REVIEW: MAYBE I DO at The Hen and Chicken Theatre / Camden Fringe

‘captures the essence of a colourful eccentric Carmen buzzing with wild ideas and plans and crazy schemes’ ★★★★

The stage is set for an event of utter serious importance. A wedding is about to take place. A red leather one seater chair. A table laid with a red velvet tablecloth. A rose pink laptop. A vivid contrast against the black background of the black box theatre. From the moment Cova Camblor enters the room with a bouquet of yellow flowers that still has the price tag on, she illuminates the room with her bubbling personality and her storytelling abilities packed full of anecdotes. When a 33 seconds waiting time before the start of a zoom meeting reminds Cova’s Carmen of Jesus Christ's age, you know that you are in for a ride.

It is known that Spanish speakers speak faster than English speakers. This one woman production has embraced its Spanish identity and celebrated its differences. The pace varies and the occasional tempo changes and pauses are soon followed by an outburst of emotions, which add to the comic timing of an hysterical Carmen (with an impressively long surname). The humour of the mismatched pink sock and the blue sock in bunny slippers with a red hearted nose, is a reminiscence of a not-too-far away pandemic zoom video calls filled life that many of us experienced back in 2020.



The choices made by Cova with Anca Vaida’s direction have managed to capture the essence of a colourful eccentric Carmen buzzing with wild ideas and plans and crazy schemes. ‘Maybe I do’ will keep you entertained for 45 minutes until an unexpected twist at the end. When one leaves the room, or should I say the zoom meeting, one cannot but think about what Carmen will be up to next? Watch out for her next moves.

Maybe I do…?

Venue: The Hen and Chickens Theatre (Dates: 31st July 2023 & 1st August 2023 at 7:30pm)

Venue: Rosemary Branch Theatre (Dates: 4th August 2023 & 5th August 2023 at 9.00pm)

Writer: Cova Camblor

Director: Anca Vaida

Box Office Link: https://camdenfringe.com/events/maybe-i-do/

Reviewed by Melanie Lam