Before I spill the juicy contents of Harriet Richardson’s one-woman performance-art show, I must warn you that it tells of “a true story” (allegedly).
The “true story” at hand is an absurd string of events tied to Richardson’s love life over the past few years. I’ll admit, someone chatting to you for an hour about their romantic ventures is usually a little dull. That’s what I thought too until I met Harriet Richardson, the woman who treats girly gossip as a whole different beast to the kind you’re used to.
With nothing but a mic and a PowerPoint slideshow, Richardson begins her show by telling a story that gave her internet fame (and a feature in The Guardian). In 2024, she went on a hundred virtual dates in a day. With ages ranging from 21 to 80, Richardson picks some clips to show us from some of her “highlight” dates. This inevitably gets lots of laughs, which soon turn to nervous chuckles as you start to worry: how does a love life get more absurd than that?
I won’t give too much away apart from some snippets involving hiring a private investigator, befriending a church reverend, and finding Paul Mescal on Raya. Those events are in no particular order, and even if they were, it wouldn’t make sense unless she told you the full story.
Despite the charming way Richardson delivers her hilarious anecdotes, you’d be fooled into thinking she won’t rattle your moral compass during the hour she chats to us. Aside from the comedy, this show is partially about obsession, which Richardson states is “difficult to explain to those that haven’t experienced it.”
Using the example of her online affair with a famous comedian (who remains anonymous), Richardson confesses the lengths of her stalking pursuits to us, which reached the depths of Spotify stats and even led to buying this unnamed man’s clothes on eBay. Although this makes us question what the show’s Creep title is actually referencing: the men involved in her stories, or Richardson herself, it’s the moral ambiguity and frank honesty of our performing protagonist that makes her show so engaging and enjoyable.
I would recommend this to all who are lucky enough to get a fast-selling ticket. I hope to see Richardson in a long, successful, and inevitably chaotic career in performance arts.
Harriet Richardson: Creep is on in Pleasance Below and Baby Grand until 30 August. Buy tickets here
Image provided by Salam & Holohan as press material.
