Ivan Campillo's Speed Dating Comedy Hits Andorra

Ivan Campillo, a 52-year-old actor from Barcelona, brings his comedy play *¿Buscas pareja?, Speed Dating* to Andorra's Centre de Congressos this Friday at 9:30pm. The production delves into the chaotic world of modern dating apps and speed-dating events, where characters grapple with separation, financial pressures, and the search for connection in a fast-paced society.

Campillo plays a man who, after separating from his long-term partner and starting a family, turns to online apps to find love—a practical choice amid rising living costs that leave little time or money for traditional pursuits. His co-star, Mireia Clemente, portrays Sara, a 40-year-old woman whose relationships have repeatedly failed. The two endure a series of absurd encounters before crossing paths in a twist that blends humour with underlying pathos.

"Comedy lets you laugh at things that would make you cry through another lens," Campillo explains. The play uses parody and exaggeration to highlight how human relationships have become visual, disposable transactions in a consumer-driven culture. "Love has turned into just another product," he says, pointing to a growing depersonalisation where people know the weather in Australia but not their neighbour's name.

He also critiques holiday pressures, especially around Christmas. "It feels like you have an obligation to be happy," Campillo notes, describing how festive displays in places like Badalona and Vigo sell an illusion of joy. Those feeling down face expectations to party on New Year's Eve, even if it means forcing fun with alcohol—often backfiring into greater misery. The play parodies this with a scene where one character hates Christmas, only for their partner to appear in a reindeer-antlered festive sweater, belting out carols.

Now in its third year, the show has enjoyed success, with audiences appreciating moments of relief from real-life struggles. "They tell us they've forgotten their problems and laughed like never before," Campillo says. On finding true love, he remains optimistic but realistic: "In a perfect world, you'd have the ideal partner. But reality means bellies and lost hair for men. Love exists, but it's real, not like in the movies."