Review: CHLOE RADCLIFFE: CHEAT, Soho Theatre

“Cheating is easy . . . And that is going in my wedding vows”

Chloe Radcliffe: CHEAT begins with a bang - literally, with Radcliffe telling the audience about the time that she “lived a porn” and had sex with the FedEx delivery driver. It’s a surprising start to the show, but it certainly sets the tone, with Radcliffe revealing a secret that some people keep for the rest of her lives. She’s cheated. But don’t worry, the audience can keep their secrets - there is only one brief moment of audience participation, in which Radcliffe asks audience members to raise a hand if they have cheated, then to raise a hand if they’ve been cheated on, though she promises those who have kept their hands down that their secret’s safe with her.

Admitting to being a serial cheater is certainly a unique topic for a one-woman show, and Radcliffe doesn’t expect the audience to be on her side. This isn’t one of the shows where a comedian tries to flip the perspective on something. Instead, this is more of an analytical show, with Radcliffe trying to explain to the audience - and herself - why she has had a habit of cheating. For her, cheating is like a drug, with “New Relationship Emotions” (NREs) being “the most powerful drug in the world,” with Radcliffe constantly searching for the feelings of the honeymoon phase, even in relationships she has been in for years. Even though she loves being a girlfriend, she just can’t stop being attracted to other men, which she jokes is proof that sexuality isn’t a choice. 

Radcliffe fully admits that the cheating was wrong, even if she never felt guilty when she was cheating on her partners. She doesn’t want the audience asking, “Are we proud of her?” for admitting to cheating, as she doesn’t see it as a good thing. There is an interesting section on how people establish boundaries in relationships, which makes people question what exactly cheating is.

For Radcliffe, her boundary is a particular type of sex, which she refuses to do if she is cheating, keeping to what she considers to be her principles. But, even with these boundaries, she doesn’t trust herself in her relationships, always second-guessing herself. Someone once told Radcliffe that “relationships are hard work,” but she believes that she has interpreted that in the wrong way, thinking that all relationships must feel hard. 

Radcliffe has a tendency to see herself as two different people - “Inside Chloe” and “Outside Chloe.” While “Outside Chloe” may be conventionally attractive, the kind of woman that has delivery men wanting to have sex with her, “Inside Chloe” still feels like the nerdy speech a debate kid, the precocious teenager who saw men being attracted to her through the lens of a scarcity mentality. As Radcliffe says, “I will always feel like I look weird.” She never wants to have less power than the other person in a relationship, now that she has the ability to wield power over others. The comments on attractiveness are quite interesting, especially the ones focused on Radcliffe’s birthmark, which she addresses early on in the show. Some, especially those about weight, are a bit uncomfortable, but luckily aren’t the main aspect of the show. 

It is fascinating to listen to Radcliffe fully admit to her history of cheating in a world where it’s typically not talked about. Radcliffe is such a talented comedian that she is able to talk about darker topics like her father leaving and even a tough decision with one of her partners while still keeping it comedic. A prime example of this when she shows the audience a book she made when she was seven years old titled “Moms and Dads,” in which a young Radcliffe acknowledges the difficulties of living alone with her mother and only being able to see her father once a month. This darker subject, however, is made hilarious by the fact that instead of using the word “difficult,” seven-year-old Radcliffe simply wrote, “My dad is hard.”

Ultimately, Chloe Radcliffe: CHEAT is a fantastic and fascinating show in which Radcliffe is able to explore the reasons that she has cheated in her past relationships while still keeping the show full of jokes. Radcliffe herself may be predictable as she jokes about several times in the show, but CHEAT itself is a rollercoaster of twists and turns exploring what it is like to be a serial cheater and how one’s perspective on love can change how they love. 

Chloe Radcliffe: CHEAT ran from 15 - 17 May at Soho Theatre.