Hotshow: Stefan Glaszewski Speaks About A Girl He Once Loved

Published on Wednesday 6 August 2008 20:34

STEFAN GOLASZEWSKI SPEAKS ABOUT A GIRL HE ONCE LOVED **** PLEASANCE COURTYARD (VENUE 33)

THE title does this truly lovely show no favours at all. It makes it sound like the reflections of an earnest Russian merchant seaman on the one true love he left behind at some port.

Actually, Stefan Golaszewski is a comedy writer, performer and the director of last year's Tom Basden Won't Say Anything, which won the If.Comedy Best Newcomer award. If there's any justice he should find himself similarly honoured this year when the theatre gongs are handed out.

It's 1999 and the 18-year-old Stefan meets a girl in a pub. They meet up again the next day and should be falling in love because she's perfect – apart from her name anyway, which is Betty – but things go very wrong very quickly and the poor bastard still isn't over her.

Golaszewski is a captivating performer – even in the sweatbox environment of the Pleasance Attic. He manages to successfully sketch his teenage mates to fine comedic effect and convincingly becomes the embarrassing adolescent he once was. Admittedly it wasn't that long ago, but Golaszewski is excellent at capturing the feverish thought patterns he went through composing the perfect, self-deprecating text to send to the girl of his dreams.

One bombshell later and it's the end of the affair, but Golaszewski and Betty still enjoy (well, nearly) one hesitant sexual encounter which is beautifully captured.

The wealth of detail that Golaszewski has put into this show makes it all the more universal. No-one can fail to be touched by his story because we've all gone through something like it at one point. He has written this play in an effort to get over Betty and it obviously hasn't worked.

"I should have put her name in the title," sighs a genuinely moist-eyed Golaszewski who has been trying to trace Betty for years "in case she ever Googles herself".

Her full name was Betty Wallace – well, some reviews go online, so you never know.

• Until 25 August. Today 3:15pm