A Fringe show that combines cheesy love songs, karaoke and "boring monologues" might not encourage theatre-goers to attend, but Love Love Love takes those elements and crafts a play that is satirical, funny and ultimately endearing. Harriet Plewis and Matthew Bellwood, a pair of single (in capital letters) friends, started the show by belting out Barbara Streisand's 'The Way We Were'. Plewis' lovely singing voice was contrasted by a fumbling Bellwood's unfortunate attempt at harmony, along with video screen images of the pair sitting forlornly in the subway and frolicking in a park.

The duo - Plewis, a hopeless romantic; Bellwood, a confirmed cynic - dissect some of the world's most overused love songs in a way that is both illuminating - the vast majority of love songs apparently use the same chord progression - and humorous - "Phil (Collins) makes the kind of music you forget while you're listening to it." While Bellwood scoffs at the hackneyed lyrics of songs like 'Everything I Do, I Do It For You', Plewis shares unabashedly how the songs speak to her real-life heartbreak.

The hour-long play, while extremely entertaining, does lull a bit near the end due to rehashing of the cynical-versus-romantic theme, and Bellwood's amusingly bad singing does get a bit tiresome. The show doesn't unearth any momentous truths, either, but its characters are honest and likable and the script full of love, including some man-on-werewolf action.

Love Love Love is easy to, for lack of a better word, love.

The Star Phoenix
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by: Stephanie Classen