Eggs Aren't That Easy To Make | Riverside Studios

Surely, there are many of us that have made silly (and slightly earnest) pacts with our friends, like the promise of marriage after a certain age, or the promise of carrying the others baby. But, how would it go if these potentials became reality? Eggs Aren’t That Easy To Make hatches this question open in this new comedic exploration of fertility and friendship at Riverside Studios.

Maria Telnikoff's new play tells the tale of Claire and Lou, two lovers who have decided to take the next step in their relationship and have a child together. Their best friend Daniel then steps in as their sperm donor, after a pact made with Claire years ago at a party, but lines and boundaries begin to blur as the process nears reality. At its core, Eggs Aren’t That Easy To Make is a story about love, both platonic and romantic, and the realities of parenthood in queer relationships.

Telnikoff has crafted a successful story, all the characters have a likeability that engages you within their stories and allows the audience to care. She also brings a very modern voice that is approachable, relatable and recognisable. The play is littered with a modern charm that works in harmony with the cast and the direction from Lauren Tranter.

Backstory is vital for a play like this, that drops the audience straight into this established friend group, and there are some clever, endearing montages that build this, allowing the audience to act as a fifth member to the group. The plays strength derives from this open door for the audience, the fly on the wall british soap approach is a certain success.

Performances also add triumph to the piece, especially Tom Kingman as Daniel whose comedic performance contends with some of the best so far this year. Esther Carr as Lou brings a great sense of grounding to the eccentric world of this play; whilst most characters live at 100% and hold a flair for dramatics, Carr allows Lou to breathe and be a stable voice of reason throughout. Rachel Andrews brings some sublime comedic physicality to her performance as Claire, allowing her body to give in to reactions and finding the comedic charm within these moments. Sophia Rosen-Fouladi brings an assured portrayal of Naomi, but her true shine comes through in her performance as Laura, a truly crowd pleasing scene stealer.

Eggs Aren't That Easy To Make has a very natural simplicity to it, but it works well, complimenting the script and serving it to be a charming rom-com. Sometimes the naturalism works a bit awkwardly, such as in moments of overlapping group speech where any conversation was kind of lost, but these moments are fleeting and do not take away from

the story, just come across slightly jarring.

The play has a fantastic way of capturing how awkward honesty can be, it adds a charm and quirk that brings the entire show to life. The representation of sapphic love stories on our stages in 2026 is vital and this is a clever route to head down, an engaging story that holds some endearing moments.

Eggs Aren't That Easy To Make is a quintessential look into British eccentrics and love from a

queer angle that has a striking resemblance to the modern lives we live.

Eggs Aren't That Easy To Make plays at Riverside Studios until Sunday 12th April - tickets and more information can be found here.

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Fabiano Waters