Amy’s own parents met on a blind date. Following several disastrous attempts of her own at dating in the real world, Amy signed up for online dating. She re-watched You’ve Got Mail, posted a lonely hearts’ ad, bought a webcam, spoke to a hot Italian (and a skull) on chatroulette, and saw a lot of things she wished she hadn’t. She even friended 68 people on Facebook with the same name as her ex-boyfriend and emailed internet pen pals she hadn’t spoken to since she was 15.
The 8 Fatal Mistakes of Online Dating (and how to avoid them) is an hour long journey through the world of internet dating, told as a series of microfictions, posing the questions: Do online relationships work? How different is meeting people online to meeting them in person? What are the biggest problems encountered by a serial online dater? Can you find ‘the one’ in a chat room?
Musician Andy Playford will create an electronic soundscape for the show, live each night, as there’s always room for unpredictably in love. And, apologies in advance, Amy has a confession to make. But so did almost everyone else she met.
Amy Mackelden writes microfiction and poetry. She won a Northern Promise Award in 2011, and was shortlisted for the Cinnamon Press Poetry Collection Award.
The 8 Fatal Mistakes of Online Dating (and how to avoid them), is supported by Arts Council England, and launched at Durham Book Festival in 2012.
• Amy Mackelden presents The 8 Fatal Mistakes of Online Dating (and how to avoid them) at ARC on Thurs 22 Nov at 7.45pm. Tickets are priced F: £8.50 C: £6.50 and can be purchased here.