Bisexual representation has never been so beautiful.

How We Begin tells the story of two best friends turned lovers turned sexual partners turned back to best friends. It all begins (though it really began at fresher’s week, three years previously) when Diana (Emma Lucia) tells Helen (Talia Pick) she is in love with two people: her boyfriend and Helen. What follows is a few weeks of stealing kisses and hand-holding under tables, but the relationship is inevitably unsustainable. I love how Diana is never villainized, nor is the concept of having multiple partners; as she says, “Isn’t more love a good thing?”

The framing of the story is unique, told in a series of moments between Helen and Diana, each beginning with one of them saying “This is how it begins,” or “This is how it ends.” Elisabeth Lewrenz’s writing is remarkable, with a few lighthearted queer jokes thrown in for good measure. I loved how Lucia and Pick stayed in the middle of The Pit, even though there was a stage, so the audience could feel more connected to them.

Within a few seconds of the play starting, Diana and Helen’s chemistry was so palpable I could almost touch it. Though they looked to the audience, acknowledging our presence and telling us their story, they could not keep their eyes off each other. Every word, every look, every movement is clearly thought-out, and it is all perfection.

Two very touching moments for me were when Helen tells her family she is bisexual. I will never forget her grandfather’s reaction – clapping while exclaiming “Marvelous, honey!” – and his words of wisdom: “It doesn’t matter who you love, just that you love someone who is proud to love you.” Helen’s mother’s initiative to educate herself on the experiences of lesbians (because, as she rightfully points out, there are very few books on bisexuality) nearly moved me to tears. Though not all of Helen’s experiences are as touching as these, it was encouraging to see queerness handled by family in such a lovely way.

I wish I could see How We Begin for the first time over and over to have the same wonderful experience.

{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}

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