Romantic Comedy, put on by the Ottawa Little Theatre, promised to provide just that: romance and comedy. However, the OLT should perhaps consider renaming their production Humdrum Tragedy – a far more apt name.

Unfortunately, this show missed the mark on just about all counts. From dreary, unflattering costumes, to a simplistic and underwhelming set, to lacklustre, unbelievable acting, the entire show is bland, uninspired, and overall devoid of any form of artistic talent, be it on or off the stage.

However, not all can be blamed on the OLT’s theatrical prowess – or lack thereof. The play itself, written by Bernard Slade, is boring, plotless, and does not lend itself well to being produced in the 21^st century, no matter the calibre of the actors and artists.

The one redeeming quality of this play is the auditory choices, namely, the songs chosen to be played during the set changes. From Benny Goodman’s Sing Sing Sing, to Chet Baker’s But Not For Me, to the Bee Gees Stayin’ Alive, the songs chosen accentuated the show exceptionally well, and made what would otherwise have been torturously long set changes more bearable.