I saw my own play for the first time on opening night.
Watching something you wrote come to life on a stage while strangers laugh at exactly the right moments is surreal—and one of the most extraordinary things I’ve ever experienced. I was genuinely proud of what this team had made.
The Team
Laura Shipler Chico as Maggie was warm, funny, and utterly committed. Watching her navigate ten disastrous dates with wit and vulnerability was everything I hoped for when I wrote the character.
…and Mark Parsons. Just wow. He played ten distinct men—each with their own physicality, voice, accent, and soul—sometimes changing costume in seconds, never losing the thread of any of them. Extraordinary doesn’t quite cover it.
Jamie Saul’s direction was inventive and precise. The staging, the interpretation, the “murder board” set as a washing line of date cards—details I hadn’t imagined that made the play richer than I’d written it. That’s what a good director does.
The Audiences
Three performances sold out completely: Friday opening night, Sunday matinee, and Tuesday closing night. Monday is notoriously difficult in London fringe (most theatres are dark) but we turned it around to a three-quarter house, and that audience was as warm and responsive as any of the others.
The moment that will stay with me longest isn’t any single performance. It’s the women. AfteR every show, women came up to me to tell me they had dated every single man in that play. That they recognized themselves in Maggie. That they laughed until something cracked open.
That’s why I wrote it—to validate women, to show them they’re not alone. That’s everything.
“It’s the best play I’ve seen in ages. Seriously!”
The Reviews
Three reviews. Two four stars, one three.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Fast-paced and funny” — London Pub Theatres Magazine
⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Funny, entertaining — I am very excited to see how it develops” — My View From The Stalls
⭐⭐⭐ “A witty, charming tale of ten dates, and a woman who deserves more” — A Young(ish) Perspective
Strangely, even though that last one gave us a 3-star rating, the actual review reads like a 4-star review!
I’ll take it!
The Nominations
Then—just when I thought the run was over and it was time to exhale—the nominations came in.
10 First Dates has been nominated for the London Pub Theatres Magazine Standing Ovation Award. Mark Parsons has received an individual nomination for his performance. Additionally, Laura and Mark have been nominated together for Best Duo Performance by the Fringe Theatre Awards.
My Only Regret
One thing truly nags at me: we didn’t film it. The recording fell through at the last minute for reasons outside my control, and I’m genuinely gutted. Not just for myself, but because there are people who couldn’t be there who deserved to see it. My mom, friends in Portland, and industry contacts who expressed interest but couldn’t make the dates. Not to mention it would be invaluable for trying to secure funding and when applying for an Arts Council grant.
If there’s a next time (there most certainly will be), we’re filming it. Non-negotiably.
What Comes Next
There is industry interest in the play’s future development, including conversations about a potential television adaptation. There are three award nominations. There are reviews that call it funny, sharp, and ripe for development.
10 First Dates is not finished. This run was the beginning, the proof of concept, the first time these characters breathed in front of a live audience. Now I know what works, what needs deepening, and what this play can be when it’s given room to grow.
Watch this space. 🎭
10 First Dates was written by Christine Rose and produced by Gooper Dust Productions. Directed by Jamie Saul, starring Laura Shipler Chico and Mark Parsons.
Christine Rose 
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