March 20–24, 2026 | Women’s Writers Festival
I’m thrilled (and slightly terrified, which feels appropriate given the subject matter) to announce that my new play, Ten First Dates, will be produced by Gooper Dust Productions at the Etcetera Theatre from March 20–24, 2026, as part of the Women’s Writers Festival.
Yes. It’s really happening.
After drafts, redrafts, a workshop table read, director notes, producer conversations, and conversations about middle-aged dating, Maggie is stepping fully into the light…and she’s bringing ten men with her.
(They’re all played by one actor. Pray for him.)
What Is 10 First Dates?
At its heart, 10 First Dates is a fast-paced, funny, and sharply observed solo play about dating in midlife — the hope, the humiliation, the archetypes, the red flags, and the deeply inconvenient desire to still be chosen.
Maggie is smart, self-aware, and absolutely certain she knows what she will and will not tolerate anymore. She has a Deal Breaker List. She has boundaries. She has opinions.
What she doesn’t have? A second date.
Across ten wildly different encounters — from the aggressively spiritual to the aggressively entitled, from charming almost-matches to men who absolutely should not be allowed near a kombucha — Maggie navigates the strange landscape of modern dating with wit, fury, and increasing honesty.
But beneath the comedy lies a bigger question:
What if the goal isn’t finding the right man but finding yourself again?
Why This Story Now?
We see plenty of romantic comedies about twenty-somethings fumbling toward adulthood. We see glossy love stories about youth, beauty, and “forever.”
What we don’t often see is the reality of dating after divorce. After long relationships. After life has already happened.
Middle-aged women are rarely centered in stories about desire. Or loneliness. Or agency. Or starting over.
And yet — that’s exactly where so many of us live.
The topic is gaining more traction in popular culture, as seen in The Guardian’s recent article.
What to Expect
- A woman who refuses to shrink
- A solo performer playing ten distinct men
- Quick shifts in tone and costume
- Comedy that occasionally punches
- A story that may feel uncomfortably familiar
And, ideally, a room full of people laughing in recognition.
10 First Dates isn’t about “finding The One.”
It’s about rediscovering your own company.
It’s about the quiet power of saying no.
And, occasionally, about saying yes.
Development Journey
This play has evolved enormously over the past year. What began as a comedic concept grew into something more layered during development — especially after a recent workshop table read with our director and collaborators.
We explored structure. Escalation. How the dates function dramatically. Where Maggie’s confidence cracks — and where it rebuilds.
The result is sharper, braver, and more honest.
There are still big laughs.
There is still absurdity.
There is still a Deal Breaker List.
But there’s also vulnerability, tension, and an ending that feels genuinely earned.
The Team
I’m deeply grateful to be working with collaborators who are pushing the piece toward its strongest version. Development is humbling, invigorating work — and being part of the Women’s Writers Festival makes this moment especially meaningful.
The festival celebrates female voices, bold storytelling, and work that challenges and expands theatrical space. To be included in that lineup feels like both an honor and a responsibility.
And the Etcetera Theatre is the perfect home — intimate, immediate, and alive with energy. If you’ve ever sat in that space, you know how electric it can feel when a story lands.
Produced by Gooper Dust Productions
Directed by Jamie Saul
Starring:
– Laura Shipler Chico as Maggie
– Mark Parsons as all ten men!
When & Where
10 First Dates
March 20–24, 2026
Etcetera Theatre, Camden
As part of the Women’s Writers Festival
Book Online!
Three weeks to opening.
That’s thrilling. That’s terrifying. That’s exactly right.
If you’re in London, I would love to see you there — cheering, wincing, laughing, and maybe leaving with a slightly revised definition of what a “successful” date looks like.
If you’d like to support fringe theatre (& my playwriting), please consider donating to ensure the cast/crew receive a living wage! We’re trying to raise a mere £750 to supplement our seed funding.
Christine Rose 
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