Review of A to B – unchangeable problems since nothing can prepare for a blind date | Section

All nerves, hope and anticipation of planning a date melt together in Tia-Renee Mullings coming-of-age drama. Told through two monologues, Brianna (Zakiyyah Dean) and Armani (Sheyi Cole) prepare for a night that will change their lives for the better. Or it could go terribly wrong. Who knows? Setting up a blind date with best friends, they have only a picture of who they want to be with to continue.

It’s a concept that many who are looking for love in today’s dating app driven world will recognize. But that worry is not enough to keep him going for the 80 minutes of the game. For Brianna and Armani, nothing seems to be going right. Brianna’s younger sisters steal and destroy her carefully chosen outfit – a nightmare for an aspirant like her – before an unfortunate encounter with water guns destroys her hair. Meanwhile, Armani misses his barber’s appointment and ends up having the worst of his life. However, over time, many of the problems become obvious, and things start to feel like they’re moving in circles.

Keeping the style and accessories of Armani and Brianna, but to reach the peak that they are, we yearn to hear something deeper. Sometimes, we see what is under the surface: when he admits that he is lost in the forest, Dean reveals Brianna as someone who wants to be loved, while Cole’s Armani tries to hope that his date will see beyond the image that he worked so hard, but failed, to be successful.

Directed by Ewa Dina, time stamps light up on the screen to show the passing of the day. Dean and Cole take turns to tell their stories, the song playing through the lyrics and musical exchanges. As well as being dark with a romantic feel, Mullings’ voice moves with the image of life in south London. British Jamaican life is drawn in vivid shades. This is the beginning of a beautiful modern love story – we just need a little of the story to feel complete.