Love Quirks | The Other Palace Studio

New musical Love Quirks has landed at The Other Palace, following four roommates dissecting love, friendship and the lines between. Each facing their own heartbreaks, they must learn to move past them, to find their own happiness and love. 

The musical is written by Mark Childers with music and lyrics from Seth Bisen-Hersh, filled with quirky songs and quick one liners. That being said, the plot falls short, not having too much substance and feeling overly convoluted at times. Songs such as I’m Not Interested in You and Just Get Over It are the only memorable tunes and even then, they don’t stick out too strongly.

The costumes are designed by Alice McNicholas, an eclectic mix of colours which don’t quite go together but evoke the sense of nostalgia with multiple textures and layers. Bob Sterrett takes on set design, placing the show in the middle of the apartment. Colourful pillows strewn over a sofa, shelves with mugs and glasses decorating the walls to create a homely feel, this fully immerses the audience into the room. 

Chris (Tom Newland) is an American fresh off his flight from NYC to London to start his new career at the end of his relationship after finding out his fiancée had been unfaithful. Newland doesn’t have many songs on his own to showcase his voice, but the times that he does, it is clear he is a passionate performer with a soulful tone. He has the whole audience invested in Chris and his story, waiting to see if he’ll find love again. 

Clodagn Greene plays Stephanie, a woman mourning the breakdown of her marriage, still holding tightly onto her wedding ring and keeping an even tighter hold of her heart. Greene delivers a stellar performance at every moment, conveying every song's emotion clearly. She has a voice like velvet and completely embodies the character of Stephanie at all times. 

Lewis Bear Brown is Ryan, a character who is very unlucky in love, after moving out of his apartment into his boyfriend's, who he has only known for two months. Most of Brown’s songs are in a comedic light, which suit him perfectly, having small pockets of audience laughter. Brown definitely steals the scene, whether he’s on or even off stage sometimes. 

Finally rounding out the cast is Ayesha Patel as Lili. A passionate, chaotic and dedicated friend who can’t quite move on from her ex, who happens to be one of her roommates. Patel has great power and control over her voice, easily switching between silly upbeat songs to ballad type tunes. Her energetic performance bounces off the rest of the cast, creating the most comedic relief out of everyone on stage. 

The show feels unfinished, the ending seeming very rushed and abrupt, almost like an ending had to be hastily written and shoehorned in. Storylines feel forgotten and cut short, yet cannot be elaborated on because the production has reached its time limit.

When the biggest laugh from the audience comes from the mispronunciation of Tottenham, it’s a tell tale sign that there’s something drastically missing from the show. Love Quirks has the potential to be the next big musical, but currently it doesn’t hit the mark. 

Love Quirks plays at The Other Palace until 12th October 2025.

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★★★☆☆ (3*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Anna Clare