TPM’s ‘Blind Dates’ explores dating while blind with vibrant performance ≥ NEXT Magazine

Tales of blind dating in an increasingly looks-centric world

What: Blind Dates
Where: Theatre Passe Muraille, Bob Nasmith Innovation Backspace Theatre, 16 Ryerson Ave.
When: Now, until Sat., March 15
Highlight: A tactile scenic design that serves both functional and aesthetic purposes
Rating: NN (out of 5)
Why you should go: Wacky and tender highs and lows of dating while vision-impaired

BLIND DATES SEEM to be a thing of the past, with dating apps like Tinder, Hinge and Grindr operating on a looks-first philosophy to dating.

For writer, performer and composer Vivian Chong, on the other hand, blind dates are very much her everyday reality as she is literally blind. Blind Dates, a 65-minute solo show unfolds by Chong retelling a series of her romantic adventures. From volunteering at a youth summer camp to paddle boarding, Chong encounters a series of men with varying reactions to her intersectional identity. Interspaced between these tales are sweet songs by Chong reflecting on love and life.

This story is brought to life in a tactile and colourful set by Echo Zhou 周芷會. There is a green bench of textured grass in the middle of The Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace (that doubles as a piano that Chong plays), alongside colourful poles lining the sides of the stage much out of a kid’s playground. Tiles have been put on the ground of the stage varying in textures and colours recreating both a boardwalk and a beach, operating on an aesthetic level and a functional level for Chong to traverse across the stage without needing assistance. It’s the perfect playing space for Chong’s tales of blind dating in an increasingly looks-centric world, with a playful and grounded energy that Chong carries through her performance.

From a man who plays the mandolin to an episode of how online dating is tragically inaccessible, Chong takes delight in recounting her wacky dating history. Chong’s string of anecdotes, while charming, plays more like a TED talk rather than a dynamic piece of theatre. This falls mostly on the scriptwriting that simply tends to recount stories rather than create a dramatized experience for an audience. Covering many years and several different men, Blind Dates struggles to find a dramatic throughline that grips one’s attention. It feels more like grabbing drinks with a friend and hearing about their dates; while entertaining and endearing with Chong’s vibrant and positive energy, it doesn’t necessarily make for riveting theatre.

This is not to say there are no theatrical elements. Director, dramaturg and TPM artistic director Marjorie Chan 陳以珏 takes many opportunities to theatricalize this 2D-feeling story. Chong moves around the set in a strategic and codified way, taking up a new area every time a new story commences. Sound design by Gloria Mok 莫嘉詠 and movement collide in little moments of storytelling, such as when Chong flicks her hand and a tambourine plays.

All of the Blind Dates performances are blind-friendly, where the production team has adjusted, added and considered elements with their disability dramaturg Jess Watkin. This includes but is not limited to visual descriptions of the set and performer. They also have AI-generated captions alongside the show, so anyone who needs them can follow along. Unfortunately, AI is not reliable in comparison to regular captioning and alters words and entire sentences to the point where meaning is consistently lost. It feels counterintuitive to have a captioning service be so inaccessible because of its lack of accuracy; it really isn’t particularly serving anyone. There is also no captioning for the songs or music (though copies of the lyrics are available upon request and on the website).

Chong has a beautiful musicality on the keyboard and ukelele and has a delightfully sweet singing voice. Lighting design by Steph Raposo highlights these moments of music through spotlights, making her seem like she’s in her own little world while she plays. On the composing end of things, the songs are repetitive and tend towards simplistic lyrics. Though they’re pretty to listen to, they lack depth and nuance.
While Blind Dates could use more theatricality in its scriptwriting and feels somewhat surface-level, Chong is a vibrant performer who brings an undeniable charm and positive energy to her work. The design elements and directorial choices help round out this piece and bring it to life. This is definitely a labour of love, and that’s something that you don’t need to literally see to understand.