing more than I did. At the end some truth had been revealed, and there was a hint of a growing something — through the exchange of a snow globe. And yet…

Which was a shame because the singing, acting and staging are great. The revolving stage brings huge energy to the production. Robin appears to be very together, organised, getting on with life. Dougal is all open emotion, joy, wonder, awe and delight. Robin finds him embarrassing and tries to lose him. After some wedding cake carrying and dropping, she and Dougal hit the town in their Dougal’s long-lost father funded glad rags, see the sites, behave badly and ultimately neither of them end up doing what they said they’d do.

It’s an intriguing journey, but not as life transforming as I was expecting — and like the dropped cake, it felt like a bit of a waste of so many good things. But there is a hint that things are going to get better as Robin prepares to take cake to her much loved Granny and plug back into a community which loves her. (And that’s what I wanted more of — more Granny enjoying cake moments! Though the kick line is a New York moment in itself!)

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