Potato/Tomato

The White Bear Theatre

4^th February 2026

Rating: 4 Stars 

 

‘You can’t hurry love’. White table cloths and flowers make up our setting. ‘No, you just have to wait’. There’s champagne and pastries. ‘She said love don’t come easy’. A heart shape decoration tops the adornments. ‘It’s a game of give and take’.  As the song plays and the audience enter, there is certainly a party like atmosphere. We are then handed out programmes, billed as the order of service, and just like that we are thrown into the wedding reception of an unseen couple.  Among our fellow guests is Josh (played by writer/director/producer Harry Harding), a man going through his own emotional, not quiet midlife, crisis. A crisis compounded by the fact that he’s stuck at this wedding with his ex-girlfriend Naomi (Izabella Webb), and her new flame Gary (Luke Rees-Oliviere). His only support is his best friend Mike (Griffin James), a well-meaning but slightly bumbling emotional support blanket, whose interest seems divided between Josh and the Scottish wedding singer Lottie (Katie Hart).  What could possibly go wrong?

 

What unfolds is a hugely entertaining, and surprisingly hard-hitting romantic comedy.  Having reviewed several productions from Room One Theatre, I flattered myself that I knew what to expect from one of their comedies, a night of easy-going laughs.  However, I must confess that in this instance I was wrong (Oh the shame!). Potato/Tomato is so much more than just a generic romantic comedy, there’s real emotion alongside the laughs. But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s talk about the laughs. After all every comedy, romantic or not, is mainly judged on its ability to raise a chuckle. On this note, Potato/Tomato undoubtedly succeeds. Hardings writing brings to mind the best of John Finnemores’ work. Like Finnemore, Harding shows a masterful ability to take a simple scenario, fill it with  eccentric yet believable characters, and let the laughs just roll in. Genuis!

 

Harding also showcases his phenomenal acting funny bones, by taking on the central role of Josh. His erratic over-thinking, combined with sharped tongued wit, brings to mind a joyful mixture of Jay Cartwright (‘Inbetweeners’), Mark Corrigan (‘Peep Show’) and  Sean (Simon Pegg ‘Shawn of the Dead’), in what could be a deemed as one of Hardings best performances. Standing alongside Harding, Griffin James brings the perfect amount of calming influence with his portrayal of Mike, a man full of advice but ultimately unable to express it correctly.  James and Harding are  a wonderfully endearing double act, with Hardings’ energetic portrayal being perfectly accompanied by James wide-eyed innocence. From the start these two comedic powerhouses keep the laughs rolling, with James’ Mike showing an inability to understand well known sayings (‘Potato/Tomato’) and Hardings’ Josh barely controlling his frustration (‘Stop telling people I’m a swinger. I like swing music’). 

 

The laughs continue to roll in with the rest of the supporting cast. Katie Hart is endlessly likeable as the aforementioned wedding singer Lottie. Her never ending patience with Mikes antics, combined with her heartfelt reveal about her journey into the music industry and her apprehensions at continuing to chase her dream, ground the show in a beautiful believability.  The introduction of Joshs’ ex Naomi and her new boyfriend Gary continues to elevate the pieces rib-tickling comedy, whilst also bringing that hard hitting emotion mentioned earlier. Before dissecting the emotion behind the laughs, a special shout out must go to Luke Rees-Oliviere for his brilliant portrayal of Gary. On paper Gary is the perfect boyfriend; educated, caring and cultured, which is exactly what makes him so insufferable! Rees-Oliviere gives us a masterclass in comedic performance, as he combines the worst elements of lad and nerd culture into the perfectly punch-able, cardigan wearing, delusional Gary. By the time he is loudly told to ‘fuck off!’ most of the audience was in  firm agreement. 

 

Now on to the emotional bit……

 

There are two distinct moments that gave me a momentary pause of self-reflection. The first came in the relationship between Hardings Josh and Webbs’ Naomi. Webb is wonderful as the inspiring writer Namoi, a woman caught between love for her ex and the need to move forward. During a flashback sequence we learn the reason for the couples ill-fated relationship, a reason based on the expectation that everyone over a certain age should have their lives sorted out. For anyone of that certain age, this cuts deep, even with the last laughs still fresh in our mind. This is followed by a touching gesture from Mike, which shows the endearing friendship between himself and Hardings Josh (No spoilers! Go and see it!). The moment was truly beautiful, and one that I’m sure will stay with the audience long after the curtain comes down. 

 

There’s a lot to like about ‘Potato/Tomato’. It stands apart from other romantic comedies, offering a refreshing layer of depth alongside proper belly laughs. The only thing wish is that it was slightly longer. Perhaps there’s more to tap into with this project!