Have you ever been stood up on a date? For those of you who have managed to escape such circumstances let me assure you, it feels awful. Akosua Amo-Adem takes us through one such experience, and so many more, with her new play Table for Two. Starring Amo-Adem and directed by Djanet Sears, Table for Two is part comedy, part heartbreak, and fully entertaining.

Abby is getting ready to go on a date with her perfect guy, JD45. After a string of awful dates with other guys from dating apps, this one seems like “the one”. However, the longer she sits at the posh King Street restaurant he’s chosen, the more sure she becomes that he isn’t going to show. As she gets ready and while she waits for JD45, Abby regales the audience with stories of her previous relationships. We witness the pressure she feels from her mother, the inspiration and support she receives from her best friend, Janelle, and how these powerful women have helped form the Abby we see today. Though she leaves the restaurant 18oz of wine deep and without a man, the beautifully ambiguous ending does give us hope for Abby.

Right off the top, Amo-Adem addresses the audience, asking us if we’re willing to chat with her while she gets ready. There’s an instantaneous shift, and ease comes over the room as audience members feel like they can contribute: to comment or react as vocally as they wish. While at times this ease might be taken advantage of, Amo-Adem handles these improvisational moments with grace, able to react and keep on script without missing a beat. What it did make clear is how unique yet universal this experience is: when Abby was being mis-treated, not just the women but people of all genders would admonish the man who was hurting her, without question. Yet when Abby’s mother is proud of her and started singing a hymn, there were a few voices who automatically joined in; clearly their mothers/grandmothers/aunties do the same as there was instant connection to it. A community is being formed with each new audience in a different way than normal, and it’s part of what makes Table for Two the special experience it is.

Astrid Janson’s set design is simple yet effective. Abby’s closet and her mother’s pantry exist on opposite sides of the stage, with large black panels which allow them to fully disappear when not in use. When she’s at the restaurant there’s a well-lit shelving unit at the back of the stage full of sleek sculptures and wine glasses. A table and two chairs take centre stage where the majority of the action occurs. My favourite element, however, is a combination of Nick Blais’ lighting and some of the props used on stage. When you first enter the theatre, the stage is pitch black, with seven squares of light being beamed down onto the front of the stage. These become the vessels for mementos of her relationships, Simba-ls if you will, which she places as she tells each story. These physical representations of past heartbreaks create a sort of Abby Museum yet also show how we can hold onto things even if they have painful memories attached to them.

There is no one who could tell this story like Akosua Amo-Adem. She’s one of those actors who can tell you every single little thing she’s thinking in a look, and she does so several times throughout Table for Two, sending the audience into uproarious laughter. Meghan Swaby plays Abby’s bestie Janelle, and as one audience member commented “get you a Janelle!” Swaby gives Janelle a feistiness and softness that makes me want to be that kind of friend. I also have to say, that as a plus-sized gal myself, it is so fantastic to see body shapes of all kinds on stage in this play, especially in a play that has zero focus on that element of the character’s life. She’s luscious and she knows it and that’s that; I strive for that level of confidence. Ryan Allen plays the gamut of Abby’s love interests, everything from high school dudes to her long-time love Patrick. Allen’s versatility is put to the test and he passes with flying colours. Bola Aiyeola plays Abby’s Mom, and from the minute she picked up her mule to scare Abby, I could tell that this is a character she knows very well. Though much of play shows the mother’s hard exterior, Aieyola truly shines in the moments of quiet truth and vulnerability.

In her notes, Amo-Adem mentions how she came up with this play while working on a project inspired by Waiting for Godot. Beckett’s influence on this play is evident, and like Godot, I don’t mind not knowing what the future has in store for Abby; there’s a certain peace which she’s achieved by the end of the play which is worth so much more than a good date. Table for Two is a fun, moving, and beautiful show that everyone should see whether you’re married, with a partner, or are in the dating pool yourself.

Table for Two runs in the Michael Young Theatre at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts until March 2. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.soulpepper.ca/performances/table-for-two

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Cover Photo: Akosua Amo-Adem. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

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