Little Lark of London

“In that room, we all bond through sharing our romantic failures so, even if you don’t walk away with a new love interest, hopefully you feel less alone”

How would you feel if your first date was part of a comedy show? Well, you might be able to find out! This Valentine’s Day, 14 February, LOLyamorous: The Speed Dating Comedy Show comes to the Museum of Comedy. The show is described as a “riotous (and potentially romantic) night out,” as audience members are invited on stage for a two-minute speed dating experience, which is then followed by a conversation James Regal, the host comic, and Willow Star, the resident sex and relationship expert, as well as a special guest comedian.

Recently, we had the chance to chat with James and Willow. We discussed the origins of LOLyamorous, bringing the matchmaking to London and even some favourite moments from previous shows!

James – How did you first get started in the world of comedy?

I tried my first open mic in summer 2019, just as a creative challenge to write and perform some jokes. But the moment I came offstage I was immediately hooked and have never looked back! I’m originally from London but I live in Barcelona so I mostly perform there, but have had the privilege to perform in multiple cities around the world, from Austin to Berlin to Tokyo. For me, there’s really no better feeling than connecting with a room full of strangers through laughter.

Willow – How did you first get involved in the world of sex and relationship expertise?

I come from an extremely conservative, religious family in the suburbs of Pennsylvania, USA. When I moved to New York City to study psychology and work in the mental health field, I just realised, “Wow, sexuality is definitely a huge aspect of our wellbeing – why aren’t we talking about it more?!” It was transformative for my own personal journey to unravel these taboos about sex and relationships, so I knew I wanted to help others transform their relationships too. 

James – What inspired the creation of LOLyamorous?

I had a pretty traumatic break-up in 2021 and the start of that relationship predated the explosion of dating apps. So I was suddenly thrust into the world of online dating and realised it wasn’t really for me. Speaking to other single people, they shared the same frustrations, so I thought it might be fun to create an event where people not only get to go on dates, but also get to share their dating woes with a room full of supportive people. There’s so much comedy in people just being authentic, honest and telling true stories. The first few shows didn’t have the therapist element, but then I met Willow at an event in Barcelona and immediately knew I’d found the special ingredient that could make the show really fly. Now we have a wild and funny show that is still grounded in real insight and advice that our audiences can walk away with.

Willow – What made you want to be a part of LOLyamorous? What is it like to use your expertise for a comedy show?

I’ve been teaching university students a course called “The Psychology of Human Sexuality” for the last three years in Barcelona, so for me this show is a unique opportunity to give audiences just a taste of how freeing it is to discuss sex and dating openly without fear of being judged. Of course, the show is not therapy, nor is it class time, but it’s a fun way to get some of my teachings out to more people in short, bite-sized bits of information. It’s also important that I’m there to support the daters because sometimes the dates can get personal, so just to let them know that it’s okay to be vulnerable. 

What is it like to be bringing LOLyamorous to London on Valentine’s Day?

We’re incredibly excited! We’ve taken LOLyamorous to various European cities and even Tokyo, and every one of them has its own specific struggles for single people. London is such a big city, everyone’s busy, it’s expensive. And typically British people are a bit more guarded when it comes to talking openly about their emotions or sexual desires. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to do this show because even though it’s naturally entertaining and silly, our daters are genuinely looking for relationships. So for those who have the adventurous spirit and open-mindedness to give a blind date a chance, it’s a great place to meet someone else on the same page. Even if you don’t get to go on stage or hit it off with your date, there’s a whole room full of other single people you can meet in the bar afterwards.

James – How do you prepare special guest comedians like Nicole Harris to be a part of LOLyamorous?

We really only have one golden rule – we’re there to make the people look good and show their best side. We’re not there to roast or ridicule anyone as it takes a lot of guts to come up on stage (Some gentle teasing is inevitable though – we’re comedians after all!). Apart from that, we just want them to do what they do best. We book comedians like Nicole because they are so good at asking questions that can draw hilarious stories out of people, and have their own crazy dating disasters that they love to share. 

Do you have any favourite moments from previous LOLyamorous shows?

There’s been so many highlights, but I always love when someone demonstrates a talent. We’ve had people sing opera, dance, or even play an instrument! But our absolute favourite thing to happen is, of course, when someone sends us a message afterwards to say they’ve continued dating the person they met on the show. Just before Christmas last year, one of the couples from the show sent us a selfie of them at the airport about to go on a trip to South America together. After nearly three years we’re still waiting for our first LOLyamorous wedding – unless of course it already happened and they just didn’t invite us!

What do you hope audiences take away from LOLyamorous?

First and foremost, we want everyone to have fun and a good laugh. But we’re also often told that, thanks to the topics discussed on the show, people come away with a new perspective on love, sex or dating. In that room, we all bond through sharing our romantic failures so, even if you don’t walk away with a new love interest, hopefully you feel less alone.

How would you describe LOLyamorous in one word?

Unpredictable!

LOLyamorous runs on 14 February at the Museum of Comedy. More information can be found here.