REVIEW: GRINDR MOM @ WATERLOO EAST THEATRE

🎭 Grindr Mom

📍 Waterloo East Theatre, Brad Street, London, SE1 8TN

🗓 Friday 20th February 2026

⭐️ 2 Stars

GHOSTED BY THE SCRIPT

I headed down to the Waterloo East Theatre last night with high hopes for the European premiere of GRINDR MOM, written by Ronnie Larsen. On paper, this show is a total winner - a well-meaning, devout mother dives headfirst into the murky, headless-torso-filled waters of Grindr in a misguided attempt to "save" her gay son. What's not to love? Sadly, the reality of the production was more of a "swipe left" than a "tap".

Unfortunately it's Larsen's writing that is the biggest issue here. While the core idea is brilliant, the execution is remarkably clunky. We are promised a high-concept comedy, but the script severely suffers from some seriously poor pacing. It took over 35 minutes of stage time before we even got to the actual premise of the play - the mom creating the account. In a show that runs roughly 75 minutes, spending almost half your runtime on the prologue is a risky move that I felt didn't pay off. By the time the titular app finally buzzed into life, the momentum has already stalled.

There is so much potential here for a laugh-out-loud riot, but I found myself checking out remarkably early. Instead of being sharp, biting, and witty, the dialogue felt thin and, at times, honestly quite boring. When I find myself fighting to keep my eyes open and my mind engaged, I know something is seriously wrong.

While there were a few polite laughs scattered throughout the auditorium from a generous audience, it never quite hit that comedic fever pitch or emotional resonance you'd expect from such a juicy setup.

Then we have the performance. Jessica Martin is an absolute pro with a great CV, but I really struggled to buy what she was selling in this particular outing. I just didn't believe the character's journey if I'm honest. It felt more like an actor saying the lines rather than truly living them. You want to see that internal conflict of faith versus maternal instinct, but it all felt very surface level. Although the fault for this doesn't necessarily sit at Martin's feet though. With a poor script, and Gerald Armin's somewhat lacklustre direction, she hasn't been given the tools to really showcase her talent, and the play never gets off the ground.

In my opinion, this show fell significantly under par. To be fair, this is still the very beginning of the run, so perhaps it just needs time to bed in and find its rhythm. But for now, despite all the promise and a fantastic venue, it's not quite the "Xtra" experience I was hoping for.

GRINDR MOM continues performances at Waterloo East Theatre until Sunday 1st March. Click here to check ticket availability.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of Grindr Mom was gifted by Kevin Wilson Public Relations who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

RUNNING TIME (approx):

1 hour 15 minutes, with no interval

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