Review: We’ll Always Have Paris (White Bear Theatre)
Review by Bhavni Joshi
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Written as a love story to all the most famous love stories of all time, and all the most sad endings, playwright Paul Kalburgi chooses to describe We’ll Always Have Paris as “a rom-com with a twist”. but the only twist I could see was the impressive balance of emotions in the show. Focusing on the character of Ginny, a forty-year old screenwriter forced to restart after the death of her fiancé and projectionist, Jerry. What follows is a hauntingly beautiful exploration of love, loss, and growth as Ginny navigates her new life. Full of trips to IKEA, love stories gone wrong, and several romance film references, We’ll Always Have Paris gives the audience a glimpse at a modern rom-com worth watching. There was such a fine balance between the weight of grief and the giddy exploration of new and old love, and it was so carefully navigated in every scene.
Writer Paul Kalburgi is able to capture the comedy of modern dating and somehow bring it perfectly together with tearful monologues on grief. The story in We’ll Always Have Paris is rich in laughter and tears, with a strong build up for each emotional moment. All of the characters felt well realised and multidimensional, less like characters and more like the people you’d meet in everyday life, with plenty of depth that was explored throughout the play.
We’ll Always Have Paris also boasts a phenomenally talented cast, all effortlessly nailing the emotions of every scene. Cyril Blake was a pleasure to watch as multiple characters, able to flawlessly switch from the dorky Jerry to the flirty Seb. This was the perfect balance to the swinging emotions of Ginny, who was so well played by Miranda Colmans. Eliza Williams was a perfect anchor between the three, with her acting grounding the rest of the show. Every scene felt very real, and it was hard to resist the emotional power they held in the room. Kay Brattan effortlessly brings the play together through her exciting direction, nailing every aspect of the play such as the more tender moments between Ginny and Jerry, showing how beautifully in love they were.
The set was excellent, well-built to make as much use of the space as possible and let the audiences on both sides of the stage see everything. The simple, open design meant it didn’t feel visually cluttered, and was easily adapted into the familiar landscapes of IKEA, an empty flat, a cinema, and the rainy streets of Paris. The design was well thought out too, with pieces that started with little to no significance becoming incredibly important towards the end – like the film reel projector, or the bouquet of dried flowers.
However, some part of the play felt a little less complete. There were a few awkward moments of dialogue, and some of the more niche film references could create a few gaps in the story for anyone not familiar with them. I also thought there were a few moments towards the end that could have meant more had they been clearly clarified at the beginning, as well as a few story threads that could have done with a little less exploration. However, for the most part the story held together beautifully.
The ending was satisfying, and did a lot in changing the overall play to more of a hopeful tone. Without spoiling anything, the emotional aspects of the play come crashing down to create an optimistic ending. This is a play that successfully hits every emotional note any good rom-com needs. While not necessarily a “twist” on the rom-com, We’ll Always Have Paris does a good job at giving the audience a glimpse of something fresh.
We’ll Always Have Paris plays at the White Bear Theatre until 3rd October 2026. Tickets from https://www.whitebeartheatre.co.uk/whatson/we'll-always-have-paris